Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Languages
Citizenships (dual)
Research Fundings | Fellowships | Scholarships
Publications
Timeline
Generic

Dr Kavina Dayal

Canberra,ACT

Summary

Professional researcher with strong analytical and statistical skills, adept at designing and conducting experiments. Proven ability to collaborate effectively within team environments and adapt to changing project needs. Skilled in data analysis, literature review, and report writing. Known for reliability and results-driven approach.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Climate Scientist

The Climate Risk Groups
09.2024 - 06.2025
  • Research, develop, and replicate existing hazard models and algorithms while managing the uncertainty of data, and implement these models with our software engineers' support
  • Develop new hazard models
  • Identify fit-for-purpose model scope within commercial constraints
  • Collaborate with Product Managers, Software Developers and Scientists to develop science roadmap
  • Work within and contribute to a regulatory-ready model governance standard
  • Manage ongoing documentation of models for internal and external stakeholders
  • Validate natural hazard models to ensure accurate and reliable prediction of climate-related risks
  • Use multi-model approaches to improve the robustness of climate predictions
  • Apply expertise in extreme weather and climate phenomena to inform model development and risk assessment
  • Oversee science sign-ups, and ensure projects align with science standards
  • Undertake special research projects, either independently or as part of a team related to climate hazards and impact computation
  • Manage multiple projects in collaboration with a team of scientists and other organizational teams
  • Contribute to the ongoing development of programming and statistical practices within the organization
  • Establish relationships with peer researchers and organizations, and collaborate on methods development and impact research with university and other institutional research partners
  • Manage and maintain the inventory of models that track their development lifecycle, high-level overview of model purpose, uses, quality, bugs/problems, and review status
  • Continuously track standards (NGFS, IFRS, ESRS) and address how changes will impact clients and projects
  • Simultaneously managed several complex projects, meeting all pertinent milestones.

Research Scientist

ABARES | DAFF
01.2023 - 09.2024
  • Drive successful scientific projects by utilizing data synthesis, analysis, interpretation, and effective communication of research findings.
  • Lead the timely production and publication of weekly and seasonal reports, focusing on monitoring seasonal climate drivers.
  • Contribute to strategic planning and product design, fostering agility in adapting and enhancing existing guidelines or creating new ones.
  • Provide climate intelligence webinars to international agencies for MoU between Australian government and participating nations.
  • Play a key role in incorporating Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS) outputs into the Climate and Agricultural Commodity reports.
  • Stay abreast of global advancements in seasonal climate forecasting, interpreting their implications for agricultural market forecasting.
  • Foster collaborative efforts with scientists, policy advisers, and researchers from diverse disciplines to provide integrated research and advice.
  • Engage and collaborate with climate science and research agencies in Australia and worldwide, emphasizing relevant aspects of seasonal climate forecasting for agricultural market forecasting.
  • Deliver scientific research and analysis to diverse audiences, utilizing various communication methods.
  • Provide expert scientific advice and information to the ABARES Executive, government policy advisors, industry stakeholders, and the public on matters pertaining to Australia's agriculture, fisheries, forestry, biosecurity, and natural resource sectors.
  • Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with industry, government, and research stakeholders.
  • Nurture a team-oriented environment, supporting junior staff in achieving their developmental objectives

Adjunct Lecturer (Climate Science)

University of Southern Queensland
01.2023 - Current
  • Successfully create and present engaging online lectures for two specialized Climate Science courses: CLI3301 – Climate and Environmental Risk (undergraduate) & CLI6001 – Climate Risk (postgraduate).
  • Efficiently manage course coordination and facilitate student consultation through weekly tutorials.
  • Ensure fair and accurate grading of assignments while effectively managing administrative responsibilities.
  • Term contracts - my responsibilities are:

