*PhD opportunity at Monash University, Australia*
*/Linking monitoring data to conservation management through triggers
for action./*
We are offering a PhD scholarship to work with a team of researchers led
by Dr Carly Cook at Monash University (School of Biological Sciences) in
Australia, in conjunction with researchers at The Department of
Conservation in New Zealand, Oxford University and the University of
Melbourne. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to undertake
an innovative project investigating how to link monitoring data to
management action through the development of decision triggers. This
project will work closely with on-ground managers to ensure the results
are relevant and useful for conservation agencies. The successful
applicant will need to have research interests in ecology and
conservation, and ideally blend strong quantitative skills with
experience in expert elicitation and/or running workshops. The student
will need to be able to travel to New Zealand to develop case studies.
*The project:*
Conservation managers face complex decisions about if, when and how to
intervene in managed systems. To support these decisions, approaches are
needed that utilise the best available evidence to guide actions when a
system is moving into an undesirable state. Assigning some form of
critical threshold that if crossed would trigger action (a decision
trigger) is growing in favour as a means to link monitoring data to
management action, as part of evidence-based management. This project
will focus on the development of decision triggers for the management of
threatened species in New Zealand, developing and testing methods to set
robust decision triggers that utilise rigorous biological monitoring
data, and when monitoring data are not readily available, using
participatory modelling approaches. The candidate will need to work
closely with researchers and managers from the New Zealand Department of
Conservation.
*The supervisors:*
Dr Carly Cook is a conservation biologist interested in evidence-based
conservation and the development of decision support tools for
conservation management. Her research group is interested in a range of
topics related to integrating science into conservation management. To
find out more please visit: www.carlycookresearch.wordpress.com
<http://www.carlycookresearch.wordpress.com/>
Dr Richard Maloney is a lead scientist at the Department of Conservation
in New Zealand. He has extensive experience in ecological and
conservation research, and in the development of systems to support
evidence-based decision making.
Dr Prue Addison is a senior post-doctoral research fellow at Oxford
University, whose research focused on knowledge exchange to facilitate
the transfer of biodiversity research to end users. She also has
experience in both statistical and participatory modelling techniques.
Dr Kelly Hunt de Bie is a post-doctoral research fellow at the
University of Melbourne and at Parks Victoria. She has extensive
experience in park management, structured decision making to support
management decisions, and participatory modelling.
*Administrative details*
The starting date for this project can be any time during 2017 (or as
negotiated).
_Scholarship details_:
The PhD stipend is fully-funded for a period of 3.5 years and is open to
both Australian/NZ domestic and international students. The stipends
include all course fees plus approximately $26,682 AUD per annum
tax-free (~$1,026 per fortnight).
_Monash and the School of Biological Sciences_:
Monash is a member of the Group of Eight, a coalition of top Australian
universities recognized for their excellence in teaching and research.
The School of Biological Sciences is a dynamic unit with strengths in
both ecology, conservation and evolutionary biology and the nexus
between these disciplines
(www.monash.edu/science/schools/biological-sciences/postgrad
<http://www.monash.edu/science/schools/biological-sciences/postgrad>).
The University is located in Melbourne, one of the most liveable cities
in the world and a cultural and recreational hub.
_Application process_:
Interested candidates should send their CV and academic transcript,
along with a cover letter outlining their research interests and
motivation to undertake this project to [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>. Applicants must possess a Bachelor's or
equivalent degree with first-class Honours, Master of Science or MPhil
and meet minimum English requirements. The applicant must be able to
demonstrate that their degree included a research component equivalent
to 6 months of full time research experience. Short-listed candidates
will be asked for further information and will be interviewed.
