Emily Nicholson

Professor in Conservation Biology, the University of Melbourne

My research program develops new science for improved conservation outcomes. My work is built on multidisciplinary collaboration, scientific excellence and impact on policy and practice at global and local scales. Key research themes include global conservation policy, biodiversity indicators, relationships between people and nature, and making better conservation decisions. A major focus over the last decade has been the development of a new framework for understanding, quantifying and predicting risks to ecosystems, the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, with demonstrated impacts on conservation policy and practice.

I collaborate with international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) Statistics Division, UN Convention on Biological Diversity and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) for impactful research and practical outcomes.  Current transdisciplinary research projects include working with an international committee of experts and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to improve global biodiversity monitoring; participatory research and conservation planning with Indigenous people and organizations on the Tiwi Islands; and collaborations with economists, ecologists, social scientists and health experts to improve understanding of the linkages between the ecosystem health and human well-being. I have >100 publications, including in Science and Nature (see my Google Scholar and ORCID profiles).

If you’re interested in gender and science, I have some old blog posts on this topic, amongst others, on my personal website, though it isn’t updated much at the moment – too much going on.

Positions held

2023-ongoing: Professor in Conservation Biology, The University of Melbourne

2021-ongoing: Future Fellow, Professor in Conservation Science, Deakin University

2015-2023: Senior Lecturer to Professor in Conservation Science, 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 ~$11.8 million in research funding, including five research fellowships, two ARC Discovery grants 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.

2025-2029   *ARC Mid-career Industry Fellowship, Science for monitoring biodiversity to meet Australia’s policy needs, Nicholson (IM250100023, $1,181,800)

2025-2028   *ARC Discovery grant, Science for monitoring the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Nicholson (DP250104954, $663,709)

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)

2015  Eureka Prize for Environmental Research, to Red List of Ecosystems team

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)

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
  • Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (AHSTAG) on the report on collective progress towards the GBF, convened by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (2025-2026)
  • Member of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on indicators, convened by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (2023-2025)
  • 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-)

Research Group :

Find my current team on this website.

Past students & postdocs
Ella Plumans-Poutons* (2023-2024), casual postdoctoral researcher on IUCN Red list of Ecosystems

Alana Brekelmans* (2022-2023), postdoctoral researcher on ARC Linkage grant, Planning for sustainable development and biodiversity on Indigenous lands, Deakin University

Mavis Kerinaiua (2020-2024), Tiwi researcher on ARC Linkage grant, Planning for sustainable development and biodiversity on Indigenous lands, Tiwi Resources.

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).