3 PhD opportunities available in the Avian Behavioural Ecology research group at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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3 PhD opportunities available in the Avian Behavioural Ecology research group at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia for a start from mid to late 2014.
Project 1: Adapting to a foreign climate: the establishment of the house sparrow in Australia and New Zealand
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) was introduced into Australia and New Zealand in the 1860’s and has since become well established across a broad range of climates in both countries. This project will take advantage of this ‘experimental’ introduction to focus on behavioural and physiological adaptations to different climates through a field-based comparative approach. This research will complement our existing work on related questions in endemic Australian species and will provide insight into the capacity of avian species to adapt to changing climates.
This project will involve long periods of field-work at a variety of field sites in Australia and New Zealand along with a range of behavioural, molecular and physiological assays. The project will involve collaboration with other groups throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Project 2: The ecology and evolution of Australian birds in relation to climate
The climate of much of the central part of Australia is harsh and unpredictable with rainfall being both spatially and temporally highly variable. This project will use a variety of approaches to gain insight into the way in which this climate has shaped the life-history, morphology and behaviour of Australia’s unique avifauna. The research will build a dataset characterising key traits in Australia’s birds, and utilise extensive and publically available datasets on climate, environment and biodiversity. Analyses will utilise GIS techniques and require skills in both modelling and statistics in R and ArcGIS.
The project will involve collaboration with Dr’s Beaumont and Gallagher (also at Macquarie). The work will be primarily desk-based and experience in spatial analysis and macroecology is required.
Project 3: The behavioural ecology of the chirruping wedgebill
The chirruping wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus) is endemic to the arid zone of Eastern Australia and has yet to be the focus of any behavioural study. This project will begin the study of this species in an attempt to characterise the behavioural ecology of the species to complement our recent work on three other species living in the same environment. We are particularly interested in the mating system, social behaviour and the characteristic acoustic behaviour for which the species was named. This research will require long periods of fieldwork at the remote Fowlers Gap research station in arid Australia and will also focus on bioacoustics and the molecular determination of parentage. This project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr Andy Russell at the University of Exeter, UK.
Two Macquarie University Excellence in Research Scholarships have already been assigned to these projects, one scholarship is open to all international candidates, and one scholarship is available only to residents from Australia or New Zealand. Successful candidates for the third position will be assisted in applying for other sources of funding. International candidates are welcome to apply for any of the projects listed above.
The 2014 MQRES full-time stipend rate is $25,392 pa tax exempt for 3 years (indexed annually). In addition to external grant support for projects, up to $20,000 is available to cover direct research expenses and domestic conference travel. Additional internal funding opportunities of up to $10,000 are available to support travel to overseas laboratories or to attend international conferences.
Prospective applicants should ideally have an MSc in a related discipline (with a 50% research component), and additional relevant research experience and/or qualifications. For projects 1 and 3, an ability to work in remote and harsh conditions as well as experience in capturing and handling birds is desirable, and a driving licence.
Applications should include 1) your CV, 2) a brief statement of your reasons for applying (max. 500 words) and the project you are applying to work on, 3) contact details of two academic referees, 4) nationality. Applications should be submitted electronically as a single PDF file.
Applications for these positions (and initial enquiries) should be emailed by 31st May 2014 to: simon.g...@mq.edu.au
Assoc. Prof. Simon Griffith, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia