Statistical ecology studentship: mixed effects models in distance sampling
This PhD studentship will be within the National Centre for Statistical
Ecology (NCSE), a joint research centre between the Universities of
Kent, Cambridge and St Andrews, and will be based at St Andrews.
Nearly 200 countries signed up to the 2010 targets to reduce the rate of
loss of biodiversity. This has generated a need to quantify regional
trends in abundance and biodiversity, and an increase in wildlife
monitoring surveys based on selecting sites within a region according to
a randomized design. Generally, these sites are then treated as fixed,
but to allow inference to the wider region that they represent, it is
more appropriate to model site as a random effect.
Many monitoring surveys are conducted using distance sampling, which
encompasses several methods for estimating animal abundance
(http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/distance.book/dist_encyc_env.pdf).
Researchers at St Andrews have been at the forefront of development of
distance sampling methods, authoring several books and the Distance
computer program, which is the industry standard for analysing distance
sampling surveys.
This project will explore the potential for mixed effects models in
distance sampling. The main focus will be on the analysis of annual
regional surveys based on line or point transect sampling at
representative locations. Models will be developed to quantify
spatially varying trends in abundance and detectability.
The successful candidate will join a large and thriving group of
research staff and students in the EPSRC-funded NCSE
(http://www.ncse.org.uk/), and will be located in the Centre for
Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling
(http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/). Supervisors will be Monique Mackenzie
(http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/monique/) and Stephen Buckland
(http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/stb/stb.html).
The studentship covers home fees and the enhanced research council
stipend for statistics students for 3 years. It is open to any
applicant, but applicants from outside the European Union will need to
seek additional funding to cover the difference between home and
overseas fees. Applicants should have a first degree in statistics, or
in a related discipline with a strong quantitative component. Start
date: September 2008.
If you are interested in applying, please e-mail Monique Mackenzie
([log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>) or Steve
Buckland ([log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>),
attaching a CV.
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____________________________________________________________________
Stephen T. Buckland
CREEM, The Observatory, Buchanan Gdns, 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]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Professor of Statistics http://www.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/
Co-Director, NCSE http://www.ncse.org.uk/
CREEM http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/
The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No
SC013532
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