Applicants should have achieved an excellent grade (e.g., H1 or HD) in an Honours or MSc research program, and they should have proven skills in scientific writing.
Successful candidates will be offered a 3-year PhD scholarship (~AU$27,000 p.a. tax free) through the School of Life and Environmental Sciences to study one of the two following projects:
Project 1: Predicting the lifetime resilience and performance of economically important fishes
In animal production, and in other contexts such as animal ecology, it would be useful to know the survival probability and future performance of juvenile individuals. In the absence of this knowledge in aquaculture, much time and energy is wasted on raising individuals that ultimately perform poorly and/or die prior to harvest. This project will examine physiological and molecular traits of juvenile fishes, with an aim to predict the performance of individuals as they progress through life. The successful PhD candidate will have experience in physiology, molecular biology, and/or a related discipline.
Project 2: Why are fish ‘shrinking’ as the climate warms?
The ‘temperature-size rule’ is a phenomenon whereby ectothermic animals in warm environments are typically smaller than individuals of the same species in cooler environments. While the temperature-size rule has been observed across several fish species, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon remain enthusiastically debated. This project will examine the underlying mechanisms determining growth rates and adult body sizes, with an aim to more accurately forecast the impacts of climate warming on fish populations. The successful PhD candidate will have experience in a relevant discipline such as physiology, molecular biology, endocrinology, and/or reproductive biology
To apply, please send your Expression of Interest form (download from here) and CV to Dr Timothy Clark at t.clark@deakin.edu.au. The first round of applications will be reviewed on 9th November 2018, but the positions will remain open until suitable candidates are found.
Source: Deakin University
