PhD on meta-analytic approaches to novel ecosystems

Work: Intellectually demanding, but fun and rewarding, and suitable for someone who is seeking consistent personal and professional growth

Salary: $ minimum guaranteed salary of $25,917/year for 5 years (top-up awards can be applied later)

Place: The sunniest and coldest big Canadian city, (Edmonton, Alberta) which is also very affordable to live in and is close to some of the most beautiful mountains and wild areas in the world.

Period: 5 year PhD

Promise: It’s likely be the most intellectually challenging but fulfilling and productive period of your life

Personal goal: Becoming a well-rounded, critical thinking, and collaborative researcher at the cutting edge of modern science

Team vision: To change the way we do science, especially in ecology and evolution

Qualities sought: We are seeking collaborative, diligent, inclusive, honest, responsible, and open-minded people who are humble about their ability and place in science. We believe that self-motivation, eagerness to learn new skills, and curiosity are the most important attributes of a successful PhD student.

Deadline: 15 December 2024

Note: We warmly welcome diverse and minority applicants – we believe that talent can come from anywhere

(https://www.i-deel.org/opportunities.html)

Context:

Prof Shinichi Nakagawa (Principal Investigator, PI) is a newly appointed Canada Excellence Research Chair in Open Science and Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution (CERC) at the University of Alberta UoA, Edmonton [news].

The PI will build an international hub or Centre for Open Science and Research Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution to revolutionize and improve scientific practises in ecology, evolution, and related fields, such as conservation and environmental sciences, by forming a large international collaborative network. The core interdisciplinary team will include biologists and computer and social scientists from UoA. This new lab (Centre) will conduct meta-analyses and other quantitative syntheses using all data types (e.g., citizen science data, climate data) and develop new methodologies. Therefore, we intend to lead and direct future research across many topics in ecology and evolution.

Over the next few years, the PI aims to build up a lab of ~20-25 people: postdocs, graduate students, research assistants, and a lab manager. This lab will be a place where people work together towards the ambitious vision and to reach their highest academic and personal potential. All lab members will have opportunities to participate in and help run collaborative workshops where participants learn synthesis methods and generate the latest evidence for various topics in ecology and evolution.

For more information about the PI and his past work, visit his Australian lab webpage [link] and also read his interview at Current Biology [link].

PhD Project Description:

Climate projections set the world on a course to a novel future with some projections indicating that future climates, even with realistic decarbonization, will be similar to the mid-Eocene by 2100: a time ~45 million years ago when northern Greenland was a warm-temperate forest[1]. This, alongside ongoing land transformation and globalization, is expected to lead to the widespread formation of novel ecosystems composed of migrating native and introduced species[2] 2. However, conservation responses to novel ecosystems hinge upon empirical questions that remain unresolved, such as the relative importance of coevolutionary history in shaping species interactions and ecosystem functioning. This 5-year PhD opportunity will focus on evaluating fundamental questions pertaining to how novel ecosystems function and the relative importance of coevolutionary history in shaping species coexistence.

Potential research questions include but are not limited to:

  1. Analyses on the relative importance of coevolutionary history, functional traits, and ecological factors (including anthropogenic impacts) on species abundances, interaction strengths, and ecosystem impacts.
  2. Comparisons of ecosystem functioning (e.g., carbon sequestration, primary productivity, diversity, and so on) in native and novel communities.
  3. Analyses of coevolutionary responses of organisms to global change.

While this PhD position will be focused on data synthesis and meta-analytic methods, eager and capable students may also conduct fieldwork if doing so is relevant to their PhD questions. This PhD will be supervised by Professor Shinichi Nakagawa and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Erick Lundgren.

Position, salary, and location:

  • The appointment will be for 5 years
  • The salary starts at $ $25,917/year for 5 years (guaranteed with teaching assistantships)
  • Lab members will be expected to work at a newly refurbished lab space at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, one of Canada’s most affordable places to live [link].

Work descriptions and duties:

  • Leading research synthesis, methodological, or meta-science projects in consultation with the PI and other collaborators (on research topics that align with the applicant’s interest and skills within PI’s CERC program remit).
  • Completing research projects, publishing them, and collaborating with other researchers at the Centre.

Eligibility, necessary qualifications, and qualities:

  • Bachelor’s degree in biology (ecology, evolution, and environmental sciences), psychology, statistics, mathematics, computer sciences, philosophy or related fields.
  • Self-motivated and eager to learn new skills. While quantitative methods can be intimidating, if you are self-driven and open-minded, we assure you that you can learn these skills and become a world-class researcher.
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills
  • We are open to applications from any country

Preferred experiences and skills:

  • Coding experience is preferred but not required (e.g., in R Python, Julia, MATLAB)
  • Willingness to think critically about hot topics in conservation biology and ecology.
  • Prior research experience is recommended.

How to apply:

Please send the PI (Shinichi Nakagawa: shinichi.nakagawa@ualberta.ca) an email with the following attachments (or a link from which the documents can be downloaded)

  1. A cover letter describing experiences and research interests
  2. Transcripts
  3. Contact details of three referees (two are fine too)
  4. A two-page (max) statement of research interests (please read the CERC application and discuss the link between your research interest and the CERC program).
  5. A one-page (max) diversity and social impact statement (describing strengths and experiences in equity, diversity, and inclusion, and/or social activities such as volunteering at learned societies and outreach activities, and/or other extra-curricular activities, and/or supervisory/teaching experiences)
  6. Please send the application by 15 December 2024

Important note:

The PI and the lab are committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce and warmly welcome diverse and minority applicants, especially from historically marginalized and under-represented groups. Depending on their circumstances, part-time work arrangements will be considered.

Prospective applicants are also encouraged to contact the lab’s former and current members (see here) to learn how to work in the lab and with the PI.

[1] Burke, K. D. et al. Pliocene and Eocene provide best analogs for near-future climates. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 115, 13288–13293 (2018).

[2] Ordonez, A., Riede, F., Normand, S. & Svenning, J.-C. Towards a novel biosphere in 2300: rapid and extensive global and biome-wide climatic novelty in the Anthropocene. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 379, 20230022 (2024).