Gulbali Institute

🚨 We are Hiring - POSITION CLOSING THURSDAY 27 AUGUST —
Associate Professor of Molecular Diagnostics, Charles Sturt University

Want to lead the molecular diagnostics program shaping how Australia manages its rivers, fisheries and biosecurity?
Charles Sturt University's Gulbali Institute is looking for an Associate Professor to lead the development of a nationally recognised molecular diagnostics research program — addressing some of Australia's most significant agricultural, environmental and biosecurity challenges.
🔬 What you'll be doing:
🧬 Lead a nationally recognised molecular diagnostics research program tackling major agricultural, environmental and biosecurity challenges
🌊 Apply cutting-edge molecular ecology, eDNA and emerging molecular technologies to deliver real outcomes for communities, industry and government
🏗️ Establish and grow ground-up research capability — backed by significant investment in purpose-built molecular laboratories and infrastructure
🤝 Secure competitive research funding and build strategic partnerships across a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
🎓 Mentor the next generation of researchers and help shape the future of applied molecular diagnostics
🌏 Strengthen Charles Sturt University's reputation as a leader in regional and globally relevant research

What's on offer:
💰 Level D - $167,348 to $184,243 pa (plus 17% superannuation)
📅 5-year fixed term from appointment
📍 Based at our Albury-Wodonga campus
Applications close in 2 days — if you (or someone in your network) are ready to lead this program, apply now.
👉 Apply now

Charles Sturt University

Charles Sturt University - TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018 (Australian University). CRICOS Provider: 00005F.

We've been quietly losing our native pollinators for 50 years — and honeybees may have been hiding it.
Dr Joanne M Bennett Bennett (Gulbali Institute) went digging through old museum collections — pressed orchids and pinned bees, some dating back to the 1800s — to find out what's really happening to Australia's pollinators.

And Dr Bennett found:
→ Orchid pollination has dropped ~70% since the 1970s
→ Half the native bee species once recorded at Kosciuszko can no longer be found there
→ Orchids with just one specialist pollinator have lost over 90% of their pollination service.

The biggest driver isn't land clearing or pesticides. It's climate change. Honeybees aren't native to Australia, but they've likely been quietly propping up pollination for some decades. Now that varroa mite is here, we may find out how much trouble our native pollinators are already in.

90% of flowering plants and 75% of our crops depend on pollinators, including coffee, chocolate, berries and avocado.

Dr Bennett's call to action: Australia needs a national pollinator monitoring network. We already have the pieces — museum collections, citizen science apps like iNaturalist, eDNA and AI camera monitoring. Now we need to connect them.
You can't manage what you don't measure.
As we come to the end of a shout out to why long-term scientific records matter: some truths only reveal themselves after decades of patient, unglamorous data collection.

Sturt Research

TEQSA PRV12018 (Australian University) CRICOS 00005F

We're hiring! 🌊 Two great roles at Gulbali Institute, Albury-Wodonga

Want to work on some of the biggest challenges facing our rivers, waterways, and biosecurity? We've got two opportunities open right now:

🔹 Aquatic Laboratory Manager (closes 19 Aug) — help run our growing research program on healthy rivers and waterways.
🔗https://external-jobs.csu.edu.au/cw/en/job/499079/aquatic-laboratory-manager

🔹 Associate Professor of Molecular Diagnostics (closes 27 Aug) — lead our eDNA lab and shape our molecular diagnostics research.
🔗 https://external-jobs.csu.edu.au/en/job/499082/associate-professor-of-molecular-diagnostics

These roles are part of a bigger program covering river restoration, fisheries, environmental DNA, biosecurity, and international research partnerships.

Know someone who'd be perfect for this? Tag them below or share this post — it really helps us reach the right people! 💙

Learn how the Gulbali Institute's research is making a real impact in Southeast Asia by addressing one of the region’s major development challenges.
🔗 go.csu.edu.au/4fGm7su

🐟 Charles Sturt’s Gulbali Institute will lead a $9.5 million research program to help Southeast Asia countries protect their fish populations from the threats of increasing river infrastructure.

🏗️ Building on the success of the previous FishTech program and led by Professor Lee Baumgartner, the FishTech Plus project will contribute to healthier rivers across our region.

Learn more about the project via the link in comments 👇

TEQSA PRV12018 (Australian University) CRICOS 00005F

🐟 Charles Sturt’s Gulbali Institute will lead a $9.5 million research program to help Southeast Asia countries protect their fish populations from the threats of increasing river infrastructure.

🏗️ Building on the success of the previous FishTech program and led by Professor Lee Baumgartner, the FishTech Plus project will contribute to healthier rivers across our region.

