Help Build the Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy
The Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy is small, independent and chronically short of money. We study plant medicines with the chemistry and evidence standards a university pharmacology department would use.
Healers have used plants as medicine for thousands of years, from the Amazon to the Australian outback. Most of that pharmacology has never been checked properly. We document those plants and test the claims made about them.
Our Vision
As an independent, not-for-profit research institute based in Australia, we’re working to build a centre for pharmacognosy—the scientific study of medicines derived from natural sources. Our work bridges the gap between traditional botanical knowledge from cultures worldwide and contemporary medical science.
What We’ve Accomplished
Despite our young status, the Institute has chartered a researcher-run laboratory in Cardwell, equipped largely through donations from schools and other organisations. It has also catalogued a research library of 1,142 volumes and begun documenting plants through field surveys and an evidence-graded monograph series.
The Challenge We Face
To expand our research, we need:
- A permanent research facility to house our growing team and equipment
- Additional scientific talent to accelerate our research initiatives
- Advanced analytical equipment to identify and characterise novel compounds
Why This Matters
The pharmaceutical potential of the world’s biodiversity remains largely unexplored. With your support, we can:
- Help preserve traditional botanical knowledge, with respect for its custodians
- Build Australia’s capacity in natural product research
Your Support Makes the Difference
When the Institute is able to accept support, contributions will help us:
- Secure our first dedicated research facility
- Acquire essential analytical equipment
- Fund talented researchers passionate about botanical medicine
Join Our Community
By supporting the Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy, you become part of a growing community dedicated to the scientific study of medicinal plants. We will regularly share our work through:
- Public workshops and educational programs
- our blog (a new post is planned each week) and monograph series
- research publications as they are ready
- collaborative projects as partnerships develop
- Community engagement initiatives
- our website (australian-pharmacognosy.org)
Help us write the next chapter in pharmacognosy research.
The Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy is a not-for-profit research organisation dedicated to advancing public knowledge of botanical medicines from around the world and their applications in modern healthcare.
Our status. The Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy is not yet registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and is not a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). Donations and other payments to the Institute are not tax-deductible. The Institute is working towards incorporation, charity registration and, after that, an application to the Australian Taxation Office for DGR endorsement. It holds none of these yet, and the decisions rest with the regulators.
How to support us. The Institute is not accepting money donations through this website at present, while its fundraising arrangements under Queensland law are settled. To register your interest in supporting the Institute later, please use our contact form. Registering interest does not commit you to anything. Read more: Legal Status and Fundraising.