IAPETUS DTP NERC Studentships The Department of Anthropology at Durham University is currently advertising three PhD studentships through the IAPETUS Doctoral Training Partnership. Applications are encouraged from UK/EU candidates; successful candidates for these fully funded studentships would start in October 2018.
The three projects broadly address the theme of how global environmental change and human-animal interactions affect vertebrate populations. Please see the links provided below for further details on each individual project. Citizen Scientist Engagement in Mammal Monitoring through MammalWeb (lead supervisor Prof Russell Hill): http://www.iapetus.ac.uk/wp- content/uploads/2017/11/IAP-17-67-Hill-Durham.pdf Most UK mammals are poorly monitored despite their ecological, economic and cultural significance, and the high public profile of many species. Camera traps offer a solution, but require “citizen scientists” to help implement a successful programme of mammal monitoring. What motivates citizen scientists to volunteer their time and effort for the conservation of mammal populations? Building upon the volunteer driven monitoring system MammalWeb (http://www.mammalweb.org), this project will examine volunteer motivations and develop strategies for enhancing volunteer engagement and retention to produce robust mammal monitoring data. Integrated Modelling of Environmental Adaptation for a Model Species, the Chacma Baboon (lead supervisor Prof Ann MacLarnon): http://www.iapetus.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IAP-17-66-MacLarnon-Durham.pdf How do animals integrate behavioural and physiological adaptations to their environment? Using behavioural observation, ecological data and non-invasive hormone analyses, the student will investigate the environmental adaptations of the chacma baboon, a large-bodied, highly socially and ecologically flexible mammal living in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa, a challenging environment. The project explores how chacma baboons optimise resource usage, how they cope with major environmental stressors and which environmental features most test their resilience. Understanding Reintroduction Biases and their Consequences in Vertebrates (lead supervisor Dr Sally Street): http://www.iapetus.ac.uk/wp- content/uploads/2017/11/IAP-17-57-Street-Durham-1.pdf Why are efforts to reintroduce threatened species biased towards some mammal and bird species over others, and how do these biases affect the outcomes of reintroduction programmes? The project will investigate these questions using a combination of phylogenetic comparative analyses to identify predictors of reintroduction bias and success, and human experimental studies to identify perceptions of non-human species that underpin these patterns. IAPETUS is a multidisciplinary Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) for the environmental sciences funded and accredited by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). IAPETUS DTP studentships offer PhD students world-class research and training opportunities, designed to train the next generation of leaders in the science of the natural environment. Successful candidates will benefit from supervision by diverse and experienced teams, with specialised research skills in the relevant project methodologies. Applications are due before 5pm on 19th January 2018, although applicants are encouraged to discuss things with the lead supervisor well before this date. Please see http://www.iapetus.ac.uk/aboutstudentships/ for full information on the application process. Candidates should contact the named supervisors on each project in advance before applying. Informal enquiries are welcome and can be made to Prof Russell Hill (r.a.h...@durham.ac.uk), Prof Ann MacLarnon (ann.m.maclar...@durham.ac.uk) or Dr Sally Street (sally.e.str...@durham.ac.uk). We embrace excellence in all its forms and invite all qualified candidates to apply. We particularly welcome applications from women, candidates with disabilities, black and minority ethnic candidates and other groups who are under-represented in the University.
