The Fedy Lab of Wildlife and Molecular Ecology is recruiting a PhD student beginning in summer 2018.
We are seeking an excellent student for a PhD addressing important wildlife conservation issues for waterfowl in the Western Boreal Forest. The research will contribute to our on- going research investigating wildlife responses to habitat disturbance and waterfowl nesting ecology in Alberta. The student will be a member of the Fedy Lab of Wildlife and Molecular Ecology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. Research in the lab crosses scales, from genes to landscapes, and the PhD student’s contributions will address questions related to large scale habitat use and waterfowl demography. Spring and summer field work will be based in and around Utikuma Lake, Alberta. The research will be conducted in close partnership with scientists from Ducks Unlimited Canada. The successful applicant will have a strong background in ecology and field-based research, excellent grades, and a passion for wildlife ecology and conservation. Students should have a strong background in statistics and/or a keen interest and willingness to learn sophisticated quantitative approaches to data analysis. Previous experience with statistical software such as R is preferred. Students must have a strong work ethic, be able to thrive under physically challenging field situations, and must be comfortable supervising field crews in remote locations. Funding for PhD students is available for up to four years and students who have already completed a Master’s degree will be given preference. The applicant should be competitive for scholarships such as NSERC, and will be expected to apply for such opportunities. We, of course, welcome students who have secured external funding. Guaranteed funding is only available for domestic students, at this time. Students will be supervised by Dr. Brad Fedy (fedylab.uwaterloo.ca) and will be integrated into our active and engaging research environment. The admissions deadline at the University of Waterloo is February 1st for a September 2018 academic start, but students will be expected to begin field work in May 2018. If interested, please email bf...@uwaterloo.ca with subject line “Waterfowl PhD” no later than November 30, 2017. Please provide: (1) a cover letter detailing background and research interests; (2) CV including the names of 3 referees; and (3) unofficial transcripts from your previous degrees.
