Physiological ecology of fishes at Trinity College Dublin

I am seeking a motivated, ambitious, and highly qualified PhD candidate to apply to the Irish Research Council (IRC) for a 4-year PhD fellowship to be conducted at the Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin.

The research project will be on the physiological ecology of fishes, with an emphasis on thermal biology and energetics. Ongoing climate change has generated keen interest in understanding how temperature regulates the distribution of species, and some fishes appear to be responding rapidly to warming. This project would combine (i) comparative analyses of large datasets on thermal niches of diverse fishes, (ii) fieldwork to measure performance of fishes (including sharks) in the wild, and (iii) laboratory experiments to explore the mechanisms by which temperature influences fish distributions.

Specific objectives can be tailored to fit prospective candidate’s interests and strengths, and there is flexibility in the balance between fieldwork (i.e. the deployment of animal-borne sensors that record parameters such as acceleration, swim speed, depth, temperature and video in free-swimming predatory fishes) and theoretical modelling (i.e. biomechanical and hydrodynamic analyses of the energetics of swimming) or comparative approaches (i.e. macroecological analysis of species’ thermal distribution limits).

To see other examples of my research, visit www.thepaynelab.com or my Scholar profile here.

Candidates should have an II-1 or I class honours degree (or equivalent) in organismal biology (e.g. zoology, ecology, evolution or similar) or in a quantitative science (e.g. maths, statistics, physics or similar) and/or a distinction at MSc level. If you are interested in applying together for an IRC PhD fellowship please send a (i) CV and (ii) cover letter outlining your research interests and why you would like to do a PhD to: [Email Address Removed].

The deadline for submission of the grant proposal will likely be 1 Nov 2018 (for a start date of Oct 2019) so ensure you contact me well in advance of this date if you are interested, so we have sufficient time to develop the proposal together.

The IRC funds 4-year PhD fellowships which cover a €16,000 p.a. stipend, tuition fees and research costs. The IRC is competitive and uses the calibre of the student as one of their main assessment criteria. Therefore excellent grades, research experience and publications will improve chances of success.

Dr Nicholas L. Payne
Lecturer
School of Natural Sciences
Zoology Building
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland

Email: [Email Address Removed]
www.thepaynelab.com
Twitter: @nicklpayne