This project is part of the DPhil in Biology at the University of Oxford
Four DPhil scholarships are available, for admission in October 2023, to work on a UKRI Frontiers Grant project titled “Evolutionary Ecology of Phenological Co-adaptation Across Scales” led by Prof Ben Sheldon FRS, based at the Edward Grey Institute in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. The scholarships are fully funded for four years and cover fees at the UK student rate, and a stipend matching the UKRI standard rate (for 2022-23 this is currently set at £17,688 p.a.).
The overall project aims to understand the effect of the spatial scale of phenological matching on natural selection, local adaptation, community diversity and demography in primary and secondary consumers in a deciduous woodland ecosystem. The tri-trophic system is exemplified by the oak-winter moth-great tit food chain, but this study will also focus on interspecific diversity at each of these trophic levels and their effects across levels. The project involves large-scale deployment of drones to image and quantify phenology of deciduous trees, as well as observational and experimental methods to understand the mechanisms by which spatial variation in phenology influences behaviour, ecology, and evolutionary processes in consumers. This large-scale project will involve a team of ~12 researchers including postdoctoral and graduate students, as well as field technicians and short-term seasonal field assistants, over five years from 2022-2027. These graduate scholarships play a key role in this project.
This is one of four distinct projects for graduates to choose from:
- Local Adaptation and Selection under Phenological Match/Mis-match: This project will involve landscape genomics, reciprocal transplant experiments and in situ measurement of selection to quantify the extent of local adaptation in primary consumers resulting from phenological matching with primary producers.
Please find links to the other projects on FindAPhD below:
These scholarships are supported by extensive resources for field equipment, travel expenses, laboratory and computing equipment, and based in an active and supportive research group of ~15 graduate students and postdocs in the Department of Biology led by Prof Ben Sheldon FRS.
These projects are part of the Ecology & Conservation theme in the Department of Biology.
Funding
Four DPhil scholarships are available, for admission in October 2023, to work on a UKRI Frontiers Grant project titled “Evolutionary Ecology of Phenological Co-adaptation Across Scales” led by Prof Ben Sheldon FRS, based at the Edward Grey Institute in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. The scholarships are fully funded for four years and cover fees at the UK student rate, and a stipend matching the UKRI standard rate (for 2022-23 this is currently set at £17,688 p.a.).
For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit the University’s dedicated Funding pages.
Eligibility
For full entry requirements and eligibility information, please see the main admissions page.
Overseas fees-level candidates are eligible to apply, but will be responsible for finding the difference between UK and overseas fees.
How to apply
Interested candidates are asked to submit the following materials to Ben Sheldon by 19 Dec 2022:
- CV with names of two references (who will only be contacted after shortlisting);
- If available, electronic copy of honours/master’s thesis (allowances will be made for career stage);
- A statement (≤1000 words) explaining your motivation for studying for a DPhil;
- A ranked list of preference, with explanation for preferences, for the four projects listed above.
Interviews are expected to take place in Oxford in January 2023.
Overseas fees-level candidates are eligible to apply, but will be responsible for finding the difference between UK and overseas fees.
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