New Masters of Research Program! Stipends and project funding for domestic and international students

WSU Master of Research with stipend and research funding

Brand New Program launched Oct 2026

OPEN TO DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS mid Nov 2026

Master of Research – new degree at Western – Science major

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Join our lab for your Masters of Research with stipend and research funding!
Applications opening for new MRes program mid-Nov 2026
Domestic and international students are eligible!

website: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/future/study/courses/research/master-of-research

Pathway to PhD or professional career where understanding research is important.

Western Sydney has just launched a brand new Master of Research Program which includes stipends and research project funding and is open to domestic and international students.

Duration: 1.5 years full-time (or part-time equivalent)
6-months coursework (40 CP): For a Science Major these subjects will include INFO7020 Research Design, Methodology & Literacy and NATS7061 Advanced Research Methods and Analysis. Both subjects provide training that is directly relevant to the research discipline and project.
- 12-months supervised research project (thesis): 80 CP with research funding

Internationally recognised: MRes is an internationally recognised HDR qualification (and AQF level 9); whereas BSc Honours is of limited and varied recognition internationally (and AQF level 8).

Start Date: 1 March 2027

Eligibility: Bachelor or Master’s degree (>65 average mark)

Application requirements: Transcripts (outside Western), Citizenship status, English proficiency, ‘Statement of Intent’, Letter of Support from primary supervisor.

Tuition fees: A fully postgraduate degree, the student is provided with a Commonwealth (RTP) supported place (does not contribute to HECS debt)

Scholarships: Will be available during competitive offers twice a year (first opening in mid-Nov 2026). Annual rate = PhD ($38,707/year in 2027).

Supervisor: email me to discuss project ideas: k.umbers@westernsydney.edu.au. Send a copy of your CV and a short description of your research interests and goals.

Several domestic PhD scholarships on Bogong moths available

In my lab we have several fully-funded domestic PhD scholarship available for a domestic student (citizen or permanent resident of Australia or NZ) to work with our wonderful team at WSU and the wonderful boarder network of people interested in looking after the Bogong moth. I am happy to consider students that are interested in any aspect of Bogong moth conservation science, especially their migration which includes breeding grounds, flyways and aestivation sites. First Nations Australians strongly encouraged to apply. This project is in partnership with Invertebrates Australia, Zoos Victoria, Xerces Society, and Lund University and in collaboration with DeadlyScience and the Australian Academy of Sciences. 

If you are eligible, and Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, contact k.umbers@westernsydney.edu.au 

New PhD Project Available!

PhD Project Title

BugEye: Automated monitoring of Australia’s priority insects with AI

Project Summary

To scale up biodiversity conservation, technological solutions to improve biodiversity monitoring are paramount (Pringle et al. 2025). Insect diversity is a key indicator of ecosystem health, and this project aims to genuinely revolutionise insect monitoring in Australia by adapting AI algorithms and generating training data sets to monitor Australia’s priority insects, such as invasives and pests, threatened species, and indicator species. Building on a data-rich approach from Europe, this project will help track landscape restoration, monitor threatened species, improve biosecurity surveillance, and hone precision in pest control methods. The hardware for automated insect monitoring units, BugEyes, are in pilot funded by WSU School of Science, TERN, and the Wedgetail Foundation (through Umbers’ Industry Fellowship partner Invertebrates Australia), due for deployment in the Blue Mountains and Tasmania in 2026 and Umbers’ ARC Linkage Project on Bogong moth breeding grounds and stewardship. The project will help train neural networks to identify Australian priority species from images libraries that will be developed from citizen science platforms like iNaturalist, verified by experts. This project has the potential to substantially increase monitoring power, help bend the curve on biodiversity loss, and deliver a scalable, marketable product.

This project ties into global networks including Insect AI, WildLabs, and the Research Coordination Network for Insect Decline.

Funding

The new Linkage Project (awarded May 2026) provides a scholarship for this project and the project is supported by existing grant funding.

Contact Kate to discuss k.umbers@westernsydney.edu.au

PhD Scholarship Available

In my lab we have a fully-funded PhD scholarship available for a domestic student (citizen of Australia or NZ) to work with our wonderful team at WSU (and the wonderful boarder network of people interested in looking after the Bogong moth). I am happy to consider students that are interested in any aspect of Bogong moth conservation science, especially their migration which includes breeding grounds, flyways and aestivation sites. First Nations Australians strongly encouraged to apply. This project is in partnership with Invertebrates Australia, Zoos Victoria, Xerces Society, and Lund University and in collaboration with DeadlyScience and the Australian Academy of Sciences. 

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/schools/grs/scholarships/current_scholarships/current_scholarships/the_distribution_and_migratory_flyways_of_the_bogong_moth_agrotis_infusa_across_their_breeding_grounds_and_alpine_aestivation_sites_using_a_behavioural_approach

Please circulate as widely as possible! 

Applications close April 30th and the candidate needs to meet with me before then to discuss the project (I am on leave from April 14 - 21st but folks should continue to email me during that time if interested, I will struggle to reply until the 22nd though). k.umbers@westernsydney.edu.au 

Thanks everyone! 

Kate

ARC Funding sucess - The plight of the Bogong moth

Kate has been awarded over $1m AUD in the ARC’s new Industry Fellowship scheme. The four year project aims to determine the distribution and migratory flyways of the Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa)

Funding Announcement: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/western_researcher_secures_$1_million_in_arc_funding_for_vital_bogong_moth_research

Bogong moth overlooking the Snowy River at Charlotte Pass

ARC Linkage Sucess - Snails to the Rescue!

