Elite ScholarsStudying Zoology with International PhD Scholarships
For aspiring zoologists, pursuing a PhD in zoology abroad offers an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in varying ecosystems, conduct groundbreaking research and contribute to the global understanding of animal life. However, financing an international PhD program can be an unnerving task, often requiring significant financial support.
Fortunately, a plethora of PhD scholarships in zoology exist to alleviate this financial burden and make your international research dreams a reality.
QUADRAT DTP: Connecting Invasive Species and Evolutionary Theory Harnessing Species Traits to Anticipate the Effects of Biological Invasions
This fully funded, 42-month PhD opportunity is part of the QUADRAT Doctoral Training Partnership, aiming to tackle the significant issue of biological invasions and their widespread impacts on biodiversity, societal well-being and global economies.
The project’s primary objective is to not only quantify the economic costs of biological invasions but also predict them by combining evolutionary theory, invasion biology, environmental economics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Biological invasions pose a formidable challenge, causing biodiversity loss, societal degradation and enormous economic impacts worldwide. Despite advancements in understanding the consequences of biological invasions, predicting their economic costs has remained a challenging task.
This project seeks to bridge this gap by integrating various disciplines to both quantify and forecast the economic impacts of biological invasions globally.
Vision and Scientific Approach:
The project envisions a transformative shift from reactive to proactive management. It aims to achieve this by identifying species traits that can predict the impacts of biological invasions globally, enabling a more targeted and preemptive approach to managing invasive species.
Species Traits Identification: The project’s first focus is on deciphering the relationships between pre-invasion evolved traits and the economic impacts of invasive species. This understanding will assist in prioritizing management efforts toward the most damaging invasive species.
Intraspecific Trait Data Development: A crucial aspect involves creating novel intraspecific trait data. This involves drawing information from diverse sources including tens of thousands of museum specimens. This data will help quantify how post-invasion trait changes, occurring rapidly within invaded environments, relate to economic impacts.
Integration of Economic and Ecological Metrics: The project aims to bridge the gap between economic impacts and ecological impact metrics. Machine learning techniques will play a pivotal role in analyzing large-scale trait and invasion cost databases, enabling the prediction of future costly invasive species based on species adaptations.
Studentship Details
The successful Ph.D. student will become part of a global consortium comprising over 200 academics actively contributing to international scientific networks such as InvaCost, GABiP and GARD. These networks offer a unique opportunity for transdisciplinary collaboration, providing access to expertise in various fields including evolutionary biology, global-scale ecology, sustainable development, invasion science, environmental economics, applied ecology, conservation and software engineering.
Candidate Background:
The project welcomes candidates with a strong scientific background in biological sciences, quantitative economics, mathematics/statistics or bioinformatics/computer sciences. The interdisciplinary nature of the project allows flexibility and candidates are encouraged to apply if they possess expertise in one or more of these key areas.
Essential Skills
- A background in quantitative data analyses.
- Experience in the R programming language.
Desirable Skills
- Interest in evolutionary biology, ecology and/or invasion biology.
- Awareness of machine learning approaches.
- Familiarity with the Sustainable Development Goals framework.
Candidates should hold or expect to achieve a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. The project actively encourages applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds and communities, aiming to build an inclusive and collaborative team.
For those interested, informal inquiries can be directed to Dr. Daniel Pincheira-Donoso at d.pincheira-donoso@qub.ac.uk.
Application Procedure
For comprehensive application information, prospective candidates are advised to visit the QUADRAT How To Apply page. Completed application forms, academic transcripts and two written references should be submitted to quadrat-admissions@abdn.ac.uk. It is essential for applicants to ensure the timely submission of references, as the program does not request references on behalf of the candidates.
This funded opportunity is open to both UK and international students. Funding covers a monthly stipend, tuition fees and research/training costs. It’s important to note that the QUADRAT DTP does not cover visa-related expenses or associated healthcare surcharges for international students.
For further insights into the research team’s work, interested individuals can refer to recent publications by Cuthbert et al. (2022), Hudgins et al. (2023) and Mi et al. (2023). These publications shed light on the ongoing efforts to address the impact of biological invasions on various fronts, from economic costs to biodiversity conservation.
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