Fully Funded PhD Position in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at University of Exeter, UK

A PhD position is available with Dr Hywel Williams in Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter (Streatham Campus, Exeter) to commence October 2011. The studentship will cover UK/EU tuition fees for three years, plus an annual stipend of £13,590pa for three years.

Microbes (prokaryotes and single-celled eukaryotes) play a central role in the marine carbon cycle, which is of key importance for global climate change. New data from genomics are linking microbial genes to environmental functions, showing that microbial ecology and evolution are tightly linked to ecosystem processes. This understanding should enable better prediction of how marine ecosystems will respond to global change. However, new approaches to modelling marine ecosystems are needed to take advantage of these insights.

We have pioneered an agent-based approach that models the marine microbial food web as a complex adaptive system in which evolutionary, ecological and environmental processes can be studied simultaneously. This method is currently being used to understand selection pressures on microbial growth in different environmental conditions, the evolutionary formation of nutrient recycling loops, and how coevolutionary dynamics of bacteria and bacteriophage affect ecosystem dynamics.

The student will join our modelling team to further develop this approach. The choice of research topic will be developed in discussion between the supervisor and the student, within the broad overall theme of the marine microbial ecosystem. The student will join an active and rapidly growing research group at the University of Exeter. The project will require a strong background in mathematics, computer science, physics, or another numerical discipline. Additional background in molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, evolution, or environmental science would be an advantage, but is not essential.

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to complete an online web form where you must submit some personal details and upload the following documents (preferred format for uploaded files is .pdf and preferred filename should start with your last name):

• CV
• Covering letter (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake this project).
• Transcript (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying)
• Research proposal (optional)

If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email cles-studentships@exeter.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)1392 725150/723706/723310.

We welcome informal enquiries from prospective applicants (contact Dr Hywel Williams, Biosciences, University of Exeter: h.t.p.williams@exeter.ac.uk).

The closing date for applications is Thursday 30 June 2011 and we expect to hold interviews towards the end of July.

Further Scholarship Information and Application