New scholarship explores politics of biodiversity

A new Politics of Biodiversity Scholarship is funding PhD research aimed at finding better ways to support biodiversity conservation and preserve the Earth we share.

While our community shares a commitment to tackling the challenges of building a more sustainable world, views about climate change and other environmental issues are often divided along political lines.

A new scholarship funded by generous philanthropic support is helping research to expand our national and global understanding of how political ideology contributes to policy and action around biodiversity conservation.

The funding was kindly provided by the executor of a bequest who has witnessed the decline of biodiversity in several areas of the Hunter Valley and feels that change has to happen. This anonymous donor chose to support the Politics of Biodiversity Scholarship as it will enable critical examination of the political influences on conservation.

Biodiversity decline is truly a global problem that requires cooperation at every level. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute research that may help influence environmental policy and governance to preserve the only Earth we share.”

Jacob Jones 
Master of Environmental Management and Sustainability, 2021
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Environmental), 2016

Inaugural scholarship recipient and alumnus Jacob Jones is an environmental engineer with a background in government. His research is exploring how different social, economic and other values that make up political ideology relate to biodiversity conservation. By quantifying political ideology in more detail than just left-wing and right-wing politics, Jacob hopes to identify how to best promote biodiversity to everyone.

“I am deeply curious about how people of different backgrounds and circumstances have come to value the environment in such different ways. By breaking through current decision-making cycles, I hope to find the most effective ways to advocate biodiversity to more people, organisations, corporations and governments worldwide,” says Jacob.

Receiving the scholarship has enabled Jacob to focus full-time on his PhD studies as part of the Conservation Science Research Group in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle.

If you are interested in establishing an undergraduate or PhD scholarship, please contact Lenita on 02 4921 8612 or email donor-relations@newcastle.edu.au