Employment type: Full-time, 3-year fixed term (with potential for extension). HEW 6 ($85,588 – $92,428 + 17% Superannuation).
Location: Deakin Uni, Burwood Campus.
Requirements: Background in science OR communications. Experience in content creation, social media, media/design platforms (eg. CANVA, Mailchimp, wordpress etc..), and coordinating events.
Closing date: 11 Sept 2022 (in less than two weeks!).
The project: This one-year research fellow position is funded by Deakin University, as part of an ARC-linkage project, Planning for economic development and biodiversity on the Tiwi Islands (LP170100305). The project is in partnership with the Tiwi Land Council and Tiwi Resources, both representative bodies of Tiwi people, and the Tiwi Land Rangers, and includes researchers at Deakin University, Charles Darwin University (CDU), The University of Melbourne and Tiwi Resources.
This project aims to support decision-making on the Tiwi Islands, through new methods for collaborative land-use planning that advance knowledge about trade-offs between sustainable economic development and biodiversity conservation on Indigenous lands. Our trans-disciplinary approach will integrate Indigenous and Western scientific knowledges and methods, through co-development of knowledge, to document goals, values and aspirations for land and sea management, model and map important species, ecosystems and places, and explore the impacts of scenarios of change and management. On-ground outcomes will include training for Tiwi researchers, building capacity in research and planning skills within the Tiwi community, and contributions (including data and mapped products) to planning for new Indigenous Protected Areas on the Tiwi Islands.
The main roles of the research fellow will be to:
Lead on-ground participatory research, in collaboration with and under supervision of project leads Prof Emily Nicholson (Deakin), Dr Marg Ayre (University of Melbourne) and Dr Michaela Spencer (CDU); this will include on-ground ethnographic inquiry; designing, running and facilitating workshops, country visits, focus groups and interviews; and logistical support for the research;
Facilitate negotiation, tracking and documentation of local research agendas and preferred ways of working under local elder authority;
Support and collaborate with Tiwi researchers, based on the Tiwi Islands;
Support and collaborate with project PhD students, particularly in aspects of their work relating to participatory co-development of knowledge, Indigenous knowledges and community consultation;
Liaise with other stakeholders, including the Indigenous Protected Area process and committees, Tiwi Land Rangers, and other partner organisations.
Selection Criteria:
PhD in a social science or environmental science and/or other relevant qualifications and experience;
Experience in ethnographic and/ or other participatory research methods, such as participatory action research, participatory mapping and Indigenous or indigenist research approaches;
Emerging reputation in research and scholarship through publications;
Ability to make a contribution to communities through research, in particular in through collaborative research with Indigenous and/or local communities;
Capacity to contribute to leadership of research and project management;
Supervision experience (formal or informal);
Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues;
Experience working with Indigenous peoples and groups, and knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and contemporary issues;
Current drivers licence and 4WD experience, and willingness to work in remote areas and communities.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply for this job
Starting date: As soon as possible, ideally in August 2022 (negotiable).
Contact Prof. Emily Nicholson for any further information: e.nicholson@deakin.edu.au , +61 404161771.
To apply: Please send a cover letter, response to the selection criteria and CV to Emily Nicholson e.nicholson@deakin.edu.au by 5th August 2022. Initial screenings will occur as applications are received, and the position will be filled as soon as the appropriate applicant is found.
For more available positions within the CIE please visit our Current Vacancies page.
The Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are intended to build research and innovation capability and excellence and create impact in strategic priority research strengths at Deakin University.
The Fellowships support and develop early career researchers identified as potential rising stars, aiming to enhance the capacity and capability in key research areas and build the next generation of high achieving and internationally competitive researchers.
Applications open – Monday 4 July 2022
Applications close – 11.55pm on Wednesday 31 August 2022 (AEST)
The CIE’s integrative approach brings a great breadth of expertise together to solve complex fundamental and applied problems in ecology, evolution and sustainability. Our researchers include behavioural ecologists, physiologists, wildlife and evolutionary biologists, geneticists, environmental scientists, and experts in economics, sustainability, bioinformatics and biodiversity conservation, working across terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments.
