PhD scholarships: Quantitative plant ecology and conservation management
Two fully funded PhD positions are available in the group of Joslin
Moore in the area of quantitative plant ecology and conservation
management at Monash University (School of Biological Sciences). We
are looking for enthusiastic and motivated students with good
quantitative skills that are interested in using ecological models to
better understand the ecology and management of plant communities and
populations. The PhD project will be developed in collaboration with
the student based on their research interests and strengths.
Our research group is focused on using quantitative methods,
ecological models and decision analysis to better understand and
manage plant communities and populations. We use a combination of
field based experiments, observations and modelling to address
fundamental questions in plant community ecology as well as
developing methods and applications that can be directly implemented
by managers. Current projects include grassland response to
eutrophication, restoration of native grasslands on the urban fringe,
management of invasive willows in alpine Victoria, decision
frameworks for targeting invasive species, developing and testing
optimal surveillance methods for invasive plants and examining the
role of gardening as a pathway for plant invasions.
Scholarship details
Each PhD stipend is fully-funded for a period of 3.5 years and is
open to both Australian/NZ domestic and international students. The
stipends include all course fees plus approximately $25,000 AUD per
annum tax-free. Domestic students will be encouraged to apply for an
Australian Postgraduate Award, with a top-up scholarship awarded to
successful recipients (tax-free 2013 rate of approximately $25,000
AUD, top up of $5000).
Monash and the School of Biological Sciences
Monash is a member of the Group of Eight, a coalition of top
Australian universities recognized for their excellence in teaching
and research. The School of Biological Sciences is a dynamic unit
with strengths in both ecology and genetics and the nexus between
these disciplines
(<http://monash.edu/science/about/schools/biological-sciences/>monash.edu/science/about/schools/biological-sciences/).
The University is located in Melbourne, one of the most liveable
cities in the world and a cultural and recreational hub.
Application process
Interested candidates should send a short cover letter (email)
outlining their research interests and motivation, together with a CV
and academic transcript to
<mailto:joslin.mo...@monash.edu>joslin.mo...@monash.edu. Applicants
must possess a Bachelor's or equivalent degree with first-class
Honours, Master of Science or MPhil. Short-listed candidates will be
asked for further information and will be interviewed via video
conference. Successful candidates will be encouraged to submit an
application for a scholarship. The next deadlines for scholarship
applications at Monash University are May 30, 2014 for a 2014 start
date and October 31, 2014 for a 2015 start date.
