Forrest Fellowships are offered to early-stage postdoctoral researchers who have outstanding academic profiles and who have already made significant personal research contributions within and beyond their discipline. 

Forrest Fellows will wish to extend their postdoctoral research well beyond the focus of their doctoral dissertation and will aim to do so in a way that builds intellectual bridges within and between disciplines. Forrest Fellows are also committed to communicating their research to others, to have a positive impact on the world around us. 

There are up to four Fellowships available at any of the five Western Australian universities, including Curtin University. 

• Centre for Aboriginal Studies
• Faculty of Business and Law
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Science & Engineering
  • Science courses
  • Engineering courses
  • Western Australian School of Mines (WASM)

• Higher Degree by Research
• Staff/Post-doctoral

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

• Merit Based

The Fellowship provides: 

• A salary consistent with a Level A Step 8 appointment plus superannuation 
• Accommodation allowance of $25,740 per annum in 2026 to live at Forrest Hall, on the banks of the Swan River
• A one-off research and travel allowance of up to $12,000, plus economy airfare to Perth
• A relocation allowance for overseas and interstate Fellows

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The Fellowships are open to candidates from all disciplines and are intended to accelerate opportunities for outstanding researchers.

The Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to candidates of any nationality. You will require an outstanding academic track record be a creative thinker, excellent communicator, passionate researcher and wish to join this group of exceptional Forrest Fellows.

To be eligible to apply for a Forrest Research Foundation Fellowship, an applicant must:
a) have successfully completed all the requirements for the award of their PhD on or after 1 January 2024, or will have successfully completed all such requirements by 31 December 2026;
b) be intending to reside at Forrest Hall for the duration of the Fellowship (exemptions may be considered by the Governors of the Forrest Research Foundation).

To be eligible to take up a Forrest Research Foundation Fellowship, an awardee must:

a) have been offered and accepted an employment contract at a Western Australian university. The Forrest Foundation will liaise with the nominated university to issue the employment contract to successful fellowship applicants.

b) have received their PhD conferral before taking up their appointment.

Applications close on 30 June 2026. Applicants will need to submit a completed application form, CV, publications list, grants and awards list and contact details for three referees (at least two academic). 

For more information about the fellowships, please visit see the Forrest Research Foundation website: https://forrestresearch.org.au/fellowships/

Louise Renwick, Program and Partnerships Coordinator, Forrest Research Foundation

admin@forrestresearch.org.au

The Mission of the Forrest Research Foundation is to create a world-leading collaborative centre of research and scholarship in Western Australia.  

The Foundation supports over 60 PhD scholars and postdoctoral fellows and their families, who bring their talents and creativity from all parts of the world to Western Australia to conduct ground-breaking research. 

Our researchers pursue everything from ‘blue sky research’ to projects focused on commercialisation and policy.

We have no defining theme but draw researchers from across disciplines. Our essential selection criteria are excellence, engagement and curiosity.

https://forrestresearch.org.au/