Forrest postdoctoral fellows are more than just intellectually brilliant. They are adventurous, curious, open to ideas from anywhere. They embrace unusual approaches to problem-solving and take risks that others may not. They enjoy breaking with convention – the path less travelled is appealing because new frontiers offer new opportunities for discovery. They are intellectually generous and take time to understand and challenge ideas, collaborating to improve outcomes for the community and the world.
Forrest Fellowships are offered to early-stage postdoctoral researchers who have outstanding academic profiles and who have already made significant personal research contributions within and beyond their discipline. Forrest Fellows will have been among the top performing students in their undergraduate and graduate cohorts. They will already have gained high-level research experience through studying and researching in several different institutions, and their innovative doctoral research will be recognised well beyond their current institutional home. Forrest Fellows will wish to extend their postdoctoral research well beyond the focus of their doctoral dissertation and will aim to do so in a way that builds intellectual bridges within and between disciplines. Forrest Fellows are also committed to communicating their research to others, to have a positive impact on the world around us.
The Forrest Research Foundation will provide funding for:
Forrest Fellows will support the general mission of the Forrest Research Foundation which could include providing mentoring, ambassadorial and leadership to Forrest Scholars, Forrest Hall and the Forrest Research Foundation. Appointments at Level B will be considered if supported by the employing university.
To be eligible to apply applicants must be in their final year of PhD or no more than two years post PhD conferral. For applications submitted in 2026 – with Fellowship commencement in 2027 – applicants must have had their PhD conferred on or after 1 January 2024, or will have successfully completed all the requirements for the award of their PhD by 31 December 2026.
Applicants must contact a prospective mentor from one of the eligible Western Australian universities before submitting an application:
For the full set of Fellowship guidelines, including eligibility criteria, please see here: https://forrestresearch.org.au/fellowship-guidelines/
Forrest Fellowships are highly competitive, with four Fellowships typically awarded in each round.
As the Fellowships are open to applicants from any discipline, we assess academic achievement relative to opportunity and what is considered excellence in your field of research. We encourage applications from subject areas that are not represented by our current Fellows.
Applications will be assessed using the following selection criteria:
It is a requirement that each applicant contact their proposed mentor to discuss their Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowship application and confirm the mentor’s support.
In the 2027 call for applications (for Fellowships commencing 2027), mentors may only support up to two applications. Please see the mentor guide for more information and guidance on how to select your top two candidates.
Click the “Apply” tab on the Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowship web page, where you will be directed to the applications portal. This link will only be made available when the fellowship round is open.
All applications must be submitted online through the Forrest Research Foundation application portal (available only when the Foundation is accepting applications). If you experience any issues submitting your application through the portal, contact the Forrest Research Foundation here as soon as possible.
The Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowship round varies annually, however typically applications open in mid to late May and close in June each year. We suggest you subscribe to updates from the Forrest Research Foundation using the form at the bottom of this page, so that you will receive an alert once applications open.
Applicants are required to provide contact details for three referees, at least two of whom should be academic. Please note that referee reports will most likely be required only if you make the interview stage.
You should ask people who will best support your application and are familiar with both your research and broader engagement activities. Where possible this should include your academic supervisors, colleagues and key contacts who can provide relevant information about your academic achievements and professional attributes, especially in relation to the selection criteria. You are encouraged to provide referees who are not all from the same organisation, school or faculty.
If you choose to nominate a personal referee, they should be able to comment on personal characteristics and strengths as displayed, for example, in your extra-curricular activities at university, or in your previous employment. Personal referees should not be related to you.
We may not contact all three of your referees if you are shortlisted, so please list them in order of preference.
Your mentor and referees will be contacted directly by email by the Forrest Research Foundation if you are shortlisted for an interview. In the 2026 round, this would be in early September.
A Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowship may not usually be deferred; we prefer successful awardees to commence their Fellowship before September during the first year of the award (2027, for this year’s application round). The Governors of the Forrest Research Foundation may consider a request for deferral by a successful applicant in extenuating circumstances. You will need to write a letter which outlines your specific circumstances and requesting any deferral directly to the Director of the Forrest Research Foundation.
Forrest Research Foundation accepts Fellowship applications annually, typically between mid-May and the end of June. The application form will ask for the following information:
We recommend that you make contact with prospective mentors early in the process, even before applications open, especially if you don’t have existing research networks in Western Australia.
Forrest Research Foundation is unable to assist with making contact with prospective mentors. We recommend starting with the university websites and looking for prospective mentors in your field.
There is no “formula” for a successful application. Each application should be about the particular candidate and the proposed research, while ensuring you also address the selection criteria and submit all formal requirements including uploading the documentation.
Remember: we are looking for applicants who are academically excellent, want to be part of our vibrant intellectual community, are curious and have a desire to engage with the public.
As a Forrest Postdoctoral Fellow, you will also be expected to show leadership within the Foundation through mentoring, community engagement and leading one of our internal committees.
It is a requirement that each applicant contact their proposed mentor to discuss their Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowship application and ensure they are willing to mentor you. Mentors should be in your research field. Applicants who do not have a nominated mentor (or who have not been in contact with their mentor) will not be considered.
The Selection Committee will seek the views of proposed mentors prior to interviewing shortlisted candidates.
We recommend contacting your proposed mentor at least one month before the application deadline, to allow time to receive a response and implement any feedback on your proposal.
Forrest Fellowships are open to both domestic and international applicants, from any country.
The Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowship Guidelines stipulate all the eligibility criteria.
It should be noted that each Western Australian university may have subtle differences and if you have any specific questions, we encourage you to contact their research offices. Contact details for the different research offices can be found here:
Curtin University Edith Cowan University Murdoch University The University of Notre Dame Australia The University of Western Australia
The Forrest Research Foundation follows the Australian Research Council’s Eligibility and Career Interruptions Statement, which recognises the impact career interruptions have on early and mid-career researchers. Please see the Statement for further information: Australian Research Council Eligibility and Career Interruption Statement PDF
If this applies to you, you may submit a supplementary document with your application outlining the details of your career interruption.
(The Statement mentions a five-year eligibility period. This is specific to the ARC award schemes. The eligibility period for the Forrest Fellowships remains two years.)
No. Forrest Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to applicants from all disciplines.
It isn’t necessary to include references in your project proposal. However, where you cite specific literature or figures, you can mention the organisation or authors within the text.
Successful Fellowship applications include proposals that are easily understood by someone outside of their field of research. They take a broad view of the topic and don’t include too much technical detail. If there are specific statistics that support your proposal you can include those, but it’s better to focus on ideas and impact.
Your success will not be determined based on your choice of university or mentor. It is recommended that you nominate your proposed university and mentor based on the research environment and facilities that are most relevant to your proposed fellowship.
Please note that multiple applications will not be considered.
The Fellowship assessment process takes several months. Applications go through two rounds of shortlisting, the first by the universities and the second by the Foundation’s selection committee. Interviews are scheduled for late September 2026.
The outcome of the 2026 funding round will be advised by mid-November 2026.
