Our NEW Crawford Fund Henzell Awards for undergrads are now open!

November 1, 2024

Would you like an experience in a partner country to better understand international agricultural research for development? Want to improve your network and knowledge and learn from those already involved in global food and nutrition security and development? If so, we may have an exciting new opportunity for you.

The Crawford Fund is offering travel awards designed specifically for undergraduate students, thanks to support from Ted and Frances Henzell and their family. The Henzells and the Crawford Fund hope by experiencing work on the ground in a partner country, you may be encouraged to consider further related study and develop a career to join the many others active with Australian and international institutions having an impact on food and nutrition security.

The awards were announced earlier in the year and it’s great to now have the awards open for applications.

In the short video below, produced by Ted Henzell’s son John, Ted explains his family’s thinking behind offering to support the Crawford Fund Henzell Awards.

The awards will fund students who are in their second or subsequent year of undergraduate study at an Australian university, and are Australian citizens or permanent residents, for brief visits to enable a connection and better understanding of international agricultural research for development, working with partners to improve food and nutrition security. Applicants can either identify a project in their application or ask the Fund to assist in providing the experience.

The awards are for brief visits to a specific but broad range of tropical countries where there is work underway for food and nutrition security. This can be throughout the Pacific, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Agricultural research for development needs multi-disciplinary teams so we are after applicants studying in a broad array of areas – the usual agricultural areas like ag science, plant and animal production, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management, but also any area broadly related to food and nutrition security such as social sciences, geography, gender, environment, health, nutrition, communication, AI, data analytics, business or finance… if you can explain the connection with improving food and nutrition security, then you can apply.

The closing date for our 2025 Henzell Awards is 12 May 2025.

We strongly recommend you read the general background information before you start your application and don’t leave it til the last minute. The short online application form differs depending on whether you have been able to identify a project for the proposed visit or not.

We acknowledge that connecting with an international project for an award visit can be daunting but our backgrounder suggests way to connect with experienced people and related projects. We need to know everyone that is applying has tried (even unsuccessfully) to find their own project to link to a visit.

All applicants will be asked to explain their interest and/or motivation in receiving a Henzell Award, and will be required to attach a brief CV (no longer than four pages), a supporting note from a related university staff member supporting your application to travel, and there is the option to provide additional personal or academic referees. You may like to ensure you have all those before commencing the online application.

Apply online here.

Note that any travel associated with these awards will need to comply with DFAT travel advice for safety and health purposes.

Any questions?

Cathy Reade
Crawford Fund Director of NextGen programs
Email: [email protected]

If you are a post-graduate student at an Australian university, the Crawford Fund Student Awards are also open!  Click here for all the details and to see if you are eligible to apply. Applications for these awards also close on 12 May 2025.

All the very best of luck!