Academy backs early-career researchers protecting Australia’s wildlife, Australian Academy of Science, 7 May 2026
Two early-career scientists researching a deadly frog fungus and an invasive backyard skink have won the Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award.
A tadpole vaccination program and a suburban lizard mystery have earned two early-career researchers a prestigious environmental science award from the Australian Academy of Science.
Dr Joseph Chung from the University of Canberra and Mr Jules Farquhar from Monash University are this year’s recipients of the Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award.
Vaccinating tadpoles to save threatened frogs
Dr Joseph Chung (University of Canberra) is contributing to global efforts to save threatened frog species by vaccinating tadpoles against a deadly fungal disease, known as chytridiomycosis, before they are released into the wild.
“Chytridiomycosis affects nearly half of all [amphibious] species and is pushing 10% of species toward extinction,” Dr Chung said.
While conservation programs regularly reintroduce captive-bred frogs into their natural habitat, many die shortly after their release due to the disease.
His project is trialling cost-effective immunisation of green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) tadpoles, a threatened species found in south-eastern Australia.
The interdisciplinary project draws on physiology, behaviour, genetics and ecological modelling to examine whether immunisation affects cognition, survival and reproduction, and whether male and female frogs respond differently.
“My project will test whether reintroduction success can be improved by immunising tadpoles before release,” Dr Chung said.
Backyard takeover by six-toothed rainbow skink
The six-toothed rainbow skink was introduced to Darwin from Arnhem Land in the late 1990s, and preliminary data from Mr Jules Farquhar (Monash University) shows it continues to spread.
Mr Farquhar describes the six-toothed rainbow skink as a “backyard bully” due to its large size in comparison to native Darwin skinks.
“It is now the most common lizard in Darwin backyards, but its impact on native lizard species is unknown.
“Through fieldwork, lab experiments, and genetic analysis, this project will uncover how and why this species has been so successful, whether it’s displacing native species, and how human-modified environments may be helping it spread.”
The findings will shed light on an overlooked but growing conservation challenge: the movement of species within a country’s borders.
Highly commended
Another three researchers and their projects were highly commended for their 2026 Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award applications:
- Ms Lily Dun, University of Queensland: ‘Uncovering the role of tree architecture in shaping biodiversity and ecosystem function in Australian rainforests’
- Mr Luke Florence, La Trobe University: ‘Hidden beneath our feet: uncovering endemism and conservation priorities of mycorrhizal fungi in Australian forests’
- Dr Wei Wei, University of Technology Sydney: ‘Powering a sustainable future: resolving micro- and nanoplastics barriers in waste-to-energy biotransformation’
About the award
The Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award is an annual award of up to $20,000 per awardee to assist PhD students or early-career researchers working on the conservation of Australia’s flora and fauna using an interdisciplinary approach.
The award is named in honour of the late Dr Maxwell Frank Cooper Day AO FAA, who spent a lifetime championing entomology, conservation and forestry, as well as helping other scientists.