Not all our volunteering is like this, but all make us proud.

When not preparing client reports or managing the day-to-day operations of Kiri-ganai Research, Managing Director Richard Price volunteers his time across six organisations: the Australian National University, Kids’ Conference Australia, Rabbit Free Australia, Soap4Life, the National Wild Dog Action Plan Coordinating Committee, and—highlighted here—the General Sir John Monash Foundation.

As a member of the Foundation’s ACT Panel, Richard helps interview and recommend candidates from Canberra and surrounding regions for the prestigious General Sir John Monash Scholarship. These scholarships are among Australia’s most competitive postgraduate awards, comparable in stature to the Rhodes and Fulbright programs. The calibre of applicants is consistently exceptional, often leaving panel members humbled and inspired. If the future rests even in the hands of those not selected, it is a future in visionary and capable care.

Following interviews conducted throughout September and October, the Foundation is expected to announce its scholarship recipients in early November. Prior to this, the Foundation—together with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia—hosted an event in Sydney exploring Australia’s geopolitical outlook. For Richard, it was a meaningful opportunity to connect with Scholarship Alumni, Foundation Board members, and the Leadership Academy Advisory Board. In the accompanying image, he is seen sharing water with Professor Paul Wellings and construction industry leader Vera Boyarski.

General Sir John Monash, a polymath and visionary leader, was renowned for his strategic planning, precise coordination, and unwavering care for his troops. Famously, he ensured hot meals were delivered to soldiers even during active battle. His plan for the pivotal Battle of Hamel was designed to last 90 minutes; it concluded in 93—with victory. His legacy lives on through the Foundation’s scholars and alumni, who continue to serve Australia and the world across diverse fields including health, engineering, science, social and psychological wellbeing, music, and the arts.

Kiri-ganai Research’s contributions to these volunteer organisations—however modest—are made with deep commitment and pride.

Recognition for our CEO

Well, this is certainly unexpected. It seems our CEO, Richard Price, is a finalist to potentially receive the Alumni of the Year (Professional Excellence) Award of the illustrious Charles Sturt University (CSU) Alumni Awards program. After an exhausting but exhilarating week in Singapore assisting with Kids’ Conference Asia, and a week looming in Laos volunteering for Soap4Life, this nomination provides Richard with a much-needed energy boost on home soil. CSU played a major role in stitching together the government, community, science and business roles of Richard’s life, so the nomination is reaffirmation that engagement across cultures, backgrounds and disciplines is indeed a passion worthy of pursuit as well as recognition. That’s exactly what Kiri-ganai Research is all about.

Charles Sturt University.

Kiri-ganai Research again partners with Kids’ Conference Australia

Having been associated with Kids’ Conference Australia for four years, Kiri-ganai Research has joined the KC kids to explore the science and other research challenges relating to Antarctica. Kids’ Conference Antarctica, involving around 15 schools and to be held online on 12 August 2025 to coincide with National Science Week.

Topics already proposed by schools involved in the event include: the nature of the Antarctic Treaty and whether there are areas that need strengthening to enable the Antarctic to be preserved in perpetuity; the opportunities and challenges for different types of alternative energy methos to power the 82 research stations scattered across the Antarctic continent; the need to preserve the Antarctic through worldwide climate change mitigation as it will be a major source of sea-rise internationally otherwise; and what we can learn about working and living in remote areas, and the impact it can have on health.

Those interested in signing a school up to participate in Kids Conference Antarctica, or any of the national KC events held annually each November can seek out information from:

Support for Kids’ Conference: Feral Futures

Kiri-ganai Research is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the upcoming Kids’ Conference, which will be run in conjunction with the Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference with the theme Feral Futures 2051. Specifically, Kiri-ganai will sponsor the participation of two New Zealand schools to participate alongside ten Australian schools at the Kids’ Conference on 27 May 2021.

The two schools are the Auroa Primary School located in the south western part of New Zealand’s North Island, and Burnside Primary School located in Christchurch on the South Island. Students from the Auroa school will present on their robotic possum tail attractor to lure and capture feral possums, while the students of Burnside School will discuss their effort to create an endangered butterfly sanctuary (the Boulder Copper Butterfly Project).

All of us at Kiri-ganai Research seek to improve the environments and how we interact with them across Oceania and Asia in particular. We take great joy in sponsoring and working with the next generation to find solutions to the challenges previous generations have created for them.

For more information about the Kids’ Conference, please visit: https://kidsconference.online/