PhD position: coastal marsh ecology and management

I seek a PhD student to investigate long-term changes in coastal marsh bird and plant communities, and the consequences of ongoing management and restoration activities in Long Island Sound. The incoming student will be funded via a research assistantship (RA) for the first two years, with subsequent funding coming from either additional RA support (pending future grant submissions) or teaching assistantships. Initial annual salary will be US$37,018. The student will be expected to use existing data sets to quantify spatial and temporal patterns in bird populations and plant communities, and to develop independent research on related topics of the student’s choosing. In addition to joining a large group of exceptional graduate students at UConn, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact closely with students, postdocs, and professors at the four other institutions that form the SHARP collaboration, and with a variety of conservation practitioners working on coastal marsh management.

For more information about our research group, go here: https://elphick.lab.uconn.edu/

For more information about SHARP, go here: https://www.tidalmarshbirds.org/

Qualifications:

·        An undergraduate degree in biology, ecology, natural resources, environmental science, or related degree program.

·        A Master’s degree in one of these fields or equivalent research experience.

·        Strong quantitative skills, including prior statistical training and coding experience (e.g., in R).

·        Experience using geographic information systems to analyze remote sensing or other spatial data.

·        Evidence of effective technical writing and a commitment to publishing peer-reviewed articles. 

·        Field experience in coastal or wetland ecosystems, or with bird banding and/or vegetation surveys, would be valuable, but is not essential.

Application procedures:

Please submit initial inquiries to chris.elphick@uconn.edu with the subject line “Coastal Ecology Graduate position”, including a single pdf document containing:

·        Letter detailing your interest in this opportunity, including what research questions you would like to investigate, why you think our group is a good place for you to study, what relevant experience you have, and why you want to get a PhD;

·        CV;

·        Transcript (unofficial acceptable initially);

·        Contact information (name, affiliation, phone, email) for 3 references.

Initial review of application materials will begin on 1st December, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

Full details:

PhD position in coastal marsh ecology and management 2025.pdf