vendredi 24 octobre 2008

PhD Opportunity - Animal Communication

Expressions of interest are invited for a PhD on the acoustic and visual signals of fowl. This is an ideal system for addressing questions of mechanism and function. The student will be enrolled in the postgraduate program of the Macquarie University Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour (CISAB) and supervised by Dr Chris Evans. Scholarship support is available for both Australian and overseas students.

Possible topics include:

Communication and cognition.
Multimodal signalling.
Reliability and deception.

Resources

CISAB is exceptionally well equipped for controlled experiments as well as studies of spontaneous social behaviour. Facilities include a large sound chamber with a complete '€˜virtual environment'€™ allowing the simulation of a wide range of acoustic and visual events, together with workstations for sound and movement analysis and for animation and high-definition video work. A new building providing 9000 sq ft of additional research space, including a shared molecular facility, will be completed in November.
This project will also have access to 10 large aviaries, each housing a breeding population under naturalistic conditions.

Selection criteria

Experience in Animal Behaviour would be valuable. Demonstrated experience in the conduct of laboratory and field experiments, a working understanding of hypothesis testing and statistics, and evidence of research capability (e.g., publications or presentations at scientific meetings) would be an advantage. Applicants should have completed equivalent research qualifications to a four-year Australian BA / BSc with First Class Honours, such as a Bachelors degree plus a Masters degree with a substantial research component.

Financial support

MQRES scholarships include a stipend (currently $AU 20,007 p.a. tax exempt), all international tuition fees, allowances for relocation and thesis costs, and overseas health cover. Maximum tenure is 3.5 years. Note that the Macquarie PhD program does not have a coursework component, so this term of funding is adequate for completion of a significant project. Students supported by these scholarships are not obliged to contribute to teaching, but may do so to supplement their income if desired. CISAB provides all students AU$6,000 p.a. to cover direct research expenses. In addition, generous internal schemes are available to fund travel to visit overseas laboratories and attend conferences.

Enquiries should be directed to Chris Evans: chris@galliform.bhs.mq.edu.au
In your email, please include electronic copies of your CV, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate academic transcripts (including grades).

Additional contact details


Chris Evans +61 (0)2 9850 9230
Lab page: http://galliform.bhs.m.edu.au
CISAB: http://galliform.bhs.mq.edu.au/~cisab/
Applications close November 21, 2008