Turning bold ideas into reality
At the Foundation for the WA Museum, we are dedicated to supporting the incredible work happening across the WA Museum network, providing grants that help turn bold ideas into reality.
Thanks to the generosity of our partners and donors, we provide funding across five key areas, supporting projects that advance the work, collections, research and impact of the WA Museum.
Grants are exclusively available to WA Museum staff, research associates and departments, ensuring every grant directly supports the work and priorities of the WA Museum.
Areas of Funding
Fieldwork & Research
Statewide Programs
Acquisitions and Collections
Exhibitions
Lifelong Learning
Big Ideas. Lasting Impact
Big ideas can start with a small grant. Foundation grants have helped WA Museum staff bring bold ideas to life, from exciting discoveries and innovative research to projects that connect communities and uncover new stories.
The Foundations Minderoo grant program has supported exciting projects since 2018.
Grants In Action
Matt Wearn’s Olympic Dinghy Secured for WA’s Cultural Collection
The dinghy that carried Western Australian sailor Matt Wearn to gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been secured for the WA Museum’s collection, celebrating his historic back-to-back Olympic victories. Supported by the Foundation for the WA Museum, the acquisition preserves an important piece of Western Australia’s sporting and maritime history for future generations.
Unlocking the Stars of our Seas
Foundation-backed research has revealed nine new species of sea stars from the waters off Western Australia, along with 16 species recorded in the state for the first time. The discoveries, led by sea star expert Dr Christopher Mah, are expanding our understanding of WA’s remarkable marine biodiversity and highlighting the important role of philanthropic support in enabling scientific research.
Purchase and display of pegmatite specimens
Striking lithium and cesium-bearing pegmatite specimens from Western Australia’s historic Sinclair mine have been entered into the WA Museum collection, preserving an important story of mineral discovery and innovation. Supported by the Foundation for the WA Museum, these specimens will showcase the State’s globally significant geological and mineral heritage at Boola Bardip and the Museum of the Goldfields.
The Houtman Abrolhos Islands
For the first time in more than 25 years, WA Museum researchers returned to the remarkable waters of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands for a comprehensive scientific survey.
Over a fortnight, marine biologists and maritime archaeologists explored this unique meeting place of tropical corals and temperate seas, documenting everything from fishes, corals and molluscs to crustaceans, echinoderms and tiny, often overlooked species. Researchers collected DNA-ready specimens and compared their findings with decades of earlier surveys, helping build a clearer picture of how this important ecosystem is changing over time.
Supported by the Foundation for the WA Museum and undertaken in collaboration with DBCA and DPIRD, the expedition also helped document and protect significant underwater heritage sites, deepening our understanding of one of Western Australia’s richest and most extraordinary marine environments.
Red Rock Art Collection and Archive
If you would like to learn more about any of the grants featured here, please contact our Grants Team on grants@fwam.com.au. We’re happy to provide further information and help with any questions you may have.
