Fenner School of Environment and Society

What Fenner School of Environment and Society does

The Fenner School of Environment and Society is an academic research and teaching school within the Australian National University, located in Canberra, ACT. Founded in 2007, the school operates with 26 employees and is positioned as a cross-disciplinary centre for environmental and sustainability research, education, and policy-relevant advice. It serves undergraduate and postgraduate students, Australian federal and state government agencies, Indigenous communities, farmers and landholders, and international research partners. The school delivers degree programs (Bachelor, Honours, Masters, PhD, MPhil), an Indigenous Fellowship program offering up to $25,000 per fellow, and an extensive seminar, publication, and public engagement program.

The school's research is organised across seven domains: Forests & Fire, Biodiversity & Conservation, Indigenous People & Environment, Climate & Energy, Integrative Methods, Urban Systems & Sustainability, and Food, Soil, Water & Agriculture. Technical capabilities include machine learning algorithms for forest structural analysis from earth observation data, dendrochronology and xylology, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, futures thinking methodologies, building energy modelling, and quantitative approaches such as material flow analysis and linear programming. The school operates the Sustainable Farms network across multiple Australian agricultural regions and runs the Climate History Australia citizen science project with the National Archives of Australia.

The school's revenue model is funded through Australian National University appropriations, competitive government research grants (including the $3.4M Federal Government grant for farm biodiversity), international climate finance, tuition fees, and program-specific outlays such as the Indigenous Fellowship. Customer/stakeholder engagement spans government policy advisory, on-campus and hybrid education delivery, direct research collaboration with NGOs and international institutions, and community-facing extension services. The school is led by School Director Saul Cunningham with Associate Directors covering Postgraduate Coursework, Honours, and Staff Development.

Name

Fenner School of Environment and Society

Legal name

ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society

Website

https://fennerschool.anu.edu.au

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fenner School of Environment and Society is an academic school within the Australian National University in Canberra, conducting cross-disciplinary environmental and sustainability research and offering undergraduate to PhD programs. It serves students, government agencies, Indigenous communities, farmers, and international research partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Environmental Research

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture, Environmental & Earth Sciences (EDAGABAL), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

Keywords

• Environmental research education
• Sustainability policy advice
• Biodiversity conservation research
• Cross-disciplinary ecology studies
• Climate energy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government research funding: The school receives government funding through Australian National University for research programs. Research is funded by various government bodies including the Australian Government's Saving Native Species program, Federal Government grants, and international climate finance initiatives.
2. Educational tuition and fees: Revenue from undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs including bachelor degrees, honours, masters, and PhD programs. Student fees support educational delivery.
3. Indigenous Fellowship grants: The Indigenous Fellowship program offers up to $25,000 per fellowship, intended to cover accommodation, travel, living expenses and material costs. Funded by the school for First Nations researchers and practitioners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Fenner School of Environment and Society is an academic school within the Australian National University that delivers higher education degree programs (Bachelor, Honours, Master, PhD, MPhil) and conducts cross-disciplinary environmental and sustainability research. Its core offerings include teaching and supervision across environmental science, ecology, climate, biodiversity, Indigenous environmental knowledge, urban systems, and food/soil/water/agriculture, alongside policy advisory services, citizen science projects, and the Indigenous Fellowship program for First Nations researchers.

