| Value | Up to NZ$10,000 |
|---|---|
| Number offered | Up to 4 each year |
| Closing date | 15 August |
Information
Established by the University of Otago in 2025, to formalise an award created in partnership with The Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation in 2022. This award seeks to support up to four research masters' students each year undertaking ecological research as part of the thesis component of their degree. With a maximum total value of $10,000 per recipient, intended to help meet research expenses, the award is generously funded by The Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation.
Leslie Hutchins DCNSM OBE JP (1924–2003) set up the Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation as a charitable trust in 1994, inspired by his lifelong passion for nature conservation and a strong desire to pass on the torch. He was a member of both the National Parks and Reserves Authority of New Zealand and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and was also a Guardian of Lakes Manapouri, Monowai, and Te Anau. He devoted his life to ensuring as many people as possible could enjoy New Zealand’s southern parks and conservation areas through his dedicated volunteer efforts and astute tourism operating ventures.
Applicants must be:
- A New Zealand citizen or Residence Class Visa Holder
- Enrolled in a research master’s degree featuring a core ecological or conservation objective, and research within, or focused on, any of the following regions (or surrounding areas):
- Southland (including the Fiordland National Park World Heritage Area)
- Coastal and/or Central Otago
- Stewart Island
- The Sub-Antarctic Islands within New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone
- Preparing to undertake the thesis component of their degree
The following factors shall be considered in selecting the scholarship recipient:
- The applicant’s tertiary academic record and achievements
- The degree of threat faced by the organisms, ecology or natural environment being studied, and consequent need for research of the kind proposed by the applicant
- The potential for the applicant’s research to contribute to the scientific understanding of the organisms, ecology or natural environment being studied
- The potential for the applicant’s research to have a positive impact on the organisms, ecology or natural environment being studied