Degree type
PhD
Closing date
1 April 2025
Campus
Hobart
Citizenship requirement
Domestic / International
Scholarship
$33,511pa for 3.5 years
About the research project
Native and crop plants are threatened by climate change. If we are to help our crops and threatened species, we first need to understand how native plants have evolved to cope with variation in their environment, and the extent to which such mechanisms help them to buffer extreme events. During development, plants make decisions that allow them to adjust with the environment that they experience. For example, plants developing in drier environments might produce thicker, more drought tolerant leaves, which helps them to survive and develop. However, we know little about the consequence of such decisions for coping with future changes in the environment. If plants make irreversible decisions early in life history, then they may be restricting their ability to be flexible later in life.
This project will combine field, glasshouse and laboratory work to fill major gaps in our knowledge of how plants evolve to cope with variation in their environment. This project will use a recent radiation of Senecio wildflowers as they have evolved variation in life history strategies after rapidly adapting to contrasting environments. In particular, it will seek to identify how genotypes of different ecotypes of Senecio wildflowers vary in their response to experimental drought and high temperature in the glasshouse. While there will be flexibility to develop the project, the two broad goals will focus on (1) how early life experience determines later life history flexibility and performance across multiple environments, and (2) How the ability to continuously adjust flexible traits (e.g., gene expression or physiology) versus traits that are inflexible once they are expressed (e.g., leaf shape or thickness) determines future responses to changes in the environment. This information will then be used to develop ideas for increasing resilience in crops and threatened species.
Primary Supervisor
Funding
The successful applicant will receive a scholarship which provides:
- a living allowance stipend of $33,511 per annum (2025 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
- a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
- a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)
If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.
As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.
Other funding opportunities and fees
For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees of undertaking a research degree, please visit Scholarships and fees.
Eligibility
Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.
Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:
- Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus
- Applications are open to domestic or international candidates
- Applicants need to be from a biological sciences discipline
- English language score must meet minimum entry requirements
Selection Criteria
The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.
Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:
- Experience working with plants
- Strong research and analytical skills
Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:
- Experience or training in working with gene expression data
- Experience in measuring plant physiology traits
Application process
- Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
- Contact Dr Greg Walter to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
- In your application:
- Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
- Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
- Apply prior to 1 April 2025.
Full details of the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section at Research degrees.
Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.
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