We have two postdoc positions open: 1 in Australia and 1 in Singapore
Please contact Matthew if you are interested in postdocs with the ECL, we are especially interested in supporting ARC DECRA and Linkage proposals.
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Postdoc in Quantitative Wildlife Ecology (University of Queensland)
Academic Level A, $82,753 - $110,726 per annum
Based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane (Australia)
Applications due 27 January 2022
More info at www.ecologicalcascades.com
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Dr Matthew Luskin and The Ecological Cascades Lab invite applicants for a postdoc in quantitative wildlife ecology based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, starting March 2022 (flexible).
Government agencies, NGOs, and researchers all collect similar wildlife datasets using camera traps. This provides an immense opportunity for larger-scale syntheses, longer temporal analyses and to leverage multiple datasets for robust threatened species monitoring. However, to accomplish these goals requires collaboration and data sharing, and there is no In Australian entity serving this cause.
To address this gap, I aim to establish a Wildlife Observatory (WildObs), which will be a camera trap data collation and synthesis centre. WildObs will partner with TERN at UQ to provide a dedicated space to facilitate wildlife data sharing and to provide powerful new analytical tools to benefit Australian wildlife and conservation. We will be applying to numerous funding calls in collaboration with other academics, government partners, and NGOs such as the ALA, WWF, and AWC.
The successful applicant will work with partners to design and sign data sharing agreements MOUs, collate datasets, and produce synthesis analyses using multi-site multi-season hierarchal occupancy and abundance models. Much of this work has already begun and shows great promise. Now we need to bring on motivated quantitative wildlife ecologist (you!) to lead a sustained push forward!
Duties and Responsibilities
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Camera trap database management and advanced statistical analyses (hierarchical modelling)
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Writing and publication of results in peer-reviewed journals
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Collaborate to share data with numerous academics, NGOs and government agencies
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Take leading role developing bids for multiple large funding opportunities (e.g. ARC LIEF)
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Mentor junior colleagues
Knowledge and Experience Requirements
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PhD degree in ecology or closely related field
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Experience curating and analysing large datasets
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Excellent publishing record in peer-reviewed scientific journals
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Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
Funding is initially for one year although there may flexibility around this. More information about Dr Luskin’s research group is available at www.ecologicalcascades.com. More information about the UQ Centre of Biodiversity and Conservation (linked) is on their website. CBCS routinely ranks in the top 3 programs globally in the field of Conservation Biology.
Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter, full CV and names and contact details of three referees to mattluskin@gmail.com indicating subject line: UQ Postdoc in Quantitative Wildlife Ecology – LAST NAME and must also submit materials via the UQ Careers - MyWorkdayJobs [linked here]. Review of applications will end on 21 January 2022. Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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NTU Postdoc in SE Asian Wildlife Ecology (Singapore)
Matthew Luskin and The Ecological Cascades Lab (University of Queensland) invite applicants for a postdoc based in Singapore, in collaboration with Prof David Wardle at Nanyang Technological University. We will are reviewing applications immediately and with interviews in late December 2021 and the successful candidate is expected to start in early-mid 2022.
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Southeast Asian wildlife is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and hunting. The loss of predators may also trigger trophic cascades. However, some generalist species like wild pigs and macaques thrive in these disturbed conditions, especially if they are able to capitalize on anthropogenic food sources. The secondary impacts of altered wildlife include cascading effects on the plant communities. We seek a wildlife ecologist to study these issues.
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A key issue in Singapore is the recolonization of native wild boars (Sus scrofa) that were extirpated from the island for 50 years. The wild boars have now spread into core NParks conservation and recreation areas. This could produce positive or negative environmental and social impacts. Example questions include: how do wild boars affect other vertebrates and how do they alter food-web structure? What is the population of wild boars in various forests and have they reached their carrying capacity? How do wild boars affect natural plant communities and especially tree recruitment? How do food webs in Singapore differ from other Southeast Asian forests?
To assess these questions, the successful applicant will analyze a large dataset from camera trapping from across Southeast Asia and establish new field work in Singapore. Fieldwork tasks focused on wild boar include demography (camera traps), movement (GPS collaring), and diet (DNA metagenomics of fecal samples). This work will be carried out in multiple NParks protected areas in Singapore.
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The Research Fellow will be responsible for leading (i) comparative analyses of Singaporean rainforest food-webs to other sites in Southeast Asia, (ii) collection and analysis of field data described above, (iii) seeing this work through to publication in major research journals. There will be assistance from one full-time Research Assistant and from NParks staff.
Duties and Responsibilities
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Design and implement fieldwork on wildlife ecology
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Data management and statistical analyses
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Work effectively with NParks and project PIs
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Mentor junior colleagues, as needed
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Writing and publication of results in peer-reviewed journals
Knowledge and Experience Requirements:
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PhD degree in ecology or closely related field
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Experience analyzing and publishing using wildlife data
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Extensive experience with statistical analysis using R
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Prior experience in publishing in peer-reviewed scientific journals
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Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
Funding for this position is for one year and at competitive rates.
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Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter, full CV and names and contact details of three referees to mattluskin@gmail.com indicating subject line: Research Fellow – NTU Wildlife Ecology – LAST NAME. Review of applications will begin immediately. Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.
Further enquiries can be directed to Dr. Matthew Luskin (mattluskin@gmail.com) or Prof. David Wardle (david.wardle@ntu.edu.sg).
About NTU and details of the position
The work will be overseen by Dr. Matthew Scott Luskin at University of Queensland (Australia) and is funded by Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks). The position will be based at NTU’s The Asian School of the Environment (ASE) in Prof. David Wardle’s research group. Young and research-intensive, NTU is ranked 11th globally and 1st among the young universities.
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Please use the following link to submit final documents after pre-approval from Luskin/Wardle