Product overview

The Fenner School of Environment & Society is an academic research and education institution at the Australian National University. It offers undergraduate degrees (Bachelor degrees & Honours), postgraduate degrees (Master degrees), and doctoral programs (PhD & MPhil). The school's research spans multiple environmental and sustainability domains organized into research areas: Forests & fire, Biodiversity & conservation, Indigenous people & the environment, Climate & energy, Integrative Methods & Application, Urban Systems & Sustainability, and Food, soil, water & agriculture. Educational delivery includes coursework, fieldwork, study abroad programs, and student projects. The school also operates an Indigenous Fellowship program providing funding for First Nations researchers, practitioners, community leaders, entrepreneurs and thinkers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Degrees and Honours Programs Undergraduate tertiary education programs in environmental science, sustainability, and related fields, delivered on the ANU campus in Canberra with opportunities for fieldwork and study abroad. Targets prospective undergraduate students.
• Master Degrees Postgraduate coursework master's degree programs in environmental and sustainability disciplines at ANU. Targets students seeking advanced professional or pre-doctoral training.
• PhD and MPhil Research Degrees Doctoral research degrees (PhD and MPhil) at the Fenner School, involving supervised original research across the school's environmental and sustainability research areas. Targets prospective doctoral researchers.
• Indigenous Fellowship Program Fellowship program offering up to $25,000 per fellowship to cover accommodation, travel, living expenses and material costs for First Nations researchers, practitioners, community leaders, entrepreneurs and thinkers engaging with environmental research at the Fenner School. Funds are spent in the year of the fellowship.
• Sustainable Farms Program Research and extension program drawing on 20 years of long-term biodiversity research to work with farmers in North East Victoria, NSW Murray-Riverina, Central West and South West Slopes on improving biodiversity, natural asset management, and sustainable farm productivity. Targets farmers and landholders in regional Australia.
• Climate History Australia Citizen Science Project Citizen science collaboration creating Australia's longest daily weather record by enabling global volunteers to transcribe historical weather journals (including records from the Adelaide Surveyor General's Office, 1843-1856) in partnership with the National Archives of Australia. Targets citizen scientists and members of the public.
• Research Collaboration and Policy Advisory Services Collaborative research projects, policy advisory services, and consulting engagements delivered directly to government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations, drawing on the school's cross-disciplinary expertise. Targets government departments, international organizations, and conservation NGOs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research showing 21-32 million hectares of forest lost globally per year between 2013-2023, informing global forest conservation policy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Climate History AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizen science collaboration to create Australia's longest daily weather record by transcribing historical weather journals from the 1800s. The project involves volunteers worldwide digitizing handwritten observations to fill gaps in climate data.
• National Archives of AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to access and digitize historical weather diaries, including records from the Adelaide Surveyor General's Office spanning 1843-1856.
• WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on water resilience and sustainability issues. Dr Marcella D'Souza serves as Director.
• Mersey Rivers Trust (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership on river management and water governance. Prof. Peter Batey serves as representative.
• Australian Conservation FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on conservation and environmental advocacy. Mara Bun serves as President.
• NSW Local Aboriginal Land CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with NSW Local Aboriginal Land Councils on cultural burning projects in box-gum grassy woodlands, re-introducing traditional fire management practices.
• Woodlands and Wetlands TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership managing Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and Jerrabomberra Wetlands in Canberra, working on wildlife conservation and Indigenous cultural engagement.
• National Environmental Science ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment-funded research program supporting conservation research including work on endangered species like the forty-spotted pardalote.
• CSIROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on drought resilience planning research and other environmental science projects in Australia.
• Sustainable Farms networkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and extension initiative working with farmers across North East Victoria, NSW Murray-Riverina, Central West and South West Slopes. Staff located in Cowra, Gundagai, Wagga Wagga, Burrumbuttock, and Wodonga.
• Governments and civil society groups (International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPumped Storage Hydropower Group collaborates with governments, civil society groups and NGOs supporting transitions to zero/low carbon electricity grids, including partners in Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Australia.
• BirdLife AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partner supporting research on bird species including the forty-spotted pardalote.
• Ecological Society of AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization supporting ecological research and conservation projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency and the country's largest research organization. CSIRO collaborates directly with Fenner on drought resilience and environmental science projects and operates across overlapping domains including forestry, biodiversity, climate, and water research with a much larger national footprint.
• Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS): Australia's tropical marine science agency conducting research on marine biodiversity, climate impacts, and ecosystem management. Operates as a federally-funded research body similar in structure to Fenner, with overlapping interests in biodiversity conservation and environmental monitoring.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): A global research organization working at the intersection of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. Like Fenner, WRI produces influential research that informs global policy on forests, climate, water, and sustainable cities, with a much larger scale and international institutional reach.
• Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability: A leading global academic institution focused on climate, sustainability, and Earth systems research and education. Comparable to Fenner in combining world-class research with undergraduate and graduate programs, though with substantially larger scale and endowment-funded operating model.

Direct peers

• University of Melbourne - School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: A leading Australian university school conducting research in climate science, environmental management, and sustainability education. Closely comparable to Fenner as a domestic peer offering graduate research programs and policy-relevant environmental science with similar Australian higher education funding dynamics.
• ANU Crawford School of Public Policy: A sister school within the Australian National University focused on public policy, including environmental and climate policy. As a fellow ANU college, it shares Fenner's institutional structure, funding mechanisms, and policy advisory mandate while operating in adjacent research domains.
• Stockholm Environment Institute: An independent international research organization that conducts policy-relevant environmental and sustainability research across climate, water, biodiversity, and governance. Comparable to Fenner in its cross-disciplinary, policy-advisory research model with global geographic reach and mission-driven funding structure.
• UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology: A not-for-profit research institute focused on terrestrial and freshwater science, climate change, and biodiversity. Comparable to Fenner in mission-driven cross-disciplinary environmental research with strong UK government funding and global research collaborations.
• Wageningen University & Research: A leading international university specializing in life sciences, environmental research, and sustainability education. Wageningen is a direct comparable to Fenner in combining undergraduate/graduate teaching with applied environmental research, policy advisory, and food/agriculture/forestry expertise.
• ETH Zurich Department of Environmental Systems Science: A leading European university department integrating environmental science, sustainable agriculture, and climate research with teaching and policy advisory. Like Fenner, it emphasizes cross-disciplinary methods and partnerships with industry and government to address sustainability challenges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ANUFennerSchool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ANUchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/ANUFennerSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fenner-school-of-environment-and-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/anufennerschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fenner School of Environment and Society