I am looking for a MSc student interested in studying the response of native plant populations to human-mediated pollinator decline.

For more information on my lab, check out:

www.christinamariecaruso.com

The student will have considerable freedom to develop their project.  Start date is Fall 2024.

Interested candidates should email me at carusoc@uoguelph.ca. Please include a statement of interest, CV, and transcript (unofficial is fine). Because of funding restrictions, preference will be given to candidates who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants.

Christina M. (Chris) Caruso
Associate Professor

Department of Integrative Biology

University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada

A look at the functional genes of soil microorganisms!

Microbial communities are key players for the recycling of soil nitrogen and its return under inorganic forms into the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. By its presence, the tree provides a structured, oxygenated and sustainable habitat modulating soil microbial communities and their efficiency in recycling nitrogen in different forms with contrasting consequences for climate feedback. In a floodplain, the presence of the tree could prevent a strong emission of nitrous oxide and nitrate by promoting either the inhibition of nitrification or complete denitrification. To better highlight the role of the tree as a regulator of microbial functions, the project aims to analyze soil DNA by metagenomics to characterize genes related to the nitrogen cycle along a land-use gradient of anthropogenic disturbance in the floodplain of Lake St-Pierre, where cultivated fields, permanent grasslands and swamp forests co-occur.

We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about microbial ecology and the biogeochemistry of elementary cycles. The student will work within a team of ecologists and molecular biologists located at the Laurentian Forestry Center of the Canadian Forest Service (Natural Resources Canada) and at the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières under the co-supervision of Christine Martineau (profile) and Vincent Maire (profile). The work will take place both in the field around Lac St-Pierre, recognized as a Ramsar site (info) and in the laboratory. Bioinformatics and statistical analyzes will be an important component of this project. She or he will be based at UQTR (Trois-Rivières) or at the Centre de Foresterie des Laurentides (Quebec) and will be affiliated with the Center for Northern Studies (website) and Center RIVE (website).

A scholarship of $20,000 per year (for two years) accompanies this project, but candidates who already have a major scholarship (e.g. CRSNG, FQRNT) or who will obtain it during the master’s degree may receive other benefits. The student will start in the winter or spring of 2024.

If you are interested in this offer, send by October 15, 2023 to vincent.maire@uqtr.ca the following information: (1) your CV, (2) a transcript including the names of the courses (it may not be official), and (3) a letter of interest.

The Gillooly Lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida is seeking 1-2 graduate students (M.S. or Ph.D.) to join our team beginning Fall, 2024. Our research focuses on broad-scale questions in ecology that span a diverse assortment of species and environments. Comparative studies that combine theory and data to explain general patterns in ecological systems based on organismal-level physiology are common in the lab. Current projects include effects of climate change on species’ life histories, causes and consequences of physiological stress, and mathematical modeling of stable isotope ecology. Still, students are welcome to develop their own research programs.

In the Gillooly Lab, we strive to create a fun, supportive, and collaborative atmosphere for all students. This includes a commitment to maintaining a broadly diverse, equitable, and inclusive team.

Interested students should contact Dr. Gillooly by email prior to application (gillooly[at]ufl.edu) and include a C.V. and brief statement of research interests in the message. Deadline for application is 12/1/23. Students accepted into the program are fully funded.

The Gosselin lab (http://faculty.tru.ca/lgosselin/) at Thompson Rivers University, in Kamloops, British Columbia, is seeking applicants for an MSc position, with an intended start date of January 2024.  Benthic invertebrates, such as barnacles, snails, mussels, tubeworms, crabs and hermit crabs, are the dominant animals in coastal habitats; they are also an important part of the coastal food web linking primary producers to upper-level predators, and several benthic invertebrates are either harvested or reared in aquaculture as food for humans. The abundance, and even the persistence, of these populations over time is largely dependent on survivorship through the early juvenile phase, a highly vulnerable and critical period of life of benthic marine invertebrates. Research in our lab focuses primarily on the ecology of the early juvenile phase. Our work aims to understand the factors that control survivorship through the early juvenile phase, and especially the impacts of climate change.

The upcoming MSc project will explore effects of climate change on intertidal invertebrates, examining tolerance thresholds of early juvenile invertebrates and chronic effects of warming conditions and increasing desiccation stress on early juveniles. The project will involve field collection and experimentation in pristine coastal habitats as well as laboratory experimentation.  Field research work will be carried out during the spring and summer, primarily at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre  on beautiful Vancouver Island, and at various field sites in Barkley Sound. Students will spend the rest of the year (Sept-April) on campus at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC.

