Dr Elise Remling’s research addresses a critical question: How can communities most at risk from disasters be better supported to prepare, adapt and recover in the face of climate change? As Natural Hazards Research Australia’s newest Early Career Researcher Development Fellow, she will now expand this impact through new international collaborations.
Elise, an environmental social scientist at the University of Canberra’s Centre for Environmental Governance, focuses on understanding the social dimensions of climate change and disaster risk. Her participatory research, conducted in Australia, Kenya, Colombia and Fiji, prioritises local voices in adaptation planning and has informed policy recommendations for government agencies and international organisations, including the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the European External Action Service and the UN Climate Security Mechanism.
With more than a decade of experience and a strong record of research leadership, Elise brings both academic expertise and hands-on community involvement in grassroots preparedness and recovery efforts in her own rural New South Wales community.
Through her Fellowship, which will take her to Aotearoa New Zealand, Elise will collaborate with researchers at the University of Otago’s Centre for Sustainability to investigate how institutions and communities can work together to build resilience in rural areas. Elise will also present her research at the international Adaptation Futures Conference 2025 in Christchurch, helping bridge climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction research communities.
Elise’s Fellowship will strengthen international research networks and pave the way for future collaborations that put community-led disaster preparedness and resilience at the centre of natural hazards research.
Fellowship applications open soon
Natural Hazards Research Australia’s Early Career Researcher Development and Industry Fellowships will open for applications on 30 September 2025.
Designed to support the career development of late-stage PhD students, early career researchers, and researchers employed in industry, these Fellowships provide up to $15,000 in funding, along with opportunities for mentoring, networking and collaboration across the Centre’s national knowledge network.
We particularly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, culturally and linguistically diverse people, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people, and people with family and caring responsibilities.
- Applications open: 30 September 2025
- Applications close: 5:00pm AEDT, 15 November 2025
- Successful applicants notified: Mid-January 2026
- Fellowships must be undertaken within 12 months of being awarded
For more information on eligibility, funding and how to apply, visit our Early Career Researcher Development and Industry Fellowship page.