Learn more by swiping 👈.

Charles Sturt Research

TEQSA PRV12018 (Australian University) CRICOS 00005F

We're hiring at the Gulbali Institute

We'd really appreciate it if you could share this post with your networks.

We have two exciting opportunities based at our Albury-Wodonga campus and are looking for outstanding people who want to contribute to solving some of the biggest challenges in biosecurity, freshwater ecosystems and river management.

🔹 Aquatic Laboratory Manager (Closes 19th August)
Help support and coordinate our expanding portfolio of research on healthy rivers and waterways.

https://external-jobs.csu.edu.au/cw/en/job/499079/aquatic-laboratory-manager

🔹 Associate Professor of Molecular Diagnostics (Closes 27th August)
Lead and shape the development of our growing eDNA laboratory and research capability in molecular diagnostic approaches.

https://external-jobs.csu.edu.au/cw/en/job/499082/associate-professor-of-molecular-diagnostics
These roles are part of a growing program spanning river restoration, fisheries, environmental DNA, biosecurity and international research partnerships.

If you're interested, or know someone who might be a great fit apply via the links above.




Charles Sturt University - TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018 (Australian University). CRICOS Provider: 00005F.

Position Vacant - Lead a world-class aquatic research facility | Aquatic Laboratory Manager 🐟
Gulbali Institute is looking for an experienced leader to manage operations at our Aquatic Laboratory in Albury-Wodonga.

If you know your way around recirculating aquaculture systems, thrive on leading technical teams, and want your work to directly support cutting-edge research, this could be your next role.
This is a unique opportunity to combine your technical expertise with leadership and project management skills in a collaborative research environment.

You'll work closely with researchers, industry, government and university stakeholders to support innovative research programs, maintain laboratory compliance and continuously improve the laboratory's capabilities as a nationally recognised aquatic research facility.
Closing Date: 11pm, 19 August 2026
https://external-jobs.csu.edu.au/cw/en/job/499079/aquatic-laboratory-manager

Charles Sturt University - TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018 (Australian University). CRICOS Provider: 00005F.

Free workshops: confinement feeding results, straight from the researchers and producers doing it.
Another tough season could be coming. If you're weighing up confinement feeding for next joining, this is where to get the real numbers.
Hear early results from confinement feeding trials during joining, a whole-farm approach to sustainability, and real producer experiences — from Charles Sturt University's Dr Susan Robertson, Jim Meckiff (JM Livestock), Local Land Services, NSW DPIRD and local producers (speakers vary by location).
📍 Cumnock, NSW — Tue 14 July, 8:30am–12pm, Cumnock Showground
📍 Armidale, NSW — Thu 16 July, 8:30am–12pm, CSIRO Chiswick
📍 Benalla, VIC — Thu 23 July, 8:30am–12pm, The Glasshouse Function Centre, Benalla Showgrounds
Free event, RSVP essential for catering.
👉 Register: https://humanitix.com/us/search/au--new-south-wales/merinolink%202026%20confinement%20feeding%20workshops?dates=all
Questions? Contact Kieran Smith, For Flocks Sake — 0438 398 472
Supported by the Australian Government through the Climate Smart Agriculture Program, National Heritage Trust.

The Crawford Fund for Food Security’s Annual Conference, Emerging Voices Shaping Regional Integration for a Food Secure World, will be held on 10-11 August in the Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra.

Once again, this event will focus on issues critical to food security, and the timing is perfect, with Australia in the process of developing its first ever national food security strategy, and partnering with our Pacific neighbours to find agri-climate solutions that will feed into crucial discussions at COP31 in Türkiye in November.

The conference features eminent international and Australian speakers and will open on 10 August with the conference dinner Keynote Address by The Hon Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Registration is now open - please see conference website for further details. https://www.crawfordfund.org/events/2026-conference/


Note: Registrations close Monday, 03 August.
The Crawford Fund

Cricket legends talking about golden perch migrations? 🏏🐟

I wasn't expecting to see Merv Hughes talking about fish migration... but I'm very glad I did.

This is a brilliant collaboration explaining why environmental flows are so important for our native fish, featuring Merv Hughes alongside Charles Sturt University researcher Dr Ivor Stuart .

Behind the story is some amazing science. Researchers tracked golden perch moving more than 800 kilometres through the Murray-Darling Basin. That's roughly the distance from Melbourne to Sydney.

If you've ever wondered why environmental water is so important for helping native fish move, feed and breed, this is one of the best explanations I've seen.

Well worth a watch.
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/cewh/water-for-environment/local-stories/golden-perch-movement-mid-Western Murray Land Improvement Group





TEQSA PRV12018 (Australian University) CRICOS 00005F