Group website and research interests
Positions held
2021-ongoing: Future Fellow, Professor in Conservation Science, Deakin University
2019-2020: Assoc. Professor, Deakin University
2015-2019: Senior lecturer, Assoc. Professor, Deakin University
2012-2015: Centenary Fellow, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne (22 months FTE), June 2013-Feb 2014 Maternity leave
2008–2012: Marie Curie Fellow (24 months FTE), Imperial College London, March-Oct 2009, March-Oct 2011, Maternity leave
2007-2008: Research Associate, Imperial College London, with Prof. E.J. Milner-Gulland, Dr Julia Jones (Bangor University), and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
2006-2007: Research Associate, Princeton University, with Prof. David Wilcove, The Nature Conservancy of Florida, and Florida Natural Areas Inventory
Education
2016: Graduate Certificate of Higher Education Learning and Teaching, Deakin
2002-2006: PhD, The University of Queensland, with Prof. Hugh P. Possingham, Dr Bob Pressey and Dr Wayne A. Rochester.
1995-2002: BA/BSc (Hons) The University of Melbourne
Major grants (*as lead or sole investigator)
As sole or joint investigator, I have attracted ~$8 million in research funding, including four research fellowships, an ARC Discovery grant and four ARC Linkage grants. In 2015, our international team won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Environmental Research for our work on the Red List of Ecosystems.
2022-2026 Ian Potter Foundation, Tracking ecosystems and adapting management to change. Kingsford, Keith, Fisher, Nicholson, Murray, Fitzsimons, O’Brien, with IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, Taronga Conservation Society, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Nari Nari Tribal Council and Bush Heritage Australia ($1,218,000)
2020-2024 *ARC Future Fellowship, Linking risks to ecosystems with risks to human well-being (FT190100234, $931,148)
2018-2022, *ARC Linkage grant, Planning for sustainable development and biodiversity on Indigenous lands. Nicholson, Murphy, Ayre, Elith, Guillera-Arroita, Andersen, Bryan, Kompas, Hadden, with the Tiwi Land Council (LP170100305, $490,233)
2018-2022 ARC Linkage grant, Ecosystem risk assessment: new solutions to the global biodiversity crisis. Keith, Nicholson, Watson, Murray, Lester, Venn, Kingsford, Bland, Rodriguez, Auld, Regan, Grantham, Tozer, with IUCN, Wildlife Conservation Society, Provita, NSW-DPIE, Vic-DELWP (LP170101143, $772,050)
2018-2022 Ian Potter Foundation, SDGs: A general framework for charting pathways to sustainability to future-proof local communities. Bryan, Lester, Ritchie, Miller, Faggian, Nicholson, Nazari, Gunasekera, Neale, Hadjikakou, Malekapour ($580,000)
2017-2019 *ARC Discovery grant, Biodiversity indicators for better conservation decisions. Nicholson, Collen, Fulton and Ferrier (DP170100609, $390,500)
2016-2018 ARC Linkage Grant, Optimal management of coastal ecosystems for blue carbon sequestration. Macreadie, Nicholson, Ierodiaconou, Lovelock, Gillies, Howe, Ferns (LP160100242, $556,723)
2016-2018 Mapping Ocean Wealth project, with The Nature Conservancy. Ierodiaconou, Macreadie, Nicholson ($441,142)
2016-2018 *Inspiring Women Fellowship, Linking risks to ecosystems with the benefits they provide, Veski, Victorian Government & Office of the Lead Scientist ($150,000)
2013-2016 ARC Linkage Grant, Red listing ecosystems – testing the new global standard for conservation. Keith, Kingsford, Nicholson, Regan, Lester, Auld, Rodriguez, Rogers, Pisanu, with IUCN, NSW OEH, SA DEWNR (LP130100435, $614,065)
2012-2014 *Centenary Research Fellowship, University of Melbourne, Theory for assessing the threat status of ecosystems ($196,000)
2008-2012 *Marie Curie Fellowship (International Incoming Fellow), Optimal monitoring of socio-economic and ecological systems for robust natural resource management (€170,709)
Awards (*lead or sole investigator)
2020 *ARC Future Fellowship, Linking risks to ecosystems with risks to human well-being (see grants)
2019 *Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Award for International Research Collaboration
2018 *Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Mid-Career Researcher Award for Career Excellence
2016 Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Partnerships
2015 Eureka Prize for Environmental Research, to Red List of Ecosystems team
2016 *Inspiring Women Fellowship, Veski, Victorian Government & Office of the Lead Scientist (listed above)
2012 *Centenary Research Fellowship, University of Melbourne (listed above)
2008 *Marie Curie Fellowship, European Commission (listed above)
Teaching and learning
- Unit chair and curriculum design, development and implementation for a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Futurelearn on the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (June 2020-ongoing)
- Unit chair and lecturer for Landscape Ecology (SLE322, 3rd year) at Deakin University (2018-2019), including new curriculum development, developing and implementing assessment tasks, marking and providing feedback on diverse assessment tasks (including oral, written and video tasks), writing and delivering lectures, classes and computer-based practicals.
- MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: Lectures, practicals and reading groups on conservation planning and decision-making with models; assessing theses and exams, 2007-2010
- Guest lecturer for a range of conservation and modelling units at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, at Deakin University, the University of Melbourne, Imperial College London, University of Kent and University of Bath (2008-ongoing).
