Degree type
PhD
Closing date
1 February 2025
Campus
Hobart
Citizenship requirement
Domestic / International
About the research project
Climate change and warming sea surface temperatures have caused southward range shifts of at least 178 Australian marine fish and invertebrate species so far. The marine predators that rely on these prey species must adapt to the shifting ranges of these prey to survive, posing a critical challenge for species that breed on islands and are geographically constrained for large parts of the year. Some predators may adapt by shifting their breeding sites southward where suitable habitat is present, however, for others, this will not be possible. Many seabirds exhibit site-fidelity and may not be able to adapt to climate change and shifting prey through 'natural' range-shift. Management interventions to facilitate the colonisation of new islands may therefore be necessary.
In this PhD, you will use cutting-edge genomic methods to carry out a multi-species comparison of gene flow, genomic resilience, local adaptations, and past climate change responses in Australian shearwater species. You will use genomic sequencing and bioinformatics approaches to assess the patterns and drivers of genetic variation across 30 seabird colonies spanning the East coast of Australia. Ultimately, this project aims to provide empirical guidance on the vulnerability of seabird populations to state and federal environmental decision-makers for planning seabird conservation programs to buffer against climate change.
This project will include the opportunity for fieldwork at seabird colonies. All seabird species in this project are subject to management across state and federal management plans and you will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with project stakeholders.
Please email Jane (Jane.Younger@utas.edu.au) or Lauren (Lauren.Roman@utas.edu.au) for further project details.
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Primary Supervisor
Funding
Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, 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
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:
- Molecular lab experience
- Bioinformatics experience
- Coding in Python and/or R
Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:
- Fieldwork experience
Application process
- Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
- Contact Dr Jane Younger 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 February 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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