Consultant

Cotton Seed Distributors Ltd., and Data Farming
07.2022 - 01.2023
  • Engage in thorough consultations with stakeholders to understand their specific needs, processes, and desired end products.
  • Develop a robust methodology and create a versatile Python code capable of automatically retrieving climate data from the SILO API for specified coordinates. The code generates relevant climate metrics for desired periods, enabling informed decision-making.
  • Design and implement a rice harvest prediction model using Python, providing a valuable tool for forecasting outcomes.
  • Take charge of organizing and leading productive meeting discussions with supervisors, scientists, and agronomists to ensure effective collaboration and progress.
  • Empower stakeholder correspondents by delivering comprehensive training on how to customize and execute the Python codes to meet future requirements and provide valuable advice on interpreting the outcomes.
  • Produce a comprehensive report encompassing research questions, methodologies, outputs, and key findings, consolidating the entire process and its outcomes for clear understanding and dissemination.
  • Stakeholders:

Experimental Scientist

CSIRO
01.2021 - 06.2022
  • Actively engaged with primary producers, including farmers and growers, to gain a comprehensive understanding of climate risks affecting their operations.
  • Compiled agriculturally relevant climate indices, drawing from scientific literature and domain expert opinions (climate and agriculture), to create informative commodity growing region maps.
  • Conducted thorough analysis and interpretation of historical (BOM AGCD) and future projected climate data (CCIA) to generate climate indices and metrics specifically targeted at agricultural commodities. These insights serve as valuable decision-making tools for on-farm management practices.
  • The Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) is an Australian Government - Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE) Future Drought Fund initiative to help Australian farmers adapt to climate variability and related trends thereby improving the profitability and viability of their businesses.
  • I carried out the following responsibilities on the Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) project:

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

CSIRO
01.2018 - 01.2020
  • Cultivated and maintained strong working relationships with CSIRO scientists and external clients, including farmers and industry consultants, ensuring a collaborative approach in identifying climate decision points for operational activities and delivering practical research outcomes.
  • Developed innovative techniques to effectively integrate existing climate forecast products into biophysical models and domain decision tools. This included incorporating variable climate forecasts into the APSIM crop model to forecast wheat yield accurately.
  • Identified areas of both valuable and limited skill in climate forecasts and skillfully integrated climate information into agricultural models. Additionally, provided essential feedback to climate modelers to enhance their understanding and meet ongoing needs effectively.
  • Conducted regular reviews of pertinent literature to stay up to date with the latest research and developments in the field.
  • Produced high-quality scientific articles suitable for publication in reputable journals, as well as client reports and patent applications, highlighting the practical applications of the research.
  • Effectively communicated scientific findings through conferences and workshops, sharing knowledge with a broader audience and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Played a key role in contributing to the research team's effectiveness and actively supported the achievement of CSIRO's organizational objectives and plans.
  • Successfully written and secured research and grant proposals, leading to project funding and further advancements in the field.
  • Led a small team in soil temperature prediction modelling, ensuring the timely achievement of milestones and delivering valuable products to stakeholders.
  • Key achievements include delivering all project milestones on time, publishing four Q1 journal articles and four peer-reviewed book chapters, and presenting at six conferences (two being interdisciplinary) to disseminate research findings effectively.
  • Developed a Decision Support Shiny App with machine learning coding, providing valuable cotton yield estimates.
  • Secured a scholarship and effectively managed a project as a lead supervisor for a summer intern, resulting in the development of a real-time soil-temperature prediction tool on the Cotton Seed Distributors website.
  • Successfully secured funding to expand cotton research, contributing to the advancement of this critical field.
  • CSIRO’s Digiscape initiative was a Future Science Platform to harness the digital revolution for Australian farmers and land managers. Digiscape supported next generation decision making to help transform agricultural industries by solving real-life knowledge shortfalls and suite of digital products on multiple dimensions.
  • I carried out the following responsibilities on the Digiscape project:

Maths Tutor

University of Southern Queensland
01.2015 - 01.2017
  • Facilitated effective learning experiences by preparing and delivering tutorials for four essential Engineering mathematics courses: ENM1500 Introductory Engineering Mathematics, ENM1600 Engineering Mathematics, ENM2600 Advanced Engineering Mathematics, and MAT1100 Foundation Mathematics.
  • Conducted comprehensive assessment evaluations, meticulously marking assignments and exams, and promptly updating the course spreadsheet with the students' scores.

Research Assistant

University of the South Pacific
01.2014 - 01.2015
  • Utilized machine learning techniques to analyse tropical cyclone data, leading to accurate predictions of cyclone tracks and intensities, ultimately enhancing early warning systems and disaster preparedness.
  • Demonstrated expertise and commitment to producing high-quality research articles suitable for publication, contributing valuable insights to the scientific community and advancing knowledge in the field of tropical cyclone prediction.

Research Assistant

Secretariat of the Pacific Community
10.2014 - 02.2015
  • Conducted in-depth analysis and interpretation of data from the Waves and Coasts in the Pacific (WACOP) project, leading to valuable insights into wave patterns and coastal dynamics in the Pacific region.
  • Evaluated the effectiveness and accuracy of PACCSAP wave hindcast data for tropical cyclones, resulting in improved understanding and potential enhancements to the data's predictive capabilities.
  • Investigated the complex relationship between tropical cyclones and extreme waves in the South Pacific, contributing crucial knowledge to better comprehend the impact of cyclonic events on wave patterns and coastal regions.
  • Participated actively in regular meetings with fellow researchers to discuss project updates, challenges faced, and lessons learned during ongoing activities.
  • Organized research materials, maintaining a well-ordered workspace conducive to productivity.

Summer Intern

Fiji Meteorological Service
05.2011 - 06.2011
  • Efficiently prepared weather charts and issued accurate forecasts by analysing and interpreting meteorological data sourced from satellite imageries, radar, atmospheric soundings, and numerical weather prediction output.
  • Mastered the Dvorak technique, enabling precise estimation of tropical cyclone intensity, enhancing the accuracy of forecasts and improving early warning systems.

Summer Intern

National Centres for Environmental Prediction
05.2010 - 06.2010
  • Gained valuable insights and experience by shadowing forecasters and climate modelers across five of the nine centres in NCEP, including the Climate Prediction Centre, Environmental Modelling Centre, NCEP Central Operations, Ocean Prediction Centre, and Weather Prediction Centre.
  • Conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster during the 2011 tsunami, leading to a deeper understanding of the events and contributing to lessons learned for future disaster preparedness.
  • Determined the consistency between the 1000 ft winds at Tokyo and the 100 ft and 500 ft winds at Fukushima, while also evaluating the relevance of profiler data to the atmospheric dispersion model. These findings served to enhance the accuracy and reliability of atmospheric modelling in critical situations.

Education

PhD - Climate Science

University of Southern Queensland
01.2018

Master of Science - Meteorology

University of Hawaii At Manoa
08-2014

Bachelor of Science - Meteorology

University of Hawaii At Manoa
05-2012

Skills

  • Proficient in climate research
  • Development and implementation of research strategies
  • Research writing skills
  • Stakeholder collaboration
  • Skilled in team management
  • Strategic consulting
  • Independent and cooperative work
  • Proficient in data analysis and visualization techniques
  • Public sector collaboration
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Climate change assessment
  • Analytical creative thinking
  • Relationship-building skills
  • Climate science communication skills
  • Project Management
  • Team leadership and mentoring
  • Ability to adjust to new challenges
  • Effective organization skills
  • Collaborative teamwork
  • Microsoft office
  • Time management
  • Problem-solving
  • Data collection
  • Multitasking and organization
  • Data entry
  • Analytical thinking
  • Data analysis
  • Research and analysis
  • Attention to detail
  • Complex Problem-solving
  • Documentation skills
  • Research methods
  • Quantitative and qualitative analysis
  • Statistical analysis
  • Research reporting
  • Document management
  • Literature reviews
  • Scientific writing
  • Research ethics
  • Quantitative research
  • Research paper writing
  • Project management
  • Community outreach
  • Technical writing
  • Database research
  • Creating presentations
  • Research and publication
  • Experimental design
  • Project planning
  • Research project design
  • Work prioritization
  • EndNote proficiency
  • Grant writing
  • Statistical software
  • Teaching assistance
  • Zotero proficiency
  • Research design
  • Academic publishing
  • Python programming

