Scholarships

RSPCA Australia Alan White Scholarship for Animal Welfare Research

The RSPCA Australia Alan White Scholarship for Animal Welfare Research was established in 1989 to advance the cause of animal welfare in Australia.

The scholarship is named after Mr Alan White, a past President of RSPCA Australia and a past President of RSPCA Queensland. The Alan White Scholarship is available to full-time or part-time students in Australian tertiary institutions for the funding of original research aimed at improving the welfare of animals in Australia. The 2023 scholarship award will be for $10,238 and can be used towards any area of research that fits the general scholarship criteria.

Application information

Applications for the 2023 Scholarship have closed

RSPCA Australia Alan White Scholarship for Animal Welfare Research

Year	Name	Project Title
2023	Heidi Monkman	Human DNA detection and use in investigations of non-accidental injuries in animal abuse cases
2022	Victoria Condon	Outcomes of feral horse management methods for horses, people and the environment - a One Welfare approach.
2021	Gloeta Massie	Identifying the impacts of human attitudes and actions on the welfare of recused wildlife.
2021	Vijay Rawat	Working like a dog: Examining the standards and practices related to the welfare of Australian therapy dogs.
2020	Carmen Glanville	Identifying the human psychological and behavioural predictors of dog welfare in the home environment.
2019	Amber Brown	Developing a novel electronic nose to combat the illegal trade of the native Australian reptile, Tiliqua rugosa.
2018	Gemma Ma	Home is where the hound is: Pet ownership in remote New South Wales, Australia and the impact of Aboriginal Community Companion Animal Health Programs (ACCAHPs).
2017	Mark Kelman	Can targeted communication and preventative vaccination programs for unvaccinated puppies and dogs lead to a decrease in new Canine Parvovirus cases in high-risk areas and during disease outbreak situations?
2016	Lily van Eeden	The dingo in Australian society: public perceptions of dingoes and their management.
2015	Kendy Tzu-Yun Teng	Awareness of and attitudes towards two major companion welfare issues: canine inherited diseases and cat obesity in Australia.
2014	Dennis Wormald	Re-examining the critical socialisation period in dogs and its relevance to vaccination protocols in Australia.
2013	Cybele May	Understanding the knowledge and attitudes of veterinarians regarding issues in cat overpopulation and how these impact on recommendations to clients in clinical practice.
2012	Trudy Sharp	Factors influencing public perceptions of kangaroo management.
2011	Kylie Soanes	Can road crossing structures be used to preserve arboreal mammal populations?
2010	Georgeanna Story	Evaluating the survival of rehabilitated common wombats (Vombatus ursinus) released into free-living populations.
2009	Mia Cobb	Examining the physiological effects of domestic dogs entering a kennel facility.
2008	Ian McDonald	Reproductive and behavioural effects of a single injection Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) vaccine on Eastern Grey Kangaroos.
2007	Aimee Jade Silla	Hormonal induction of sperm release in the roseate frog (Geocrinia rosea).
2006	Patricia Lavery	Investigation of PCB concentrations in coastal dolphins in South Australia: Threats to species health and links with parasitic lung nematodes (in progress).
2005	Lyndall Pettett	The development of age related oral health care guidelines in zoos.
2004	Shuron Billman	Characterising the psychological underpinnings of animal hoarders: a Central Queensland study.
2003	Susan de Burgh	Animal welfare education for Australian indigenous and Papua New Guinean primary school children.
2002	Brad Page	Reducing the incidence of entanglements on New Zealand fur seals in southern Australia.
2001	Sarah Wright	Non-human animal rights - legislation, ethics and reform.
2000	Faith Walker	The effects of habitat fragmentation on the genetic and social structure of the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons).
1999	Daniel Rogers	Identification of animal individuals by analysis of acoustic signals.
1998	No recipient
1997	No recipient
1996	Alison Murray	Developing the natural behavioural repertoires of nocturnal mammals through enrichment techniques.
1995	No recipient
1994	Ramesh Sivacolundhu	Effects of early age desexing of dogs and cats.
1993	Clare Rudkin	Pecking and feather pecking in growing chickens.
1992	Steven McLeod	Foraging behaviour of red kangaroos and sheep in arid New South Wales.
1991	Erica Seton	Anaphylaxis associated with daily heartworm prevention treatment for dogs.

RSPCA Australia Hugh Wirth Humane Animal Production Scholarship

This scholarship category is available for individual research projects that are related to the development of humane alternative farm animal production systems.