We have been awarded more than $400 000 to develop a model for island invertebrate conservation for Australia using Norfolk Island snails as important case study. This project will compliment Junn Kitt’s PhD research on the conservation of Norfolk Island snails, here’s Junn Kitt living the dream in the photo below! It will also support a new PhD student to work on developing management strategies and ex situ insurance populations! This project is has many partners including the Australian Museum and Taronga Zoo.

Funding announcement here: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/snails_to_the_rescue_linkage_grant_funding_success

Junn Kitt in the field living the dream!!

Trapped: Australia’s extraordinary alpine insects are being marooned on mountaintops as the world warms

Learn about the plight of Australia’s alpine insects in The Conversation.

https://theconversation.com/trapped-australias-extraordinary-alpine-insects-are-being-marooned-on-mountaintops-as-the-world-warms-211104

Photo: Kate Umbers

Conserving small things on a big scale

Such a pleasure to talk with Ann Jones, Manu Saunders and Nick Porch about insect and invertebrate conservation on ABC Radio’s Off Track, give it a listen!

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/conserving-small-things-insects-invertebrates/13423902

Like a field of blue popcorn

We had the privilege of being invited to present on Off Track - ABC’s nature program hosted by the unequaled Ann Jones. Listen here:

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/skyhoppers-alpine-insect-decline/13422264

A new documentary about the Southern Pink Underwing moth

We had the tiniest of helping hands providing some photos for this cool documentary about the Southern Pink Underwing, a threatened species in Queensland. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKktUTJLhP4&feature=youtu.be

'So many threats at once': Where have all the bogongs gone?

Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa) numbers have crashed in the last three years. What’s happening? https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/so-many-threats-at-once-where-have-all-the-bogongs-gone-20201202-p56jyv.html

Sunset on Mt Buffalo. Photo: Kate Umbers

The evolution of startle displays in praying mantises!

Our publication of the evolution of startle displays on praying mantises in Proceedings of the Royal Society B was well-received and covered in global media including this wonderful article in the New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/science/praying-mantis-startle.html

Eremiaphila sp. by James O’Hanlon

Friends in high places - a new and exciting collaboration with eggpicnic

We are so excited to be working with eggpicnic (www.eggpicnic.com) to promote Australian alpine species threatened by climate change. The School of Science at WSU is funding a Partner Project to create public installation featuring our high-country species and measure how people respond to experiencing these creatures as fine art.

Some of Australia’s Smallest Species Could Be Lost to Wildfires

Kate spoke to the New York Times in January 2020 about the plight of the little ones during Australia’s Black Summer, along with our friends Tanya Latty and Leanda Mason. This article was echoed around the world!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/science/australia-fire-ecology-insects.html

Decline in bogong moth numbers could have catastrophic effects in the Australian Alps

The bogong moths have not arrived in the alps in their usual numbers this year. ABC News covered the story by interviewing me, Euan Richie, Eric Warrant and John Morgan.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-02-27/bogong-moth-decline-in-australian-alps/10850036

Credit: CSIRO ScienceImage 2192 A Huddle of Bogong Moths (wikicommons)

The full spectrum of tiger moths and harlequin bugs

We are part of a team that successfully secured an ARC Discovery project starting in 2019 which aims to account for variation in warning signals. The team is lead by Marie Herberstein (Macquarie Uni) and includes Nathan Hart (Macquarie Uni), Hannah Rowland (Max Planck), and Johanna Mappes (Uni of Jyvaskyla) and Kate!

Here is our 100 word summary:

Warning colours protect toxic prey from predators who learn to associate the colours with an unpleasant taste. Theoretically, warning colours should not vary, but in nature we find appreciable and unexplained variation. This presents a fundamental and unresolved biological problem - why do warning colours vary? This project will address this significant biological question by investigating how local environmental factors and predator communities affect warning colour expression across the Australian landscape. The project will utilise Australia's excellent environmental and biodiversity informatics infrastructure to inform the public and decision makers about the adaptability of animals to environmental change such as predator loss.

Harlequin bug, Tectocoris diophthalmus (left), tiger moth, Amata annulata (right).

Images from: Flickr.com and brisbaneinsects.com

New textbook on INSECT BEHAVIOUR - the lab contributed a chapter on Insect Visual Communication!

Check out the book here: 

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=k45lDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA130&ots=KPTA7kSh09&lr&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

Our study species featured on the Australian Geographic blog "Creatura" by Bec Crew

We have had two interviews recently by Bec Crew! Check out the stories about two of our study systems here:

Why so blue? Unravelling colour change in the chameleon grasshopper:

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2018/07/chameleon-grasshopper

These shocking insects are one of Australia's weirdest insects:

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2018/04/the-mountain-katydid

Startling ARC Success!

In the most recent funding round, Kate has secured a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)! This is exciting and will provide the opportunity to focus on startle displays for the next 3-4 years. This is the 100 word summary from the grant application:

Startle displays: a new route to resolving the aposematism paradox.

This project aims to propose an empirical evaluation of startle displays as the ‘missing link’ in antipredator defences. The evolutionary origin of warning colouration is considered paradoxical in that conspicuous mutant prey should be attacked and killed as they evolve, denying predators any chance to learn to avoid them. Startle displays, however, are antipredator defences that exploit predator reflexes through a sudden transition from camouflage to warning colouration. This work merges theory on antipredator defences, deepens knowledge of their fitness costs and benefits, and provides a new resolution to a classic evolutionary paradox.

Invertebrate Conservation workshop

We have received a small grant from the Urban Society and Living Theme at Western Sydney Uni to develop a team across Australia and New Zealand to promote the conservation of our endemic species. It's an exciting time as we move deeper into the world of science communication with Dr Tanya Latty, Dr Lizzy Lowe and Dr Chrissie Painting.