Qualifications:

We are looking for individuals with a keen interest and enthusiasm for marine invertebrate ecology and a background in ecology and evolution.  The following are not required but will be considered favourably: research experience acquired by completing an Honours or Directed Study program during your bachelors degree or by working as a research assistant with a professor at your university or in a government laboratory; prior course work or work experience in population ecology, aquatic invertebrate biology, or ecological field techniques; field courses in ecology or invertebrate biology. To qualify, applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and have a BSc in a relevant field. The selected student will be admitted through the MSc in Environmental Science program at Thompson Rivers University.

Stipends to support the student in this MSc position will be provided through Graduate Research Assistantships and opportunities for Teaching Assistantships. 

Start date of this position: January 2024.

Application instructions:

Review of all applications received will begin on 16 October 2023, and will continue until position is filled. If interested, please send a Curriculum vitae, post-secondary transcripts, and a letter describing your academic interests and qualifications and outlining why you want to carry out a graduate degree in marine ecology, via email, to:

Dr Louis Gosselin

Department of Biological Sciences, TRUlgosselin@tru.ca

Location: McGill University

Start date: Autumn 2024

The Ricciardi Lab at McGill University (http://redpath-staff.mcgill.ca/ricciardi/) is recruiting graduate students at the PhD and MSc levels for projects that investigate 1) how invasive species and climate warming are altering freshwater communities in the St Lawrence River and in Quebec lakes; and 2) how the impacts of invasive fishes and crayfishes vary across space and time.

The students will be able to interact with an exceptional group of ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists in the McGill Biology department. They will collaborate with government scientists in Environment & Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Quebec government (MFFP). They might also have opportunities to work briefly in these government labs. Furthermore, the student will be able to take a unique McGill graduate-level course in Invasion Ecology.

The candidate will have completed a BSc Honors or MSc degree by Spring 2024, and have strong independent research experience and training in aquatic ecology. We are aiming this advertisement primarily at Canadians and permanent residents of Canada. American PhD applicants with strong academic records and at least one peer-reviewed publication are invited to apply, as they may qualify for a university award.

Preference will be given to candidates who are likely to be awarded a federal (NSERC) or Quebec FQRNT scholarship. Students who are successful in obtaining a major Canadian scholarship for their PhD studies will be given an additional top-up annual salary ($5,000) as a bonus.

Applicants must meet the requirements of the graduate program of the Department of Biology (https://www.mcgill.ca/biology/graduate-studies) to enrol for September 2024. Please provide as a single pdf:

1) An up-to-date c.v.

2) University transcripts (a scanned copy or unofficial pdf is acceptable).

3) Contact information for at least two referees.

4) A statement (~ 1-2 pages) of graduate research interests and relevant experience.

Submit applications as a single combined pdf, if possible, to Prof. Anthony Ricciardi (tony.ricciardi@mcgill.ca). Applications will be accepted until 31 December 2023 or until a student is chosen.

We are looking for two MSc students interested in joining our research team as of January or May 2024. The Chipmunk Project is a research project started in 2005. It is managed by Dany Garant (U. Sherbrooke) Patrick Bergeron (Bishop’s) and Denis Réale (UQAM).

In this collaborative project, we will use information on population dynamics to assess

the effect of food resource abundance on structure of physiological markers (telomeres) and behavioural traits in the Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus).

Those recruited will benefit from a 15-year longitudinal data set on chipmunks, including measurements of morphological, physiological and behavioural traits, on several hundred individuals, with a known pedigree and data on microhabitat structure and temporal fluctuation of resources.

Selected applicants will participate in the data collection in the field (southern Quebec), which takes place for 3–4 months each summer as well as in laboratory analyses. Some experience with handling small mammals, with field work, and a good knowledge of statistical analysis and population ecology would be valuable. They will be registered at Université de Sherbrooke and Bishop’s U.

Candidates must send a CV, a transcript, a cover letter and the contact details of two references by 10 November 2023, at the latest, to Patrick Bergeron: patrick.bergeron@ubishops.ca and Dany Garant : Dany.Garant@usherbrooke.ca

The Riley Integrative Ecology Lab (RIEL; www.rileyecology.com) is recruiting a MSc student to study the invasion biology of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders in Newfoundland. This research will ask questions like: What is the native source population of the introduced salamanders? Do the salamanders in Newfoundland differ from the native population in their morphology or behaviour? We also expect the MSc student to guide this research and tailor it to their own interests.

