I am currently advertising one Ph.D. student opening in my lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan (www.lanelab.ca) to begin September, 2015. Funding will be provided through a departmental or university-level teaching assistantship or scholarship. Competition for these funding sources is approaching quickly (one scholarship deadline is March 2 and another is a couple of weeks later). If you are interested in this position, therefore, please apply ASAP.
The Project: Reproductive phenology of North American red squirrels (Ph.D.) The Kluane Red Squirrel Project (KRSP) was initiated in the late 1980’s and now represents one of the longest running and most-comprehensive studies of a wild mammal in the world. Researchers from multiple universities are involved and exciting collaborations have produced many important, interdisciplinary findings. A clear strength of this project stems from our ability to quantify the primary food resource for individual red squirrels (white spruce seed, cached as cones). This project will investigate the causes and consequences of phenological variation of individual red squirrels. Phenological shifts are now the most often cited ecological responses to climate change and can have substantial consequences for individual fitness and population viability. Quantitative genetics analyses will be used to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations (i.e., evolutionary potential) in phenological traits and opportunities are available to collaborate with other researchers in energetic physiology, population ecology, endocrinology and animal behaviour. All fieldwork will occur in the spectacular southwest Yukon Territory at KRSP’s field camp. Relevant literature: Lane, J.E., L.E.B. Kruuk, A. Charmantier, J.O. Murie and F.S. Dobson. 2012. Delayed phenology and reduced fitness associated with climate change in a wild hibernator. Nature 489: 554-557. Williams, C.T., J.E. Lane, M.M. Humphries, A.G. McAdam and S. Boutin. 2013. Reproductive phenology of a food-hoarding mast-seed consumer: resource- and density dependent benefits of early breeding in red squirrels. Oecologia 174: 777-788. Boutin, S. and J.E. Lane. 2014. Climate change and mammals: evolutionary versus plastic responses. Evolutionary Applications 7: 29-41. Graduate student funding at the UofS is quite competitive so the successful applicant will have a GPA >80% (converted to the UofS’ 1-100 scale) over the past two years of schooling and a degree in a relevant discipline (i.e., Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Physiology, Environmental Biology). Of note, while I certainly appreciate the hard work that is put into obtaining a degree in Biotechnology, I do not view this as relevant experience for these positions. In addition, a passion for fieldwork (in a beautiful, but remote, place), strong scientific communication skills (both written and oral) and statistical proficiency (or a willingness to gain it) is necessary. Evidence of scientific productivity (manuscripts published or in preparation, conference attendance and presentation) is also expected. If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit a cv (including names and contact details of references), a short (1 pg) description of research interests and an unofficial copy of your transcripts to jeffrey.l...@usask.ca. Applications will be accepted up to May 31, 2015, but will be evaluated as they’re received. To ensure full consideration of your application, therefore, please submit asap. Any questions can be directed to Jeff Lane (email above).
