He has worked with farming industry groups, local landholder groups, and a wide network of international colleagues with shared interests. In 2015 the Ecological Society of Australia honoured Professor Cunningham with the "Australian Ecology Research Award". He was a contributor to the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Assessment Report on Pollination and Food Production, published in 2016. Professor Cunningham has been Director of the Fenner School of Environment & Society since 2017.