A reminder that the deadline for submitting applications for the above
studentships is 16th April.  Details below.


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           N A T I O N A L   C E N T R E   F O R

           S T A T I S T I C A L   E C O L O G Y
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The National Centre for Statistical Ecology (NCSE) is a new joint venture
between the Universities of Cambridge, Kent and St Andrews, funded under
the EPSRC multidisciplinary critical mass in Mathematics initiative.  It
links the research groups in statistical ecology at the three
Universities.  Over the next few years, there will be a number of research
positions at the Centre, for research students and post-docs.

We are currently seeking gifted students in statistics or mathematics who
are highly motivated to apply their skills to postgraduate research in
statistical ecology.

The following five PhD studentships are currently available.  Each student
will be a member of NCSE, and will spend time at each of Cambridge, Kent
and St Andrews.  Projects 1 and 5 will be based primarily at Cambridge,
project 3 primarily at Kent, and projects 2 and 4 primarily at St
Andrews.  Projects 1-4 are open to all students, but for students from
outside the EU, there is no guarantee that the cost of fees will be fully
met.  Projects 1-3 and 5 have enhanced stipends; the stipend for project 4
is set at the EPSRC norm (12000 pounds in 2005-06).


1. Integrated modelling of bird populations

Supervisors:  Steve Brooks (Cambridge) and Steve Freeman (British Trust
for Ornithology)

This project aims to develop Bayesian statistical methodology to underpin
and improve advice given to government and other bodies on the state of
the UK bird populations.  Markov chain Monte Carlo methods will be used to
fit comprehensive modelling structures to the data, which combine all
sources of relevant information to fully describe the complex underlying
population dynamics and their interaction with human activity and the
environment.


2. Population regulation in a changing world: common guillemots in Britain
and Ireland

Supervisors: Morten Frederiksen & Sarah Wanless (Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology, Banchory), and Steve Buckland & John Harwood (St Andrews)

This project will investigate the mechanisms leading to apparent
population regulation in common guillemots, and how these might be
affected by environmental change.  Data on breeding success from 11
colonies will be used together with data on adult survival and recruitment
from the long-term studies at the Isle of May, Canna and
Colonsay.  Population models will be used to investigate whether observed
changes in parameters are sufficient to regulate population size.


3. Climate modelling for prediction

Supervisors: Byron Morgan (Kent) and Ian Jolliffe (Reading)

Models will be developed for quantifying climate effects on animal
populations.  This will involve modelling appropriate climate
indices.  Long-term data sets for testing the methods will be available
for red deer, soay sheep and bighorn sheep.  A focus of the project will
be the development of systematic approaches, applicable to a wide range of
ecological examples.


4. The St Andrews Studentship in Statistical Ecology

The subject of research can be any topic from statistical ecology in which
there is current research interest at St Andrews.  Two areas of particular
strength are modelling population dynamics and distance sampling, but
other research topics are also possible.  Candidates can submit their own
proposal if they wish;  otherwise, potential projects will be offered.


5. A Mathematical Model of Circadian Signalling

Supervisors: Alex Webb, Jorge Concales & Steve Brooks (Cambridge) and
Andrew Millar (Edinburgh)

This project aims to model the circadian regulation of the Ca2+ signalling
network in Arabidopsis. This will provide a mathematical model of a
sub-cellular signalling network, which is a central step towards an
integrated model of plant cell biology. You will develop a deterministic
model for the role of Ca2+ and other signalling intermediates in the plant
circadian signalling network based on ordinary differential equations
(ODE). You will integrate it with the Millar model of the central
oscillator. This will produce the first mathematical model of the
circadian regulation signalling molecules in the plant.


Negotiations are currently taking place which may result in a further
studentship, involving collaboration between Kent and the Max Planck
Institute in Rostock in Germany, for work in evolutionary bio-demography,
and joint supervision by Dr. David Thomson.




More details of NCSE and of the projects are given at
http://www.ncse.org.uk/
You may also contact the Centre Director Byron Morgan
([log in to unmask]) or Co-directors Steve Brooks
([log in to unmask]) and Steve Buckland
([log in to unmask]) directly.  Application forms can be obtained from
Byron Morgan.  Applications by 16th April please.



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Stephen T. Buckland
CREEM, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews KY16 9LZ, Scotland
Tel.    +44-(0)1334-461841         Secretary  +44-(0)1334-461842
Fax     +44-(0)1334-461800         e-mail     [log in to unmask]
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Professor of Statistics            http://www.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/
CREEM                              http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/
RUWPA                              http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/
CCS                                http://www.ccs.st-and.ac.uk/
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