*PhD project - Role of food web structure on the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship*
We are looking for one PhD candidate to carry out a research project on how the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationship is driven by the structure of food webs. The project is expected to start around January 2016 (or before). The call will continue until the position is filled. Project summary The candidate will be in charge of developing a research project on how the network structure of prey-predator interactions is affecting the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship. Potential questions are: can we predict productivity based on the knowledge of the food web structure? Does the position of a species in the food web predict its productivity, and its contribution to ecosystem functioning? How will the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning be disturbed by the disassembly of food webs? The approaches used in the lab involve modeling of population dynamics, graph analysis, and will rely extensively on the analysis of empirical food web data. A database of approx. 1000 food webs across the world is available. Funding and supervision The project will be carried out in the Quantitative and Computational Ecology lab, Université de Montréal (Québec, Canada). The candidate will be supervised by Timothée Poisot, in the Department of Biological Sciences, and co-supervised by Daniel Stouffer (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand). The candidate will be expected to spend two to three months in Dr. Stouffer’s lab. The project is funded by an NSERC grant of 16000 CAD yearly. The candidate will be expected to apply for TA positions. Additional sources of funding are available. All research costs, including travel and accommodation for meetings, will be paid in full. The candidate will benefit from an active research community, both within the Université de Montréal, and in other neighboring universities. Funding for travels, international courses, and free training in high performance computing, biostatistics, spatial analysis, and scientific communication is available through Compute Quebec, and the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences. Skills Biostatistics, ecological modelling (or classes in population dynamics), interest for computational approaches and programming, ability to handle large or complex datasets Application Applicants can send the following material to [email protected] or [email protected] , with the subject “PhD project”: 1. A one-page cover letter explaining research interests and professional aspirations 2. A resume, and summary of the academic curriculum 3. If applicable, a writing sample 4. Contacts for two references with a description of their relationship to the applicant *Other informations* Lab website: http://poisotlab.io/ Department website: http://en.bio.umontreal.ca/home/ Requirements for international students: http://en.bio.umontreal.ca/programs/graduate-programs/prerequisites-for-admission-international-students/
