Graduate assistantship in population biology, University of South Florida

A graduate assistantship in population ecology is available starting Fall semester, 2012, to work on our NSF-funded project on "Demographic heterogeneity in landscapes and communities." Applicants to both Ph.D. and M.S. programs will be considered, but preference will be given to the former. The position is fully funded for 2 years. Beyond that time, there are normally a substantial number of teaching assistantships available in our department for well-qualified students.
We seek a motivated student to work on data analysis and demographic models of population growth and its components, using data from the long-term study of Florida scrub-jays at Archbold Biological Station (ABS). The graduate student will play a central role in developing and maintaining a database for use in the research, and in the development, coding, and evaluation of models for the population dynamics of this species, as well as in statistical analyses of the data. The student will also interact with collaborating scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and ABS. This is an unusual opportunity to dissect some major components of dynamics of a natural population.
Qualifications: Applicants must exceed the requirements for admission to our graduate program. Quantitative skills and a background in population biology are important.
Salary & benefits: A stipend of $22,000 per calendar year, medical insurance per the University's contract with the graduate student union, and full coverage of tuition (does not include fees).
To apply: For initial application, send CV and GRE scores to Gordon Fox (gfox@usf.edu). Advance informal inquiries are strongly encouraged. You must also complete the application to our graduate program.
Deadline: Review of applications will begin February 1, 2012.
Dr. Gordon A. Fox
http://foxlab.cas.usf.edu

Two PhD, Monash University, Melbourne

Two PhD projects will be offered from 2012 in the Evolutionary & Invasion Biology research group at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (http://www.biolsci.monash.edu.au/staff/chapple/).
The two projects are part of a long-term research project on the invasion
dynamics of the delicate skink, *Lampropholis delicata*. The delicate skink
is native to eastern Australia, but has successfully invaded several regions
of the Pacific (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Lord Howe Island). Previous
research in the group has used molecular markers to identify the source
population(s) for each introduction, examined post-introduction molecular
and morphological evolution, and investigated the behavioural traits that
enhance the likelihood of human-assisted dispersal.

Project 1: The role of behaviour and behavioural syndromes in the invasion
success of the delicate skink:
Recent research has indicated that particular behavioural traits, or suites
of correlated traits (behavioural syndromes), may enhance the success of
introduced species at particular stages of the invasion process. The project
will use a series of field and laboratory-based studies to investigate the
role of behaviour in the success of the delicate skink as an invasive
species. The project will be co-supervised by Dr Bob Wong (Monash
University).

Project 2: Evolutionary ecology and climatic adaptation of invasive delicate
skink populations:
This project will involve a series of field and laboratory-based experiments
to investigate climatic adaptation in *Lampropholis* and the invasive
populations of the delicate skink. The study will examine populations across
both the native and introduced range. It will also examine the behavioural
interactions in the introduced range among individuals from genetically
divergent source populations (i.e admixture). The project will be
co-supervised by Prof Mike Thompson (University of Sydney).

Interested students should email their CV (including details of two academic
referees), academic record, and research interests to Dr David Chapple (
David.Chapple@monash.edu) by Monday 3rd October. For each project, one
applicant will be selected to complete and submit an online PhD scholarship
application by the 31st October deadline (a mid-year scholarship round
[31stMay] may be available for highly-qualified students who are
unable to make the October deadline).
Students will need to successfully obtain a PhD scholarship. Australian and
New Zealand citizens can apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or
Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS). International students can apply for an
IPRS or Monash Graduate Scholarship. For further information regarding PhD
entry requirements see: http://www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/scholarships/apply/
Dr David Chapple
Lecturer in Evolutionary & Invasion Biology
School of Biological Sciences
Monash University
Clayton VIC 3800, Australia
david.chapple@monash.edu
Website: http://www.biolsci.monash.edu.au/staff/chapple/