See below for a sample of CIE’s great research:
Martin LB; Addison B; Bean AGD; Buchanan KL; Crino OL; Eastwood JR; Flies AS; Hamede R; Hill GE; Klaassen M et al., Extreme competence: keystone hosts of infections, Trends in ecology & evolution
Location: Queenscliff (1st preference) or Burwood (2nd preference) campus of Deakin University, but working remotely (within Australia) would be considered if the right candidate was found.
Full-time, fixed term (1 year) Level A or level B (AUD $71,348 to $100,837 + 17% Superannuation) dependent on qualifications and experience.
Role description: We are seeking a highly skilled environmental-economist or scientist/ecologist with experience in ecosystem services quantification and/or valuation (preferably marine & coastal). This position will join a team of researchers at Deakin University on a multi-disciplinary, cross-institution project, to value the ecosystem services of marine and coastal ecosystems (specifically mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass).
This project will assess the extent and condition of marine and coastal ecosystems, and quantify the biophysical and monetary flows of a suite of ecosystem services, in particular blue carbon, fisheries, coastal protection, recreational and cultural services. Strong project management and writing skills are pivotal to the success of this position. The ability to liaise across multiple stakeholder groups and with other researchers is also an important part of this position.
To be successful, you’ll have:
PhD in ecology/environmental science/environmental economics or a Masters (with significant work experience);
Significant project management experience;
Significant experience writing papers or reports or other documents;
Strong skills in liaising with external collaborators, funders and stakeholders;
Demonstrated experience valuing market or non-market benefits of the environment to people, OR other environmental-economic data, with a preference for experience in marine and coastal or freshwater ecosystems. This may include experience in formulating, implementing, and applying quantitative economic models to fisheries, environmental and/or other natural resource management issues;
A demonstrated record of working/research excellence, indicated by the outcomes of completed reports or scientific publications;
Experience working in teams with strong inter-personal skills.
If you have these skills, would be an advantage:
Experience or knowledge of Environmental-Economic Accounting (EEA) standards such as the UN System for Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA);
Experience writing of documents that can be read and understood by a wide-ranging audience.
Applications open now: to apply, send paul.carnell@deakin.edu.au your CV and a cover letter cover letter addressing the selection criteria.
The eXtreme Plant Ecology Research Team in the Centre for Integrative Ecology and School of Life and Environmental Sciences is seeking a PhD candidate to contribute to an Australian Research Council funded research program aimed at enhancing the resilience of Australian alpine plant communities through strategic restoration practices.
The Australian Alps are recognized as one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots and critically vulnerable to climate change. Alpine plant communities are already showing signs of climate stress, are under threat from exotic pest plants and animals, and are recovering from a legacy of stock grazing.
As a result, large areas of alpine environments require ongoing restoration works across National Parks and Alpine Resorts. There is urgent need for progressive management strategies to maximise restoration success through consideration of future soil water availability, plant thermal tolerances, and the adaptability of functionally important plant species.
To bolster the resilience of alpine landscapes under climate change; we must understand the interactions between the physical and biological processes underpinning the health of alpine environments and adaptability of alpine plant communities.
An excellent PhD candidate with a background in ecological science, botany or plant ecology is sought to join an exciting project, co-funded by the Centre for Integrative Ecology and the Australian Research Council and our industry partners Parks Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Mount Hotham Alpine Resort and Southern Alpine Resort Management Board, and will make use of the Australian Mountain Research Facility. Depending of the project scope, the candidate will have a unique opportunity to focus on aspects of:
Plant thermal tolerance
Plant water relations and ecophysiology
Plant regeneration and recruitment
Snow ecology
The results of the project will assist alpine land managers choose the right species for restoration projects, thereby building resilience into these vulnerable environments.
The candidate will join the eXtreme Plant Ecology Research Team at Deakin Burwood and be supervised by Susanna Venn with potential co-supervisors Adam Miller, John Morgan (La Trobe University) and/or Adrienne Nicotra (Australian National University) depending on the project. The application process is competitive; applicants are expected to have an excellent grade (e.g., H1 or HD) in a related Honours or a MSc research program, and proven skills in scientific writing (previous publications in the relevant area will be highly ranked).
The successful candidate will be awarded a 3-year PhD scholarship (~AU$28,000 p.a. tax free) through the Centre of Integrative Ecology and the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. An anticipated commencement date is spring 2022.
We are looking for any potential contacts of people who work or volunteer in wildlife shelters, vets, zoos, sanctuaries or other organizations that deal with wild animals as we are hoping to collect any dead possums (both common ringtail and common brushtail, within VIC only at this stage) that come into their workplace.
