Two PhD Positions at Carleton University: Biodiversity Conservation and Landscape Ecology

Start date: September 2026 (some flexibility)

We are seeking two PhD students to join the Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory (GLEL) at Carleton University. GLEL is a centre of excellence in landscape ecology, with strong collaborations with governmental and non-governmental organizations. The two graduate research projects will involve partnerships with non-academic institutions, particularly Environment and Climate Change Canada (PhD1) and eButterfly (https://www.e-butterfly.org/), a citizen science platform hosted by the Montreal Insectarium (PhD2).

We are looking for motivated, curious, kind, and collegial students to lead two independent research projects:

PhD1: Managing Landscapes to Sustain Biodiversity

This project aims to provide guidance for designing landscapes that sustain and promote biodiversity. Relevant themes include habitat fragmentation, connectivity, and heterogeneity, and how these factors influence optimal area-based conservation strategies for protecting species and ecosystems. The project may leverage datasets compiled at local, provincial (Ontario), continental, or global scales, depending on the student’s interests and the specific research questions developed, and builds on a long tradition of related work conducted at GLEL.  

Supervision: Dr. Federico Riva, in collaboration with Drs. Lenore Fahrig and Amanda Martin.

PhD2: Contributions of Citizen Science to Biodiversity Conservation

This project aims to assess the potential of citizen science data for biodiversity conservation. The student will use long-term, spatially explicit data on butterfly abundance for tens of butterfly species, compiled through the eButterfly community science platform, to examine how local, landscape, and regional characteristics promote species persistence. Additional research directions that may be explored include: (i) Evaluating how participation in citizen science influences relationships between people and nature; (ii) Assessing the capacity of artificial intelligence tools to accurately classify butterflies; and (iii) Identifying hotspots of climatic risk for North American butterfly species.

Supervision: Dr. Federico Riva, in collaboration with Dr. Maxim Larrivée.

Research Environment

Both students will join a newly established laboratory led by Dr. Federico Riva within GLEL. Dr. Riva’s research focuses on landscape ecology, biodiversity conservation, and spatial scaling, and students will be encouraged to explore research questions at different spatial scales. Projects are flexible and will be co-developed with the supervisory team, including the identification of relevant research questions and quantitative approaches to address them. Field work activities for data collections are possible, but not mandatory. 

Essential Skills and Qualifications

• MSc degree in ecology, conservation science, data science, geography, applied statistics, mathematics, or a related field
• Strong research, leadership, and communication skills
• Canadian citizenship (current funding is sufficient only for domestic students)

We might consider applicants for an MSc position, instead of two PhD positions. Note that a fast-track option from BSc to PhD is possible, but requires careful planning and a transition from MSc to PhD during the first year.

Desirable Skills

• Statistical modelling
• Familiarity with GIS tools and spatial analyses
• Familiarity with software R and R Studio

Application Details

Applicants should submit the following materials by email to Dr. Federico Riva ([email protected]): 

1. Letter of interest summarizing research experience and interests
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for two references
4. University transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.