PESA SA-NT invites all eligible candidates to apply for the annual $1,000 prize for the best Honours, Master’s or PhD student thesis or research paper on Northern Territory energy geoscience in 2026. Apply now!
Annual Research Prize
The South Australia & Northern Territory Branch (SA-NT) of PESA annually awards the NTGS/PESA SA-NT NT-Focus Research Prize to the best geoscience research paper or thesis focused on the Northern Territory.
This year’s prize will be given to the best research done in that area in 2026 by an eligible PESA student member who is currently (or was in 2026) enrolled as an Honours, Master’s or PhD candidate at a recognised Australian tertiary education institution, or an Australian citizen enrolled at such an institution abroad.
2026 NTGS / PESA SA-NT NT-FOCUS RESEARCH PRIZE VALUE:
$1,000
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:
Friday, 20 November 2026, 5:00 pm C.D.T.
Eligibility
All candidates must either be current PESA members or an applicant whose PESA membership application is pending. (Active participation in PESA SA-NT events is desirable). Candidates must be currently enrolled in a PhD (full or part-time), Master’s, or Honours program at a recognised tertiary education institution in Australia or abroad, or have been enrolled when they produced the research in 2026.
Candidates may be of any nationality if enrolled at an Australian tertiary educational institution while undertaking their research. If a candidate undertook the research while enrolled overseas, they must be an Australian citizen.
The candidate’s Honours, Master’s or PhD thesis or associated research paper must be one that was submitted in 2026. It must be about a subsurface energy geoscience topic, with a focus of study located in the Northern Territory. The scope of eligible geoenergy resources projects includes studies in conventional and unconventional petroleum, carbon capture & storage (geosequestration) and new geoenergy resources (e.g. native hydrogen, underground hydrogen storage, deep hydrogeology, geothermal energy), which are relevant to the exploration, development or production of subsurface energy resources and/or development of technologies that may contribute towards the Energy Transition in the Northern Territory. Geoscience projects concerning critical minerals that are directly applicable to the Energy Transition will also be considered.
In the case of a ‘PhD by publication’, the candidate must nominate a thesis chapter prepared as a research paper that must have been submitted for peer review in 2026 in order to be eligible.
Selection
Qualifying applications will be assessed by the PESA SA-NT Scholarships Sub-Committee according to:
- The academic excellence of the research
- Relevance of the research to furthering the understanding of petroleum or energy resource geoscience
within the Northern Territory - Comments and details provided by a referee who is a PESA member, a peer reviewer or the candidate themselves.
How To Apply
Download the PDF containing the application forms (Form A & Form B) for the 2026 NTGS / PESA SA-NT NT-Focus Research Prize. Read through the terms and conditions for the prize and complete all forms.
- Application Form A – to be completed by the candidate
- Application Form B – to be completed by the candidate’s referee or research supervisor, with comments attesting to the quality of the candidate’s thesis or submitted/published research paper.
These forms should be submitted together with:
- Their CV/résumé;
- Proof of enrolment in a valid study program at a recognised Australian or overseas tertiary
education institution; - A certified copy of their Tertiary Academic Record;
- A project summary or abstract of the thesis or nominated research paper (with any confidential or sensitive data or results redacted);
- A supporting cover letter from or on behalf of the candidate outlining how their research project is relevant to the exploration, development, or production of subsurface geoenergy resources or contributes towards the Energy Transition within the Northern Territory (maximum 1 page).
For more details on eligibility, selection, and application, please see the downloadable PDF containing the prize’s terms and conditions.
Submit all completed application forms and accompanying documentation to:
Mark Bunch at mark.bunch@adelaide.edu.au – PESA SA-NT Scholarships Sub-Committee
by Friday, 20 November 2026, 5:00 pm Australian C.D.T.
NOTE: PESA will not consider applications received after the deadline.
For further information, candidates or research supervisors may contact Mark Bunch (Scholarships Sub-Committee, PESA SA-NT Branch) by telephone on (08) 831 34292 or via email at mark.bunch@adelaide.edu.au