Languages

English
Fijian-Hindi

Citizenships (dual)

  • Australian
  • Fijian

Research Fundings | Fellowships | Scholarships

  • 2020 | Cotton Seed Distributors | Predicting Soil Temperature to assist cotton planting decision-making | Lead supervisor of a summer internship project | 2020-2021 (summer) | $9,000 AUD
  • 2020 | Cotton Seed Distributors | Matching Management to Variety for Improved Performance II in Cotton | Component Contributor (Objective 1 – Lead) | 2020 – 2021 | $448,800 AUD
  • 2015 | University of Southern Queensland | A statistical and geospatial based approach to integrated assessment of vulnerability to drought: Framework for climate risk management | Lead | 2015 – 2017 | $109,440 AUD
  • 2013 | Second Harold and Constance Lane Memorial Scholarship | Research Support Grant for Master of Science project | Lead | 2013 | $500 USD
  • 2012 | East-West Centre | Master of Science project scholarship | Lead | 2012 – 2014 | $50,000 USD
  • 2012 | Department of Meteorology, University of Hawaii at Manoa | Student Scholar Research Support Grant | Lead | 2012 – 2014 | $24,000 USD
  • 2012 | Jean E. Rolles Fellowship | Research Support Grant for Master of Science project | Lead | 2012 – 2014 | $2,600 USD
  • 2012 | First Harold and Constance Lane Memorial Scholarship | Research Support Grant for Master of Science project | Lead | 2012 | $500 USD
  • 2011 | SOEST, University of Hawaii at Manoa | Plan and organize National Science Week activities | Lead | 2011 | $1,000 USD
  • 2008 | East-West Centre | Bachelor of Science scholarship | Lead | 2008 – 2012 | $150,000 USD

