MSc or PhD on conservation ecology of rare, range-edge plants in Canada

As part of a NOVA grant “ Using range-edge ecology to inform conservation of Canada's rare plants” we are looking for astudent to start in Jan 2024. Student will be co-supervised by Profs Anna Hargreaves at McGill (Montreal) and Mark Vellend at U Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke) and can be based out of either university. Fieldwork in Quebec, and possibly Ontario and/or the USA.

The Project is to study the geographic distributions of rare and potentially at-risk plant species in Canada to inform conservation planning, e.g. whether and how to use assisted geneflow or assisted migration to bolster at risk-species. Specific goals include: (1) predict which factors limit species' current geographic distributions in Canada, (2) predict where suitable habitat might be now and in a changing climate, and (3) test predictions from (1) and (2) experimentally.

Student will be part of a team of 3 PIs and 3 other graduate students working on the NOVA grant. Each project stands alone, but they share questions and/or species and there is lots of room for collaboration. The student's project will involve some combination of modeling species distributions, field work and potentially greenhouse experiments. There is lots of flexibility for the student to bring their own ideas, e.g. which and how many species to focus on, other potential approaches to estimating historic distributions. Student will coordinate their field work and logistics and supervise field assistants.

For 2024 and 2025 we guarantee a stipend commensurate with NSERC scholarships and institution-specific regulations (which vary between McGill and Sherbrooke). For a PhD, years 3 & 4 would be funded as per normal graduate student rules at the university the student enrolled in.

The Student

We are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic about plant ecology and conservation, are intellectually curious about testing ecological hypotheses, enjoy being outdoors, can plan and organize logistics, and can work effectively in a team and independently. Students should have a background in ecology or related field. We are committed to diversity and inclusion and we encourage applications from students with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. International students are welcome, but acceptance would be contingent on the student receiving an international tuition fee waiver at the host institution.

To apply

Email your CV, unofficial transcripts, cover letter, and contact information for 2 references to [email protected]. Cover letter should describe why you are interested in the position, whether you're interested in a MSc or PhD, and how your work and life experience to date would make you a good candidate given the desired qualifications (previous ecological field experience is great but not required).

We will start reviewing applications in late March 2024, organize zoom interviews for end of March, and will make offers around mid-April.

Additional Information (or to see the ad in French):

https: // annahargreaves.wixsite.com/home https: // mvellend.recherche.usherbrooke.ca/

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