Our 2026 Crawford Fund Student Awards – study, travel, have impact!
November 24, 2025
Do you want to study, travel and make a difference while developing a career focused on global solutions and impact? If you are you studying in any field broadly related to food and nutrition security, we can help you add an international component to it and shape a future in international agriculture.
The Crawford Fund for Food Security’s 2026 Student Awards are now open across Australia.
As part of the Crawford Fund’s NextGen program, each of our State and Territory Committees support these awards to enable students to gain valuable experience and expertise by bringing an international component to their studies and research. This usually involves travel and immersion in a research project, country and culture.
The closing date for our 2026 Student Awards is Tuesday 12 May 2026.
If you are a university student undertaking a degree in agriculture, animal production, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management or any area broadly related to food and nutrition security, but not traditionally ‘agriculture’, this award could open a whole new world of experience and career opportunities. This is because international agricultural research needs people with skills beyond agriculture science. If you are studying social sciences, gender, health, communication, AI, data analytics, business, finance… it needs you too!
The conditions and requirements for the State and Territory Committees’ awards differ in terms of study levels needed, citizenship/residency requirements, award amounts provided and the number of awards available, as set out below:
* Please note that the Crawford Fund has undergraduate student awards – The Crawford Fund Henzell Awards – which are open to Australian citizens and permanent residents in their second year of university or beyond. More details here.
We strongly encourage you to contact the coordinator in the State/Territory in which your university is based with any queries, or to talk through your ideas, as per the contact details below. They are best placed to advise you on about how to connect to a project or identify an organisation on which to focus your project application on.
You can also identify staff at your university who are already involved in international agriculture for development associated with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) or any of the international agricultural research centres in the CGIAR or AIRCA. Another strategy is to search on the ACIAR website for projects associated with your area of interest, or for projects in which your university is engaged.
We also strongly recommend you read the general background information before you start your application. The short online application form will require you to attach:
- a brief CV
- a budget outline
- the signatures of, or a supporting note from, the Authorised Officers approving your application
- details of at least one referee.
Apply online here, and take a look at the suggested reporting guidelines for an idea of what is expected once the experience is over.
Note that any travel associated with these awards will need to comply with your university’s travel and insurance requirements and DFAT’s travel advice for safety and health purposes.
Any questions?
Our State/Territory Committee Coordinators strongly encourage your enquiries:
- Australian Capital Territory – Mr David Shearer – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/act-committee/
- New South Wales – Dr Helen Scott-Orr AM PSM – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/nsw-committee/
- Northern Territory – Ms Tania Paul – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/nt-committee/
- Queensland – Prof Bob Lawn FRSB FTSE FAIA – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/qld-committee/
For specific QLD eligibility requirements, key selection criteria and reporting requirements please use this backgrounder: https://www.crawfordfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Crawford-in-QLD-Student-Award-guidelines.pdf
- South Australia – Dr Kathy Ophel Keller PSM – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/sa-committee/
- Tasmania – Dr Neville Mendham FAIAST – Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/tas-committee/
- Victoria – Mr Bill Lewis FAIA – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/vic-committee/
- Western Australia – Professor Lyn Abbott FAIAST – Email: [email protected]
Web: www.crawfordfund.org/training/stateprograms/wa-committee/
If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident and in your second or subsequent year of an undergraduate degree, we also have awards tailored to your needs! Click here to read about our Crawford Fund Henzell Awards, which also close on Tuesday 12 May 2026.
As part of the Crawford Fund network, the opportunities, friendships and support you gain to develop your experience and expertise in international agriculture for development are limitless.
While you consider your application sign up for our e-newsletter, follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and follow RAID Network so you don’t miss any other interesting opportunities and get-togethers with other like-minded young people.
All the very best of luck!
