The Australasian Quaternary Association is now calling for applications for the 2024 Leanne Armand Travel Award. The award was established in honour of the Late Professor Leanne Armand (Feb 1968-Jan 2022), much-loved former ANZIC Director and Professor of Micropalaeontology at the Australian National University. Leanne was a world leader on marine diatoms which she successfully used to reconstruct the waxing and waning of sea ice in the Southern Ocean. She was passionate about training up the next generation of scientists and was an advocate for diversity and inclusion.  

Funds were donated towards this award by family members, colleagues and friends of Leanne to help train up the next generation of microfossil experts. 

The award is set for postgraduate and early- to mid-career researchers based in Australia and is to be administered by the Australasian Quaternary Association (AQUA). 

The award consists of a travel stipend to the maximum of A$3,000 and is offered at most once a year to a single candidate seeking to learn microfossil identification/taxonomy as well as ecology from Australian or overseas  expert(s).

Applicants for the award must provide a document up to three pages containing:

1. a brief research biography including details of their current research project
2. the benefits of the travel grant for their research
3. details of the opportunity (e.g. workshop) or expert(s) willing to host the applicant, and 
4. a budget listing anticipated expenses.

In addition, a letter of support is required from the applicant’s supervisor. Application for this award is on condition of travel insurance being provided by the applicant’s institution and must be confirmed by that institution. This must also accompany the application.

A successful awardee must provide with the application a letter of acceptance by the expert offering assistance and the proposed timing and duration of the visit. Upon completion of the award, the applicant is to submit a report to be published in the AQUA newsletter. 

Up to three official members of the AQUA committee, as well as at least two members of the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, are to oversee the applications once a year set by a date advertised on the AQUA web site as well as the RSES web site. Funds are administered by the AQUA Treasurer. Once the funds have expired, this travel award will no longer be offered.

Applications are to be submitted to the current AQUA President A/Prof John Tibby by 15 Feburary 2024.