Our 2026 Crawford Fund Henzell Awards for undergrads are now open!
November 24, 2025
Thinking of a globally-focused career? Would you like an experience in a partner country to better understand what international agricultural research for development is all about? Do you want to improve your network and knowledge and learn from those already involved in global food and nutrition security and development? If so, we may have an exciting new opportunity for you.
The Crawford Fund for Food Security is offering travel awards designed specifically for undergraduate students, thanks to support from Ted and Frances Henzell and their family. The Henzell’s and the Crawford Fund hope by experiencing work on the ground in a partner country, you may be encouraged to consider further related study and develop a career to join the many others active with Australian and international institutions having an impact on food and nutrition security.
In 2025, there were four recipients for the inaugural Henzell Awards. You can read about the experience of Ava Robertson from the University of Sydney here. Ava was the first of our awardees to travel, visiting Samoa a few months ago, and she said about the award: “This experience has profoundly shaped my perspective on international agricultural research.”
In the short video below, produced by Ted Henzell’s son John, Ted explains his family’s thinking behind offering to support the Crawford Fund Henzell Awards.
The awards will fund students who are in their second or subsequent year of undergraduate study (including honours year) at an Australian university, and are Australian citizens or permanent residents, for brief visits to enable a connection and better understanding of international agricultural research for development, working with partners to improve food and nutrition security. Applicants can either identify a project in their application or ask the Fund to assist in providing the experience.
The awards are for brief visits to a specific but broad range of tropical countries where there is work underway for food and nutrition security. This can be throughout the Pacific, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Agricultural research for development needs multi-disciplinary teams so we are after applicants studying in a broad array of areas – the usual agricultural areas like ag science, plant and animal production, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management, but also any area broadly related to food and nutrition security such as social sciences, geography, gender, environment, health, nutrition, communication, AI, data analytics, business or finance… if you can explain the connection with improving food and nutrition security, then you can apply.
The purpose of the awards is to encourage undergraduate students to consider further study and careers related to food security. Therefore, applications should be for travel that can be carried out before final exams.
The closing date for our 2026 Henzell Awards is Tuesday 12 May 2026.
We strongly recommend you read the general background information before you start your application and don’t leave it until the last minute. The short online application form differs depending on whether you have been able to identify a project for the proposed visit or not.
We acknowledge that connecting with an international project for an award visit can be daunting but our backgrounder suggests ways to connect with experienced people and related projects. We need to know everyone that is applying has tried (even unsuccessfully) to find their own project to link to a visit.
All applicants will be asked to explain their interest and/or motivation in receiving a Henzell Award, and will be required to attach a brief CV (no longer than four pages), a supporting note from a related university staff member supporting your application to travel, and there is the option to provide additional personal or academic referees. You may like to ensure you have all those before commencing the online application. There is a budget template available here.
Apply online here.
Note that any travel associated with these awards will need to comply with DFAT travel advice for safety and health purposes.
Any questions?
Lucy Broad, Director of Communication and Outreach – [email protected]
Larissa Mullot, Communication Manager – [email protected]
If you are a post-graduate student at an Australian university, the Crawford Fund Student Awards are also open! Click here for all the details and to see if you are eligible to apply. Applications for these awards also close Tuesday 12 May 2026.
All the very best of luck!