Publications

  • Singh-Peterson L., Dayal, K., et al., (2025) “Drought impact on mental health – a systematic study.” Climate Change.
  • Darbyshire R., Bonnet, G., Clancy, L., Dayal, K., et al., (2025) “Balancing scientific rigour and user needs is the key ingredient for climate services: an example for agriculture.” Climate Change.
  • Hafi, A., Cao, Ly, Dayal K., et al., (2025) “Informing trade policy changes in the face of increasing climate volatility.” Nature Scientific Reports.
  • Rezaie, F., Panahi, M., Jun, C, Dayal, K., et al. (2022) Deep learning models for drought susceptibility mapping in southeast Queensland, Australia. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-024-02879-w
  • Waha, K., Clarke, J., Dayal, K., Freund, M., Headey, C., Parsi, J., and Vogel, E. (2022). “Past and future rainfall changes in the Australian rangelands: implications for agriculture.” Climatic Change, 170(3), 1-21.
  • Beischer, T. A., Gregory, P., Dayal, K., Brown, J. R., Charles, A. N., Wang, X. Y. D., and Brown, J. N. (2021). “Scope for predicting seasonal variation of the SPCZ with ACCESS-S1.” Climate Dynamics, 56(5), 1519- 1540.
  • Dayal, Kavina, Jaclyn Brown, François Waldner, Roger Lawes, Yiz Hochman, Randall Donohue, Heidi Horan, Yang Chen. (2020) “Climate drivers provide valuable insights in late season prediction of wheat yield”. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 295, 108202.
  • Yang Chen, Randall Donohue, Tim McVicar, Franz Waldner, Gonzalo Malte, Noboru Ota, Alireza Houshmandfar, Kavina Dayal, Roger Lawes. (2019). “Nationwide crop yield estimation based on photosynthesis and meteorological stress indices” Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 284. 107872. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107872
  • Dieu Tien Bui, Farnoush Mohammadi, Fatemeh Falahi, Kavina Dayal, Mahdi Panahi., Omid Rahmati, Ravinesh C. Deo, and Zahra Kalantari. (2019) “Capability and robustness of novel hybrid models used for drought hazard modeling in southeast Queensland, Australia”. Science of Total Environment, ISSN: 0048-9697, Page: 134656.
  • Omid Rahmati., Fatemeh Falahi, Kavina Dayal, Ravinesh C. Deo., Farnoush Mohammadi, Trent Biggs., Davoud Davoudi Moghaddam., Seyed Amir Naghbi., and Dieu Tien Bui. (2019) “Machine learning approaches for spatial modeling of agricultural droughts in the south-east region of Queensland Australia”. Science of the Total Environment, ISSN: 1879-1026, Vol: 699, Page: 134230.
  • Omid Rahmati., Aiding Kornejady., Mahmood Samadi, Ravinesh C. Deo., Christian Conoscenti, Luigi Lombardo., Kavina Dayal., Ruhollah Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi., Hamid Reza Pourghasemi., Sandeep Kumar and Dieu Tien Bui. (2019) “PMT: New analytical framework for automated evaluation of geo-environmental modeling approaches”, Science of Total Environment. ISSN: 1879-1026, Vol: 664, Page: 296-311.
  • Dayal, Kavina, Ravinesh C. Deo and Armando A. Apan. (2018) “Investigating drought duration- severity-intensity characteristics using Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index: A case study in drought-prone southeast Queensland”, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. 23(1): 05017029.
  • Dayal, Kavina, Ravinesh C. Deo, and Armando A. Apan. (2018) “Spatio-temporal drought risk mapping approach and its application to drought-prone southeast Queensland, Australia”, Natural Hazards. 93(2): 823-847.
  • Ravinesh C. Deo, J. F. Adamowski., Khaleda Begum., Sancho Salcedo-Sanz., Do-Woo Kim., Kavina Dayal and Hi-Ryong Byun (2018) “Quantifying flood events in Bangladesh with a daily-step flood monitoring index based on the concept of daily effective precipitation”, Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 137(1): 1201-1215.
  • Dayal, K.S., Deo, R.C. and Apan, A.A., (2021). Intelligent Data Analytics for Time Series, Trend Analysis and Drought Indices Comparison. In: R.C. Deo, P. Samui, O. Kisi and Z.M. Yaseen (Editors), Intelligent Data Analytics for Decision-Support Systems in Hazard Mitigation: Theory and Practice of Hazard Mitigation. Springer Singapore, Singapore, pp. 151-169.
  • Dayal, K.S., Wang, B. and Deo, R.C., (2021). Modulation of Tropical Cyclone Genesis by Madden–Julian Oscillation in the Southern Hemisphere. In: R.C. Deo, P. Samui, O. Kisi and Z.M. Yaseen (Editors), Intelligent Data Analytics for Decision-Support Systems in Hazard Mitigation: Theory and Practice of Hazard Mitigation. Springer Singapore, Singapore, pp. 127-150.