Academic Environment: This position will be co-supervised by Dr. Julia Riley and Dr. James Baxter-Gilbert. RIEL is a small, collaborative team of researchers at the undergraduate (BSc) and graduate (MSc) level. Students are empowered to lead their research projects, are supported through advisor and peer mentorship, and are encouraged to engage in professional development and outreach activities. RIEL’s home is in the Department of Biology (https://mta.ca/current-students/department-biology) at Mount Allison University (MtA), which is located in Sackville, New Brunswick at the heart of the Maritimes.

Funding: This position offers a minimum guaranteed stipend of $20,500/y. Additional details on MtA’s graduate program can be found on this website: https://mta.ca/current-students/graduate- studies Eligible students are expected to apply for external scholarships and research funding.

Qualifications:

• Have successfully completed a BSc in Biology, Ecology or a related field
• Have meaningful experience or interest in invasion science, ecology, and herpetology
• Experience with research project management, like budgeting, animal ethics and permit application and reporting, and team management
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience with molecular ecology, as well as statistical analysis in R and reproducible scientific practices is a benefit

Starting Date for Fieldwork: May 2024 (pending funding)

Starting Date of Degree: 1 September 2024

Application Instructions: Email Dr. Riley (jriley@mta.ca) and Dr. Baxter-Gilbert (jbaxtergilbert@mta.ca) using the subject line “Invasion Biology: MSc Application” and include: 1) A brief cover letter that outlines your research interests and experience and how they align with the project, as well as provides 2 references that can be contacted to speak to your expertise; 2) Curriculum vitae; 3) Unofficial transcripts; and 4) A sample of your writing, if available. Review of all applications will begin on 30 September 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Please note that only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Also, as our research group aims to cultivate diversity in STEM and strive to be an equitable, inclusive, and collaborative community, we welcome and encourage applications from women, Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ+, and other under-represented persons.

The Lougheed Lab (https://sclougheed.ca) and Riley Integrative Ecology Lab (www.rileyecology.com) is recruiting a PhD student to investigate the sociality of Grey Ratsnakes (Pantherophis spiloides) based at the Queens’ University Biological Station (https://qubs.ca) and building on the strong foundation of ratsnake research that has been undertaken there.

Below are a few examples of research questions that this project could address, but we expect the PhD candidate to guide this research and tailor it to their own interests:

• What is the mating system of Grey Ratsnakes? What abiotic (e.g., soil temperature and moisture) and biotic (e.g., kinship) impacts the use of nest boxes by snakes?
• What are the genetic relationships among individuals within and among communal hibernacula? Is there site fidelity to hibernacula use?
• Do Gray Ratsnakes aggregate? If yes, what are the composition and drivers of social groups?

This position will be co-supervised by Dr. Stephen Lougheed (Queens University, Kingston, Ontario) and Dr. Julia Riley (Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick). Dr. Lougheed’s lab has a state-of-the-art molecular ecology facility that will be used in this research. We are committed to empowering and supporting students to lead their research projects and encourage lab members to engage in professional development and outreach activities. Based at Queen’s, this PhD position will start January 2024.

Funding: This position offers a minimum guaranteed stipend of $25,800/y. Eligible students are expected to apply for external scholarships and research funding.

Qualifications:

1. Have successfully completed a MSc in biology, animal behaviour, ecology or a related field before the proposed degree start date
2. Have meaningful experience or interest in behavioural ecology, field biology and herpetology
3. Experience with basic research project management, like budgeting, animal ethics and permit application and reporting, and team management
4. Possess strong verbal and written communication skills reflected in presentations at scientific conferences and successful publications in a peer-reviewed journals
5. Experience with lab approaches in molecular ecology, social network analyses in R, as well as statistical analysis in R and reproducible scientific practices are all beneficial

Application Instructions: Email Dr. Lougheed (lough@queensu.ca) and Dr. Riley (jriley@mta.ca) using the subject line “Snake Behaviour: PhD Application” and include: 1) A brief cover letter that outlines your research interests and experience and how they align with the project, and provides 2 references who can be contacted to speak to your expertise; 2) Curriculum vitae; 3) Unofficial transcripts; and 4) A sample of your writing, if available. Review of all applications will begin on 30 September 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. As our research groups aim to cultivate diversity in STEM, we welcome and encourage applications from women, Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ+, and other under-represented persons.