Applications are invited for a NERC-funded PhD studentship on Bayesian statistics and uncertainty in ecological models, focusing particularly on coral reef ecosystems.
The project will be supervised by Professor Paul Blackwell, Department of Probability and Statistics; some aspects of the work will involve collaboration with colleagues at the Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics (University of Sheffield) and with marine ecologists at the University of Exeter and the University of Queensland.
Modelling of coral reefs and the ecosystems that they support is informed by information from diverse sources, including remote sensing from satellites, field observation and expert opinion. The project will involve the development of Bayesian statistical methods to combine these sources of data coherently, and to quantify the uncertainty in the models and their predictions. Enquiries about further details are welcome; please email <[log in to unmask]>.
The 3.5 year studentship includes a maintenance grant - GBP13,290 in the first year, rising in subsequent years - and also pays full fees and a Research Training Support Grant. The earliest starting date would be 21st September 2009; the studentship may start later, subject to agreement.
Eligibility
Applicants should have a good first degree or Masters degree that is relevant to the project, generally in Mathematics or Statistics. The studentship will be fully-funded for applicants meeting the appropriate NERC eligibility criteria. In brief, if (in addition to being suitably academically qualified) you are a UK citizen and you have always lived in the UK you are eligible to apply. Otherwise, please see the fuller criteria on the NERC website (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/postgrad/eligibility.asp); note that if you are a citizen of a European Union (EU) member state you may be eligible for a fees-only award.
Applications
Candidates should apply for admission using the University's standard application procedure (see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply/). However, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to email the supervisor directly <[log in to unmask]> before applying (and as soon as possible) with a brief expression of interest, including current qualifications and preferably names of referees. There is no closing date, but the Department reserves the right to award the studentship at any time.
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Professor P. G. Blackwell
Dept. of Probability & Statistics, University of Sheffield
Tel. +44 114 2223719; http://paul-blackwell.staff.shef.ac.uk/
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