Opportunities such as funding rounds and scholarship programs are promoted on this page when available.
Scholarships available for drought resilience research
Are you a PhD or masters student passionate about working with grower groups or industry to make a real impact?
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) is offering two bursaries of up to $25,000 each to support students to include an extension component into their drought resilience research in 2025/26.
This is a fantastic opportunity to integrate practical extension activities into your research while contributing to drought resilience and on-the-ground change in WA agriculture.
Find out more about the bursary program.
Who can apply?
- Enrolled in a PhD or MSc at a Western Australian university,
- Able to complete an extension component of research by 31 May 2026,
- Research aligns with drought resilience priorities.
How to apply
Fill out the Expression of Interest form below.
Applications close 30 April 2025.
Looking for a work placement instead? Contact us at swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.
Elders Community Giving Project grants
Applications for the Elders Community Giving Project close on Thursday 15 May at 5pm (ACST).
There are 14 grants of up to $20,000 available across six areas of focus via the Community Giving Project pillars, including the areas of safety, innovation, wellbeing, diversity, people and the environment.
There is also a People’s Choice category which will see the Elders community vote on their initiative of choice.
Applications are open to regional, rural and remote not-for-profit organisations seeking funding for initiatives and projects that will have a positive impact in our regional communities.
Further information on the pillars, process and eligibility criteria can be found on the Elders website.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Elders team at community.giving.project@elders.com.au
Applications close on 15 May 2025.
Apply for a Climate-Smart Agriculture Capacity Building grant - deadline 31 March
Applications for the Natural Heritage Trust’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Capacity Building Grants (Round 2) are now open. With $16.58m available over three years (2025-28), grants of $250k to $3m will help farmers to have better access to knowledge and skills relating to best practice climate-smart sustainable agriculture approaches.
To collaborate with the SW WA Hub, email us at swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.
Applications close on 31 March 2025.
Apply for a Drought Resilience Scholarship with Nuffield Australia - deadline 16 May
The Future Drought Fund is investing in five Nuffield scholarships that are specifically available to study drought resilience and support innovation. These scholarships will support applicants to build drought resilience expertise, adapt innovative technology and practices from overseas and share these learnings to advance Australian agriculture.
Applications close on 16 May 2025.
Expression Of Interest for Resilience Training Program for Farmers
Two Future Drought Fund grant rounds are currently open
1. Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2
This program builds on the success of the existing Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program which is delivering projects to investigate innovative and transformational farming practices to build drought resilience.
$40.3 million will be available through an open competitive grant process for projects between $3 million and $8 million from 2024-25 until 2029-30.
Round 2 will include an expanded list of eligible agricultural industries.
2. Resilient Landscapes Program
The program requires applicants to demonstrate how proven practices, technology and approaches can be used to manage natural resources and contribute to building drought and climate resilience.
$40 million will be available through an open competitive grant process for projects between $2 million and $6 million from 2024-25 until 2029-30.
Hub team support
As per previous grant rounds, the SW WA Hub can provide assistance to Hub consortium partners and grower groups whose applications align with WA’s drought resilience priorities.
The Hub team is committed to maximising your chances of success. Here’s how we can assist:
- Letters of support: We can facilitate letters of support for applicants who engage with the Hub early, align their projects with WA’s regional drought resilience priorities, and are seeking to partner with the Grower Group Alliance (GGA).
- Facilitating collaboration: We can introduce proponents of similar projects, including interstate partners, fostering opportunities for co-design and project amalgamation.
- Grant application guidance: Our team can help you navigate grant guidelines and offer high-level advice on how to best meet the grant criteria.
Complete an expression of interest (EOI)
Expressions of interest are now closed.
To access our support, complete our expression of interest (EOI) form by 25 October.
The EOIs capture key information such as:
- Contact Details: How we can reach you.
- Project Summary: A high-level overview of your idea or proposal.
- Industry Focus: The industries you are targeting (e.g., cropping, livestock, mixed).
- Level of Involvement: Your desired role in the project (e.g., consortium lead, partner, service provider).
- Project Scale: Whether your interest is local, statewide, or national.
- Skills and Resources: What you bring to the table (e.g., field trial sites, expertise, equipment) and what additional skills or resources you may need from a collaboration partner (e.g., extension expertise, trial design, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning).
- Alignment with local priorities: Which of WA’s drought resilience priorities your project addresses.
The Hub has a strong focus on collaboration and our qualified staff and industry connections can provide significant assistance to grant applicants.
Current Transformational Grants
Small Grants Closed
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub’s (SW WA Hub) small grants program is now closed. Full proposals are currently being reviewed with project announcements anticipated for later this month.
Led by the SW WA Hub with funding from the FDF, the Hub’s 18 month Transformational Projects Program (the Program) aims to transform current agricultural systems and address drought and climate challenges.
Contact Knowledge Broker Tanya Kilminster with any queries tkilminster@gga.org.au.
Guidelines
Register for SA study tour
September 17 – 22
Join other growers from Sunday, September 17, to Friday, September 22, for a five-day tour looking at innovation in South Australian broadacre agriculture. Look and think ‘outside the box’ while viewing new approaches to soil and water productivity, different ways of unlocking plant potential and examples of efficient input use.
Current Opportunities
Opening January 2023
Future Drought Fund (FDF) grant round: Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grants Program
This $40 million grants program will support a limited number of long-term trials to build the drought resilience and profitability of cropping and grazing farmers.