Graduate School in Animal Breeding and Genetics offers PhD positions

I am pleased to inform you that the European Graduate School in Animal
Breeding and Genetics offers PhD positions scheduled to start in
September 2012. Erasmus-Mundus fellowships are available for non-EU and
EU students. For the list of PhD projects, see:
http://www.egsabg.eu/spip.php?article13
Information about the first year of this programme are available in our
Newsletter:
http://www.egsabg.eu/IMG/pdf/EGS-ABG_Newsletter_2011-1.pdf

PhD Behavioural ecology of house sparrows, Max Planck Institute

A PhD position is available at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
in Seewiesen (near Munich, Germany) starting in autumn/winter 2011 to
study the ecological causes of variation in reproductive behaviour in a
population of captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus).
We seek a highly motivated student with a background or strong interest
in ecology, evolution, and behaviour. The ideal candidate is fascinated
by questions in behavioural ecology, has a good knowledge of statistical
analysis and excellent writing and presentation skills. He/she will be
expected to work independently and creatively in the field with the
possibility to develop her/his own research questions. Commitment to the
project and readiness to contribute to the research of the group are
essential.
Our department has a main focus on the ecology and evolution of avian
mating systems using a variety of model species. The research on the
house sparrows involves a long-term captive breeding population. Our aim
is to understand the ecological factors influencing reproductive
decisions of individuals from mating to parental care. The work will
involve developing and conducting experiments, breeding captive birds,
behavioural testing and observations, data base management, and possibly
parentage analysis.
The institute offers a stimulating international environment and an
excellent infrastructure with access to state-of-the-art techniques.
Seewiesen is located in an attractive area, close to the culturally
active city of Munich, and to the lakes and mountains of the Alps.
The position is funded for three years, starting as soon as 1 November
2011. Applications should include a concise statement of research
interests and work experiences relevant to the project, curriculum vitae
and contact details for 2-3 academic references. Please send your
application as a single file (Word-doc or pdf) to cdobus@orn.mpg.de. For
further information please do not hesitate to contact Prof. Dr. Bart
Kempenaers at b.kempenaers@orn.mpg.de.
The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer.

PhD position in plant ecology and evolution, University of Zürich

A four year PhD position funded by the European Research Council (ERC)
is available from January 2012 at the Institute of Systematic Botany,
University of Zürich, to study the evolution of floral signals. A focus
of the project will be the trade-off between attraction of pollinators
and defense against herbivores. The behavioral impact of floral signals
on pollinators and herbivores and/or the molecular bases of floral
volatile production will be studied. In addition, evolutionary models
will be constructed to predict the evolutionary responses of floral
signals to different biotic environments. The project is embedded
in the larger context of the ERC grant on floral signal evolution;
thus, close collaboration with other PhD students working on this
topic is expected. You should have a Master or equivalent academic
degree, a keen interest in evolutionary biology, and a background in
either molecular or organismal biology. Enthusiasm for experimental
work with plants and insects is required. The successful candidate
will work in a very well equipped institute and an exciting research
environment. The Institute of Systematic Botany at the University of
Zürich consists of 3 professors and 6 academic staff, as well as a
large group of PostDocs, PhDs, and Master students. The institute is
located in the pretty botanical gardens and houses modern molecular and
chemical ecology labs, including greenhouses and climate chambers for
plant cultivation. The University of Zürich has a very broad coverage
of organismal and molecular biology, and several research groups work
on evolutionary topics (www.lifescience-zurich.ch). The city also offers
excellent quality of life through cultural programs and infrastructure,
as well as an attractive surrounding (lake, alps).
If you are interested in the job, please send (preferentially by e-mail)
a letter describing your motivation, C.V., copy of degrees, publications
(or manuscripts, if available), and e-mail addresses of two academic
referees, by 15th of October 2011. If you have further questions, don't
hesitate to contact me.
Prof. Florian Schiestl
Institute of Systematic Botany
Zollikerstrasse 107
CH-8008 Zürich
florian.schiestl@systbot.uzh.ch

Systematics and Herpetology in Washington, D.C.

