PhD Scholarship with UTAS – elasmobranch movement

Now Closed

The Ningaloo Outlook Whale Shark program is offering a PhD top-up scholarship to an exceptional PhD candidate for up to three and a half years. Supervision will be by researchers from CSIRO and The University of Tasmania (UTAS) Quantitative Marine Science program. An application must be made to UTAS for the PhD on ‘Movement of elasmobranchs at Ningaloo Reef‘.

This top-up scholarship will support research into aspects of the movement ecology of sharks along Ningaloo Reef. Focal research areas can include investigating the movement and habitat use of shark species at Ningaloo using a combination of acoustic and satellite telemetry. The student will have access to an existing dataset collected by CSIRO. This dataset includes acoustic detections of four species of Carcharhinid sharks within the Ningaloo Marine Park as well satellite telemetry data from 40 whale sharks tagged with satellite tags. The applicant will work alongside the Ningaloo Outlook whale shark team and have access to existing long-term datasets on fish and benthic invertebrates, as well as world-class infrastructure including well equipped ecological, genetics laboratories and stable isotope facilities.

The candidate for this project will be based at the University of Tasmania, but there will be opportunities to spend time at CSIRO offices in Brisbane and Perth where the student will work as part of a diverse team of researchers and post-graduate students. A strong academic record, quantitative statistical skills and experience in field marine ecology will be necessary for the project. Candidates with suitable skills and experience will be favoured (e.g. quantitative ecology, relevant field experience).

In addition to completing the UTAS application, prospective candidates should send a CV with two referee contacts and a cover letter, briefly outlining their motivations for pursuing PhD research and interests in this project initially via email to Jayson Semmens by the 29th October 2021.

The successful applicant who is awarded the UTAS RTP/TGRS will also receive $21,000 per annum top-up scholarship for 3 years with a possible 6 month extension.

A selection panel, including representatives from CSIRO and UTAS will be formed to award the CSIRO BHP Ningaloo Outlook Marine Research Partnership PhD top-up scholarship.

Contacts

Richard.Pillans@csiro.au

Toby Patterson@csiro.au

Jayson.Semmens@utas.edu.au