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The F.G. Swain Award was initiated by the Hawkesbury Foundation in 2003 with the dual objectives of:
- enhancing the research outcomes of Doctoral students based on the Hawkesbury campus of the University and;
- promoting the Hawkesbury Campus as a focus of excellence and innovation in research.
The Award was named in recognition of the long and distinguished service of Professor F.G. Swain to Hawkesbury Agricultural College and UWS Hawkesbury. The first Award was made in 2004.
Eligibility and Purpose of the Award
Applicants to qualify must be enrolled in a Western Sydney University PhD program based at the Hawkesbury campus. The maximum value of the annual Award is set annually within the range from $10,000 to $15,000. This level of funding is designed to allow PhD students to expand their research activities. The Award is designed to support a specific activity such as:
- travel for field studies or to collect research data;
- purchase of additional research equipment;
- purchase of specialised software or hardware for the research;
- additional operating expenses for research.
Funding is not available to meet conference travel expenses or general living expenses of students.
History of Award Winners
2019:
Olivia Bernauer a student in the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Olivia’s PhD involves native orchard pollinators, foraging behaviour, pollination efficiency, phylogenetic diversity and the natural history of an allodapine bee. This is critically linked to apple and cherry pollination in NSW.
2018:
Alihan Katlav, a student in the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Alihan’s PhD involved assessing the role of endosymbionts in the reproductive biology and population suppression of Kelly’s citrus thrips.
2017:
Joanna Wong, a student in the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Joanna’s PhD involved studying the molecular pathways that enable plant microbes to interact.
2016:
Christopher Todd, a student in the Hawkesbury institute for the Environment. Christopher’s PhD involved research into the ecology and conservation of the Christmas Island flying-fox.
2015:
Rohan Riley, a student in the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Rohan research involved mechanisms for studying salt stress tolerance in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis using the grain model.
2014:
Lisa Bromfield, a student in the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Lisa’s PhD involved research into individuals’ strategies to cope with environmental change – a test of pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis.
2013:
Tim Sutton, a student of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Tim’s PhD involved research into the interaction between fig trees and their specialist pollinators and parasites.
2012:
Adam Frew, a student of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Adam’s PhD involved research into the management and control of scarab beetles in pastures and plantations.
2011 - Joint awards to:
Jennifer Morrow, whose PhD involved research into sex determination genes and wolbachia in the Queensland fruit fly.
Fiona Loudon, whose PhD involved research into the adaptation and life history evolution of long-lived organisms in response to climate change.
2010:
Hayley Stannard a student in School of Natural Sciences undertaking a PhD in Dasyurid Biology. Dasyurids are carnivorous marsupials and Hayley’s PhD aimed to uncover biological information about diet; blood chemistry and nutritional requirements of captive Dasyurids to assist in breeding and management of the species.
2009:
Sarah Moore, a student in Centre for Plant and Food Science undertaking a PhD in biochemical and physiological interactions of probiotic bacteria with mammalian cells.
2008 - Joint awards to:
Aiman Jojo, a student in Centre for Plant and Food Sciences undertaking a PhD in “Molecular and chemical factors influencing low temperature breakdown in stonefruits”,
Catherine Mathenege, a student in Centre for Plant and Food Science undertaking a PhD in the study of the cochineal insect which is used as a biological control agent against an invasive species of cactus,
Chung Huy Nguyen, a student in Centre for Plant and Food Science undertaking a PhD in the taxonomic status of the common garden ornamental know as Murraya paniculata and other species in the genus Murraya and Merrillia caloxylon.
2007:
Michelle Ryan, a student in the School of Natural Sciences undertaking a PhD in “Threats to the long term viability of the Eastern Long Neck turtle”.
2006 - Joint awards to:
Dianna Cooke, a student in the School of Natural Sciences undertaking a PhD in “Transcriptional Regulation of immune cell genes” and,
Mark Greco, a student in Centre for Plant and Food Science undertaking a PhD in “Pollination by Australian stingless bees in the greenhouse environment”.
2005 - Joint awards to:
Yingen Xue, a student of Centre for Horticulture and Plant Science (CHAPS) undertaking a PhD in “Effects of mineral oil on the tritrophic interactions between plant, two spotted mite Tetranychus urticae and the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis” and,
Paul Milham, a student of Centre for Horticulture and Plant Science (CHAPS) undertaking a PhD in “Cadmium behaviour in the soils of the Sydney Basin”.
2004 - Joint awards to:
Sigfredo Fuentes, a student of the Centre for Horticulture and Plant Science (CHAPS) undertaking a PhD in “Precision water management for grapevines under regulated deficit irrigation and partial rootzone drying”, and
Jane Atken, a student in the School of Environment and Agriculture undertaking a PhD in “Soil microbial response to urban wastewater application”.