  • Dayal, K. S., Ravinesh C Deo., Armando Apan. (2020). Development of coupled-statistical drought prediction model using the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index. Handbook of Probabilistic Models, Elsevier: 141-178.
  • Dayal, K.S., Jaclyn Brown., Peter Thorburn. (2019) “Predicting summer rainfall in coastal NE Australia for improved farming practices in sugar cane”. Proceedings of the 19th Australian Agronomy Conference. 25-29 August 2019 Wagga Wagga, NSW.
  • Dayal, K.S., Tim Weaver, Michael Bange, CSD Ltd. Extension & Development Team. (2019) “Using machine learning to sharpen agronomic insights to improve decision making in Australian cotton systems”. Proceedings of the 19th Australian Agronomy Conference. 25-29 August 2019 Wagga Wagga, NSW.
  • Chris Nunn., Jaclyn N. Brown., Peter McIntosh., Kavina Dayal., Michael P. Bange (2019) “Use of seasonal forecasts for guiding early season decisions in Australian cotton systems”. Proceedings of the 19th Australian Agronomy Conference. 25-29 August 2019 Wagga Wagga, NSW.
  • Yang Chen, Randall J. Donohue, Tim R. McVicar, François Waldner, Gonzalo Malte, Noboru Ota, Alireza Houshmandfar, Kavina Dayal, Roger A. Lawes. (2019) “Crop-Si, a yield estimation model based on earth observation and meteorological-driven stress indices” Proceedings of the 19th Australian Agronomy Conference. 25-29 August 2019 Wagga Wagga, NSW.
  • Dayal, K.S., and Deo, Ravinesh C. and Apan, Armando A. (2016) Application of hybrid artificial neural network algorithm for the prediction of standardized precipitation index. Region 10 Conference (TENCON), 2016 IEEE, IEEE, Singapore.
  • Dayal K.S., Deo Ravinesh C, Apan Armando A. (2017) Drought Modelling Based on Artificial Intelligence and Neural Network Algorithms: A Case Study in Queensland, Australia. In Leal Filho, W. (Ed) Climate Change Adaptation in Pacific Countries: Fostering Resilience and the Regional Capacity to Adapt, Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-50094-2, 11. Page 177-198.
  • Dayal K.S. and K. S. Dayal, (2015) “Cyclone Forecasting Using Neural Networks for Prediction of Rapid Intensification in Wind Intensity of Tropical Cyclones in the South Pacific region”, 22nd International Conference on Neural Information Processing, Istanbul.
  • R. Chandra, K. S. Dayal and N. Rollings, (2015) “Two-Dimensional Time Series Approach for Cyclone Track Prediction using Cooperative Coevolution of Recurrent Neural Networks “, International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), pages 721-728, Killarney, Ireland.
  • R. Chandra and K. S. Dayal, (2015) “Cooperative Neuro-evolution of Elman Recurrent Networks for Tropical Cyclone Wind-Intensity Prediction in the South Pacific Region”, IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation, pages 1784-1791, Sendai, Japan.
  • James Risbey, Carly Tozer, Doug Richardson, Kavina Dayal (2022) Valuation of multi-year climate forecast for agriculture, Digiscape Future Science Platform (CSIRO internal report).
  • Rebecca Darbyshire, Katharina Waha, Leanne Webb, Kavina Dayal, et al (2023) Climate Indices for Australian Agricultural Commodities, Climate Services for Agriculture – Future Drought Fund .
  • Chris Nunn, Kavina Dayal, Tim Weaver (2023) Climate Isolines for Cotton Growing Regions in Australia. Atlas.

Timeline

Senior Climate Scientist

The Climate Risk Groups
09.2024 - 06.2025

Research Scientist

ABARES | DAFF
01.2023 - 09.2024

Adjunct Lecturer (Climate Science)

University of Southern Queensland
01.2023 - Current

Consultant

Cotton Seed Distributors Ltd., and Data Farming
07.2022 - 01.2023

Experimental Scientist

CSIRO
01.2021 - 06.2022

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

CSIRO
01.2018 - 01.2020

Maths Tutor

University of Southern Queensland
01.2015 - 01.2017

Research Assistant

Secretariat of the Pacific Community
10.2014 - 02.2015

Research Assistant

University of the South Pacific
01.2014 - 01.2015

Summer Intern

Fiji Meteorological Service
05.2011 - 06.2011

Summer Intern

National Centres for Environmental Prediction
05.2010 - 06.2010

PhD - Climate Science

University of Southern Queensland

Master of Science - Meteorology

University of Hawaii At Manoa

Bachelor of Science - Meteorology

University of Hawaii At Manoa

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