The Friends’ Trust Fund support research carried out by researchers based at the Royal Botanic Gardens and National Herbarium of Victoria.
Helen McLellan Research Grants
The Friends’ Helen McLellan Research Grant was established in 2010 to commemorate the generous bequest to the Friends of the late Helen McLellan. $20,000 is donated annually to a scientific research initiative to be conducted by or on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens Board.
The current recipient of the Helen McLellan Research Grant is Alastair Robertson, Manager, Biodiversity Services, National Herbarium of Victoria to support his research to investigate the Syndrome of Plant Carnivory in Nepenthes.
The recipient of the Helen McLellan Research Grant in 2017-2019 was Meg Hirst for her project; Raising Rarity: testing the horticultural potential of our rare and threatened flora.
Meg’s research had been invaluable recently with the need to repopulate ecosystems located in the Eastern Australian states following the harrowing bushfires in early 2020. Some of the species Meg investigated are now propagated at Cranbourne Gardens and will provide significant help to re-establishing various species in their natural environments.
View previous recipients and projects supported by the Helen McLellan Research Grant.
Scholarships for RBGV employees
Scholarships are offered annually to the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to aid the professional and skills development of selected RBGV staff members. The financial grant is tangible support from the Friends for assistance towards the costs of activities such as:-
- further study
- further skill enhancement through approved courses or projects
- conference participation
- visits and study trips to appropriate organisations in Australia and/or overseas*
- approved research projects
View previous recipients and projects supported by the Friends’ Annual Scholarships