- Numerous in-person and online short-courses on the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems for practitioners and researchers (2016-ongoing)
Services to the discipline:
- IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: Thematic co-lead, Member of the Steering Committee and Committee for Scientific Standards, Member of the IUCN CEM
- Invited member of Working groups on Ecosystem Condition and Defining Ecosystem Assets, in the revision of the UN Statistical Division’s global standard on natural capital accounting, the UN SEEA EA (2018-2021), and on Implementing SEEA EA to forests, leading the taskforce on ecosystem classification and extent (2021-).
- Member of the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Standard and Appeals Committee (2019-)
- Handling Editor for Conservation Biology (2013-ongoing, 2012 Impact Factor 4.4)
- Associate Editor for Animal Conservation (2012-2013, 2012 Impact Factor 2.7)
- Regular reviewer for international journals, including: Ecology Letters, Conservation Biology, Journal of Applied Ecology, Ecological Applications, Biological Conservation, Conservation Letters, Ecological Modelling, Ecological Research, Animal Conservation
- Reviewer of Grant Applications for the ARC (2014), Leverhulme Trust UK (2012-2015), and ESPA (Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation, UK, 2013-2014).
- Assessment of PhD and MSc theses, and member of advisory committee for PhD students
Current Group (website):
Postdocs
Jess Rowland (2021-), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant, Ecosystem risk assessment: new solutions to the global biodiversity crisis.
Hui Xiao (2020-), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Future Fellowship
Hugh Davies (2018-), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant, Planning for sustainable development and biodiversity on Indigenous lands.
Paul Carnell (2016-), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant, Optimal management of coastal ecosystems for blue carbon sequestration.
Current students
Mishal Gudka, PhD student, Deakin, Assessing resilience for practical decision-support for coral reef conservation (2021-)
Bhavendu Joshi (2021-), PhD student, Deakin, conservation planning for biodiversity and ecosystem services
Alys Young (2020-), PhD student, Deakin, ARC Linkage grant, Planning for sustainable development and biodiversity on Indigenous lands.
Michael Traurig (2020-), PhD student, Deakin, Linking ecosystem health with human well-being
Clare Vernon (2020-), PhD student, Deakin, integrated biodiversity assessment of species and ecosystems
Chris Hallam (2013-), PhD student, Qaeco, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne
Past students & postdocs
Simone Stevenson (2017-2021), PhD student, Biodiversity indicators, Deakin.
Chloe Sato (2019-2021), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant, Ecosystem risk assessment: new solutions to the global biodiversity crisis.
Kate Watermeyer (2017-2021), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Discovery grant Biodiversity indicators for better conservation decisions.
Calvin Lee (2017-2020), PhD student, Red list of ecosystems, Deakin.
Jess Rowland, (2015-2019) PhD student, Deakin University, co-supervised with Lucie Bland.
Gerry Ryan (2012-2019), PhD student, Evaluating conservation interventions, Qaeco, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne
Holger Janes (2016-2020), PhD student, Deakin
Lucie Bland (2014-2019), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant ‘Red listing ecosystems – testing the new global standard for conservation‘ (LP130100435), Qaeco, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne
Clare Duncan (2017-), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant ‘Optimal management of coastal ecosystems for blue carbon sequestration, Deakin University
Biao Huang (2017-), postdoctoral research associate on Mapping Ocean Wealth project, Deakin University
Nick Murray (2014-), postdoctoral research associate on ARC Linkage grant ‘Red listing ecosystems – testing the new global standard for conservation‘ (LP130100435), Centre for Ecosystem Sciences, UNSW.
Andrea Coombs Wallace (2008-2012), PhD, Participatory monitoring of fishers’ spatial behaviour: estimating social costs in local conservation planning, Imperial College London
Leanne Greenwood (2015-16), honours, Optimal monitoring at Wilson’s Prom, Deakin University
Hayley Geyle. (2015), honours, optimal monitoring of the brush tailed rabbit rat on the Tiwi Islands, Deakin University
Tess Pannell (2016-2017), Honours student, Deakin University
William La Marca (2014-2015), MSc, Conservation planning on the Tiwi Islands, Qaeco, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne
Brendan Costelloe (2010), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: The power of global biodiversity indicators to predict future policy outcomes (Distinction). Now working at the RSPB.
Kathryn Sullivan (2010), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: Global biodiversity indicators: scenario modelling for fisheries policy
Soizic Le Courtois (2010), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: Household choices in rice cultivation in a social-ecological system and impacts on productivity: lessons from Anororo, Lac Alaotra, Madagascar (Distinction)
Olena Tarasova (2009), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: Systematic conservation planning in Ukraine under uncertainty
Paul De Ornellas (2008), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: How uncertainty affects conservation planning: a Florida case study (Distinction). Now working in the Africa programme at the ZSL.
Jose J. Lahoz-Monfort (2008), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: Habitat suitability modelling for the Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) (Distinction, Gerald Durrell Award for best thesis).
Gurutzeta Guillera-Arroita (2008), MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London: Occupancy and detectability of Hapalemur alaotrensis: recommendations for monitoring (Distinction).
emily nicholson 