The reason why we ask for dead possums is that we had a number of dead powerful owls in 2021 and 2020 so we undertook a toxicology study on them and found that over 80%of these dead owls contained rodenticides (read the paper).
This is obviously really worrying especially given powerful owls don’t eat rats or mice and primarily eat possums. Our thinking is that the possums (especially brushtails) are consuming the rat poison and therefore we are now doing a study examining dead possums for any traces of rodenticides.
We are after as many dead possums (we have all the required permits to collect them) as possible so if you could help us out that would be great. Critical to this is that the possums have a location of where they were found.
Please read this flyer outlining what we are doing and the information required for any dead possums that come in.
For more information please feel free to contact A/Prof. Raylene Cooke. Please help by forwarding this to anyone else who may be able to help.
Honours project available for mid-year start (Jun/Jul 2022) within a great research team in Melbourne Australia!
Come and join the Centre for Integrative Ecology at Deakin University on this exciting honours project. The position includes a mix of desk and field work.
The project will examine behavioural and disturbance responses by koalas, kangaroos and waterbirds to drone presence during wildlife surveys! The project involves remote field work in awesome locations!
Interested in applying or would like more information? Please see below or contact l.howell@deakin.edu.au.
Project 2:
Another honours project available for mid-year start (Jun/Jul 2022) within a great research team in Melbourne Australia!
Come and join the Centre for Integrative Ecology at Deakin University on this exciting honours project. The position includes a mix of desk and field work.
This project will develop stake-out surveys for validating kangaroo thermal signatures captured by drones! The project involves remote field work in awesome locations!
Interested in applying or would like more information? Please see below or contact l.howell@deakin.edu.au.
For more available positions within the CIE please visit our Current Vacancies page.
We are looking for a PhD candidate interested in ecology, predictive habitat modelling, remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS; or drones), and/or machine learning to join the Centre For Integrative Ecology at Deakin University within an exciting research project developing improved monitoring techniques for koala and kangaroo populations and habitat.
The Project:
Conservation practitioners and land managers require the most robust, efficient, accurate, and cost-effective wildlife monitoring techniques in order to manage species and their diverse habitats across vast Victorian landscapes.
Survey methods that provide evidence to support critical wildlife decisions such as relocation, control or take no action, are often contested, due to questions around the accuracy, cost, difficulty, and time required to undertake reliable surveys. Emerging technologies such as compact remote sensing technology, remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS; or Drones), rapid digital image processing and machine learning technologies provide opportunities to improve the efficiency and accuracy of wildlife monitoring and habitat assessments.
This project aims to develop, implement and evaluate a range of these new approaches to monitor wildlife populations and habitat conditions. The project will incorporate conventional field-based surveys and emerging aerial survey techniques (including drones) combined with machine (deep) learning to identify improved monitoring approaches for koalas and kangaroos and their habitats.
Build and test predictive models to characterise vegetation quality for koalas and kangaroos using drone and ground-collected data.
Assist IT experts in developing continuous scanning machine learning using recently developed heterogeneous data fusion techniques based on fuzzy Choquet integration of deep convolutional neural network classifiers. The candidate will collaborate to produce a novel automated vertebrate detection architecture from multispectral imagery captured from drones for koalas and kangaroos.
Assist in koala and kangaroo field work in remote areas (e.g., SW Victoria, Otways or South Gippsland for koalas & NW Victoria, Murray-Sunset, Hattah-Kulkyne and Wyperfeld national parks for kangaroos). Field work will include conducting conventional field surveys and supporting drone pilot teams as a spotter.
Annotate drone-collected video data sets for koalas, kangaroos and habitat, including visual, multispectral and thermal footage of habitat condition and koala/kangaroo detections.
Essential Qualifications:
A relevant undergraduate degree (e.g., degree in IT/computer science or science and/or environmental science) in a relevant area (e.g., GIS and remote sensing, spatial science, machine learning, biodiversity conservation/ecology).
Class 1 Honours or Masters, also in a relevant area.
Knowledge, skills and experience:
Essential
Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaborate and work effectively in a team-based environment. The successful candidate will study in a large and diverse project team involving partners in government departments and research institutions.
Demonstrated quantitative skills in data analysis.
Proven scientific writing skills.
