Joint CSIRO/ Centre of Excellence PhD Scholarships
$19930 per annum for 3 years
Location: James Cook University, Townsville
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in collaboration with Sustainable Ecosystems Division of CSIRO are seeking to award two PhD scholarships to students of exceptional research potential in the following areas:
- Patch dynamics and conservation planning
- Roles of social learning, values and beliefs in mediating interactions between people and coastal ecosystems
Systematic conservation planning (SCP) involves explicit objectives and transparent decisions about allocating conservation resources. However, the current theory and practice of SCP implicitly assumes that biodiversity distributions are static and that anthropogenic threats are not expanding. Major unmet challenges are to plan for the persistence of "natural" processes that maintain and generate biodiversity and to account for dynamic threats posed by human activities. Among the processes that conservation planning should address are patch dynamics operating in all realms and across spatial and temporal scales. This project will address at least two kinds of patch dynamics and extend previous work on conservation planning through analysis of key patch parameters and simulation modelling. The outcome will be in inclusion of patch-dynamics in the conservation planning.
For further information on this scholarship topic and research proposal contact either:
Professor Bob Pressey: Bob.Pressey@jcu.edu.au phone 07 3365 2454
Dr Iain Gordon: Iain.Gordon@csiro.au
This project seeks to explore the trans-disciplinary relationships between people and ecosystems and to understand how the ways people conceive and learn about ecosystems may influence their interactions with these ecosystems and with associated social groups.
For further information on this scholarship topic and research proposal contact either:
Dr Tim Lynam: Tim.Lynam@csiro.au phone 07 4753 8500
Professor Terry Hughes: Terry.Hughes@jcu.edu.au
The scholarships are offered for commencement in 2008 and are valued $19,930 per annum for a maximum of three years.
Applicants must hold an Honours Class I (or equivalent) degree and be competitive in attracting an Australian Postgraduate or JCU postgraduate research award.
For application information:
Olga Bazaka, ARC Centre of Excellence via email: Olga.Bazaka@jcu.edu.au or phone 07 4781 6748
Applicants must apply through the James Cook University Postgraduate Research Scholarship applications process.
Closing date for 2008 commencement: 31 October 2007