The 2023 scholarship award will be for $10,238 and is available to full-time or part-time students in Australian tertiary institutions. Applications can be made for research involving any farm animal species.

Applications for the 2023 Scholarship have closed

RSPCA Australia Hugh Wirth Humane Animal Production Scholarship

Year	Name	Project Title
2023	Nooshin Hadavi	Multi features biometric livestock identification based on efficient vision transformer
2022	Natarsha Williams	Can an Animal Welfare Risk Assessment Tool (AWRAT) assist in predicting instances of poor livestock welfare on farms?
2021	No recipient
2020	Sandra Ospina Rios	Does maternal contact via cow-calf suckling systems moderate the impact of disbudding on dairy calves?
2019	Laura Field	Addressing the consequences of social deprivation experienced by artificially-reared dairy heifers: providing older social models for improved welfare, social and cognitive outcomes.
2018	Natalie Roadknight	Investigating practical aspects of avoiding early cow-calf separation on dairy farms.
2017	Danielle Phibbs	Evaluation of the effect of perches on leg strength and mobility in meat chickens as assessed in pen studies.
2016	Amelia Cornish	Applying the behavioural change wheel to encourage higher welfare food choices
2015	Kate Chaplin (now Kate Dutton-Regester)	Understanding dairy farmer intentions to make improvements to their management practices of foot lesions causing lameness in dairy cows.
2014	Lorelle Barrett	Developing a methodology for behavioural demand in ducks.
2013	No recipient
2012	Joseph Steer	Odours from Merino wool that induce a physiological response in the blowflies Lucilia cuprina.
2011	Sally Healy	Australian consumers’ current knowledge of animal agricultural practices: the effect of knowledge on consumer behaviour.
2010	Rebecca Matthews	A comparison of sow and piglet behaviour and productivity in the UMB farrowing pen compared to conventional farrowing crates.
2009	Emma Borland	Role of shelter belts in free range systems in reducing the need for beak trimming.
2008	Aprille Chadwick	Producer attitudes towards animal welfare and the adoption of least stressful reproductive technologies in goats.
2007	Samantha Bickell	Investigating the effects of temperament on post parturient ewe and lamb behaviour without human interaction.
2007	Kate Lennon	A study of the relationship between ewe behaviour and lamb survival and the heritability of temperament in a Merino flock.
2006	No recipient
2005	Matthew Bollen	Evaluation of an integrated management system for controlling flystrike in the absence of mulesing.

RSPCA Australia Sybil Emslie Animal Law Scholarship

This Scholarship celebrates the life-long dedication and advocacy that Sybil Emslie provided to the care and protection of animals in Australia. It aims to support the work of animal law Master’s and PhD students and practising lawyers through the provision of a $1000 cash grant.

The RSPCA Sybil Emslie Scholarship 2024 closes at midnight on 22 September 2024. It is administered by RSPCA Australia with funds contributed by Sybil Emslie’s family and other donors. It will be awarded to a law student or lawyer who has a strong academic record and a commitment to the practice of animal law through active and substantial engagement with animal law and animal protection organisations and initiatives.

Find out how to apply

RSPCA Australia Sybil Emslie Animal Law Scholarship

Year	Name
2023	Alexandra Whittaker
2022	Morgan Stonebridge
2021	Francesca Nyilas
2020	Ashleigh Best
2019	Tara Ward
2018	Britta Maunder
2017	Xanthe Shaw
2016	Dr Meg Good

Our role

Animal welfare science

Caring for animals

Farm animal welfare

Public education

Advocacy

Enforcing the law

Key issues

News

Blog

Media centre

Podcast

Support us

Learn

Knowledgebase Offsite

Animal Welfare Seminar

Animal Welfare Science Update

Education resources

Cage free and proud

Responsible sourcing

RSPCA Approved Standards

About

Annual reports

Annual statistics

Board & governance

Scholarships

Join our team

Our history

Contact

Adopt

Adopting a dog or puppy

Adopting a cat or kitten

Adopting other animals

Responsible pet ownership

RSPCA Australia's scholarships program has supported many valuable research projects on a variety of animal welfare issues.

RSPCA Australia Alan White Scholarship for Animal Welfare Research

Application information

RSPCA Australia Hugh Wirth Humane Animal Production Scholarship

RSPCA Australia Sybil Emslie Animal Law Scholarship

Stay informed on big issues and how you can help improve animal welfare across Australia.