The Pyron Lab at The George Washington University seeks Master's and
doctoral students for the Fall of 2012 who are interested in historical
biogeography, phylogeography, and the theory and practice of systematics.
Graduate students will be part of the Robert Weintraub Program in
Systematics and Evolution in the Department of Biological Sciences, a joint
graduate program of GWU and the National Museum of Natural History at the
Smithsonian. The major areas of research in my lab are global and regional
drivers of biodiversity, speciation processes and phylogeographic patterns,
and the development of statistical methods in phylogenetics and systematics.
I invite students to develop their own fully-fledged, independent research
projects along these lines. Empirical research in the lab primarily focuses
on reptiles and amphibians.
The program at GWU offers fantastic opportunities for anyone interested in
systematics and evolutionary biology. In addition to my research, faculty in
the department work on a wide variety of topics in evolution. The Weintraub
program is affiliated with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural
History, providing for SI curators to co-advise students, and access to one
of the best natural history collections in the world. Finally, Washington,
D.C. is full of historical, cultural, and culinary amenities. The biology
buildings are only four blocks west of the White House.
If you are interested, please go to my website (http://www.colubroid.org/)
for more information. Various funding opportunities are available for
well-qualified applicants. Experience with molecular, computational, and
field collection techniques is an important consideration. Interested
persons should email me with a CV, research interests, and GRE scores. The
deadline for application to GWU is 15 January 2012.

The Finnish graduate school in population genetics

The Finnish graduate school in population genetics
The graduate school in population genetics is funded by the Ministry
of Education and Culture and the Academy of Finland. The school builds
a doctoral program and trains graduate students in the broad area of
population genetics. The students take formal courses and carry out
research work and complete a doctoral thesis in about four years.
The students entering the school should join a research project
led by one of the supervisors that are members of the school. The
topics covered by different projects include evolutionary genetics,
bioinformatics, genetic epidemiology, gene mapping, plant and animal
breeding, conservation genetics, molecular anthropology and archaeology,
and risks associated with GMO (more information can be found at
http://www.oulu.fi/biology/PopGenSchool/index.html). The working place
depends on the research group and the supervisor. The minimum starting
salary (1740 EUR) is set by the Ministry of Education and Culture
which finances the graduate school, but the local university (research
group) normally pays a somewhat higher salary. The positions include
minor teaching duties. Each student will apply for study rights for a
Ph.D. at the University they have chosen. The criteria can differ between
Universities and more information on the Ph.D. studies at each university
can be found for Oulu at http://www.oulu.fi/yliopisto/uniogs, for Helsinki
at http://www.helsinki.fi/admissions/postgraduate_applicants.htm
and for Turku at
http://www.utu.fi/en/studying/students/degree/postgraduate/index.html.

The school announces five positions for PhD students, starting at the
beginning of 2012. The positions are maximally for four years. The
application should include (when applicable):

1. Filled application form which can be found at
http://www.oulu.fi/biology/PopGenSchool/news.htm
2. CV including the topic and grade of MSc thesis (max 2 pages)
3. a list of publications
4. a training plan for PhD studies (what type of formal training,
courses etc you would like to have)
5. a short (half a page) description of a career plan (why this
type of training)
6. a plan for PhD research (a research plan or a good description of the
direction the student wants to take), including information on
potential supervisors (max 2 pages)
7. contact information of two referees

Please send the filled application form to lumi.viljakainen@oulu.fi.
The other documents (2.-7.) should be sent (as a single pdf-file) to
kirjaamo@oulu.fi (subject: Application for Population Genetics
Graduate School position) or by regular mail University of Oulu,
Kirjaamo, PL 8000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland). The deadline
for the applications is 14 October 2011 by 3PM.

If necessary, some of the applicants may be invited for an interview
in early November. The results of the call will be published on the
graduate school web page by November 15. The students chosen for the
positions or those on the reserve list will be notified by personal
email.

For additional information, please contact Outi Savolainen
(Outi.Savolainen@oulu.fi) or the coordinator of the school
(Lumi.Viljakainen@oulu.fi) or directly the project leader you would
like to work with
(http://www.oulu.fi/biology/PopGenSchool/index.html).