Don McNair Scholarship in the Identification, Ecology or Conservation of Australian Native Flora
$5,000
1
08 February 2026
Scholarship details
Donor
Don McNair bequestEstablishment
The intention of the scholarship is that it will support an Honours candidate whose project involves ecology, Identification, or illustration of native flora and academic pursuits aligned with the goals of The Don McNair Herbarium.
Dr Donald McNair, DSc honoris causa, University of Newcastle, lived his entire life in Newcastle. He combined a career as an auto-electrician with an extraordinary passion for plant taxonomy and ecology. He collected plant specimens within the Hunter Region, throughout NSW and interstate. His botanical training was formalized in the late 1950’s by undertaking courses offered by The University of Newcastle, the Workers Education Association (WEA) and through interactions with plant taxonomists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
Don McNair’s legacy to teaching and research is the donation of his herbarium now comprising 14,000 specimens to The University of Newcastle. The Don McNair Herbarium was formally opened in 2003 and Don and his volunteers worked to maintain and expand the collections until his death in 2014. He believed that his collection “will be vital in recording environmental and plant changes, particularly in response to climate change”. His donation of the Herbarium and this scholarship was designed to foster postgraduate research in plant taxonomy, ecology and botanical illustration.
For more information on this scholarship, please review the full Terms and Conditions.
Applicable to Academic achievement, honours, botanics, ecology, conservation.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, you will need to:
- Be enrolled in the final year of your Honours degree where your project involves ecology identification or illustration of native flora.
- Demonstrate academic achievement through a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 or higher
- Not have previously received this scholarship.
- Not be the recipient of another University of Newcastle donor-funded or sponsored scholarship concurrently.
- Be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident (including holders of a permanent humanitarian visa and New Zealand citizens with permanent residency).
Required Documentation
Required documents will be listed on the ‘Your Documents’ page of your application. The application portal accepts PDF only. A maximum of 3 PDF smaller than 5 MB can be added per document type upload field.
- A personal statement (approx. 1 A4 page) outlining your academic achievements, career aspirations in the relevant area of study, and how this scholarship would assist you. This statement will cover all scholarships you are submitting for.
- Up to 3 documents which demonstrate your academic achievements, such as awards, participation in enrichment and travel programs or internships, academic competitions, portfolio or cv. Transcripts are not required for UON students.
Benefit
This scholarship provides a total benefit of $5,000 paid as two equal payments of $2,500 in Semester 1 and 2.
Payments are typically received 2–3 weeks after the semester census date, or 2–3 weeks after you accept your offer if the census date has already passed.
Selection
Selection of the scholar will be on the basis of academic merit, and assessment of the applications and required supporting documentation against the eligibility criteria.
College
College of Engineering Science and Environment
Contact Details
Scholarships
Student and Academic Services
University of Newcastle
University Drive
CALLAGHAN NSW 2308
Phone: +61 2 4921 5000
Email: scholarships@newcastle.edu.au
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.