Update: this position is now filled.

A fully-funded PhD stipend is available for a suitably qualified student interested in working on the evolutionary responses to environmental change, with particular reference to the genetic and physiological pathways that mediate the role of nutrition in adaptation to change.

The project will be supervised by Associate Professor Carla Sgrò, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Studies attempting to understand organismal responses to climate change have focussed on climatic stressors. However food limitation is one of the most common environmental challenges faced by organisms. How energy intake is balanced to optimise fitness under changing climates, and how this affects the capacity of organisms to respond to climate change, is unknown.

This project will combine genomics, developmental genetics and experimental evolution, within the geometric framework for nutrition, to understand how nutrition mediates evolutionary responses to environmental change. It will do so by identifying the genetic and physiological pathways that mediate the role of nutrition in adaptation to environmental change.

Successful candidates will be fully funded for 3.5 years (the length of a PhD in Australia), for full-time research, and with no teaching requirements. The annual stipend is approximately $25,000 AUD tax-free (equivalent to approximately $33,000 before tax) with additional expenses for research, coursework, and conference attendance (once per year) also covered.

To apply, please send a CV and academic transcript to carla.sgro@monash.edu.

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree with first-class honours, or a master’s degree.

Review of applications will begin immediately, and short-listed candidates will be contacted to set up interviews via phone or Skype.