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The Farine Lab at The Australian National University is seeking a PhD candidate to work on the movement ecology of keystone Australian pollinators: large honeyeaters.

The project will involve deploying state-of-the-art GPS trackers to noisy friarbirds Philemon corniculatus to develop a better understanding of their role in maintaining functional connectivity within Australian landscapes. Prior work using genetic methods determined that nearly half of pollination events in larger trees and shrubs can come from plants >5 kms away, suggesting an important role of larger birds that can traverse habitat gaps. This project will use noisy friarbirds as a model species to identify what habitat and environmental features are important for honeyeater movements. The project will combine GPS tracking to collect data on where and how honeyeaters move with more traditional research methods (e.g. surveys) to collect data on on-the-ground conditions (e.g. tree flowering state). This research benefits from close collaborations with Greening Australia, who have been undertaking revegetation projects in the study landscapes for over 20 years, and by collaborating with the Fenner School of the Environment and Society who have world-class environmental data available for the region.

The student will be fully integrated into the Farine Lab, who are an interdisciplinary group of researchers working across the interface of social behaviour, movement, and the environment. The lab is part of the Division of Ecology and Evolution within the Research School of Biology of the ANU. We chose to work at ANU because of its supportive and collegiate working environment.

The project will be supervised by Assoc. Prof. Damien Farine, Dr. James Klarevas-Irby (postdoc in the Farine lab), Prof. Saul Cunningham (ANU Fenner School of the Environment and Society), and Dr. Nicky Taws (Greening Australia).

This position is fully funded by a Discovery Project grant awarded to Assoc. Prof. Damien Farine. Details of ANU PhD scholarships (including the tax-free stipend) can be found here: https://study.anu.edu.au/scholarships/find-scholarship/anu-phd-scholarship. A major benefit of this position is that it will come with substantial academic and research support throughout the PhD.

Benefits to you

• Fully-funded stipend and support for project costs.
• Opportunities to work and travel in natural environments across NSW and the ACT.
• High-level training in animal tracking, project design, behavioural ecology, and statistical modelling.
• Contribute to research with real-world impact, working closely with land management and conservation groups.
• Play an integral role in a multidisciplinary research team.
• Integration into a supportive and collaborative research environment at the ANU, with substantial student services and training opportunities.

Selection criteria
Selection will be based on merit and suitability to the needs of the project. This will include evidence of one or more of the following criteria:

• Motivation to study movement ecology, use state-of-the-art technology, and address outstanding questions about pollinator behaviour.
• Ability to conduct intensive fieldwork (~3-4 months per year) in potentially remote areas (some camping is likely to be required).
• Driver’s license (all field cars have automatic transmission) and a willingness to drive.
• Ability to work in a diverse and interdisciplinary team.
• Experience working with birds will be highly desirable (e.g. field identification skills, behavioural observations, banding/ringing experience).
• Willingness to develop analytical skills (e.g. constructing step-selection and movement models, conducting statistical analyses).

Eligibility
This position is open to all candidates, subject to being awarded a fee-waiver. This means having achieved an Honours degree (First class equivalent) or a Masters degree, with a minimum 6 months research component and thesis. Candidates must also meet ANU’s English language requirements: https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_000408

Commencement and duration
The student will ideally start in mid-2025, allowing time to complete the initial milestones prior to starting field work (September 2025 onwards). The standard PhD project at ANU is funded for 3.5 years with an optional additional industry internship for up to 6 months.

Application
For any queries, please contact Damien (damien.farine@anu.edu.au) or James (james.klarevas-irby@anu.edu.au).

To submit your application, please email James (james.klarevas-irby@anu.edu.au). Make sure to include (1) your CV, (2) your academic transcripts, (3) a motivation letter (1 page) describing your background, research experience, and interest in this project, (4) the name and contact details of at least one (ideally two) referees. These should be combined into one PDF document.

Applications close at 5pm Australia time on the 27th of January 2025.