Desirable
Undergraduate, research and/or technical experience (or a demonstrated capacity to develop skills) in the below listed areas would be an advantage:
Familiarity/experience with machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Predictive habitat modelling and quantitative spatial ecology/remote sensing.
Survey/monitoring techniques for large mammals and/or arboreal mammals.
Qualifications and/or experience with remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS; or drones).
Capacity to undertake efficient ecological field work in remote areas.
The successful candidate will be awarded a 3-year PhD Scholarship (~AU$28,000 p.a. tax free) and will be based at Deakin University’s Burwood campus (Melbourne). Please note: the broader research project has commenced, therefore applicants who are able to start in the first quarter of 2022 will be prioritised. While all applicants will be welcomed, due to COVID-19 and the preferred starting period, domestic applicants may be prioritised.
Interested in applying?
Interested candidates should contact Lachlan Howell (l.howell@deakin.edu.au), the Principal Research Fellow on this project. The candidate should forward the following documents: 1) An updated CV highlighting their skills, education, relevant work experience and any publications; 2) A cover letter (no more than 3 pages) that specifically addresses each of the selection criteria, including an introductory paragraph outlining their interest in the position.
Closing date: Wednesday, 2nd February 2022 @ 5pm
For more available positions within the CIE please visit our Current Vacancies page.
We are looking for a Ph.D. candidate to join an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award on “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Farm Dams”.
The opportunity
Australian farm dams have some of the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per area among freshwater ecosystems. In Victoria alone, we estimated they release over 4,800 tonnes of CO2‐equivalent each day, which is 4.5% of all the State’s agricultural emissions. These recently discovered emissions are triggered by fertiliser and manure run-off increasing nutrients and creating the ideal conditions for the production of methane (CH4) – a gas with 20-30 times greater warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2).
There is an exciting opportunity to join the Blue Carbon Lab (Deakin University) in collaboration with Sustainable Farms (Australian National University) to investigate how enhancing farm dam condition affects methane emissions. The successful candidate will carry out field work, deploy and monitor tailor-made sensors, compile and analyse data from the field, remote sensing, and GIS.
This PhD project will aim to address the following aspects:
Capture spatial and temporal variability in greenhouse gas emissions among farm dams;
Investigate the role of biotic (e.g., vegetation) and abiotic (e.g., climate) factors on greenhouse gas emissions;
Determine the impact of management interventions (e.g., fencing) and land use type (e.g., livestock, crops) on greenhouse gas emissions;
Analyse the role of microbial communities on methane emissions.
Deakin University’s Blue Carbon Lab is a multi-disciplinary research group at the forefront of global efforts to improve lives and livelihoods sustainably. We led the first study reporting unusually high methane emissions from farm dams (Ollivier et al. 2018). We also delivered a continental-scale map of farm dams in Australia (Malerba et al. 2021). We have collaborative partnerships and projects across 30 countries and are recognised as world leaders in the science underpinning natural climate solutions.
The candidate will work in close collaboration with the Sustainable Farms project at Australian National University. The Sustainable Farms project is among Australia’s leading research groups in sustainable farming. In recent years, Sustainable Farms have been monitoring the positive effects of farm dam enhancements on biodiversity, water security, and farming productivity. For the past two years, Sustainable Farms and Blue Carbon Lab worked together to show that enhancing farm dams can also reduce methane emissions. The successful candidate will further improve our understanding of the drivers of methane emissions at micro and macro scales.
Experience publishing in peer-reviewed scientific journal (preferably as first author);
First class Honours or Masters;
Familiar with the statistical software R (or similar);
Experience in carrying our research in environmental sciences, ecology, or similar;
Experience with spatial modelling or remote sensing.
Instructions
PhD applicants should email the following documents to Dr Martino Malerba (m.malerba@deakin.edu.au):
CV highlighting your skills, education, publications, and relevant work experience;
Cover letter (1 page) outlining your interest in the position and how your previous experience and technical skills suit the position;
The project will have a strong quantitative component. Extensive experience with the statistical package R (or similar coding languages) is a requirement. Ensure to outline any quantitative experience in the cover letter.
Please note
The student will be enrolled in a 3-year PhD. Applicants will be based at Deakin University’s Burwood campus (Melbourne);
We are unable to provide individual feedback on competitiveness. The following features are common among successful PhD applicants at the Blue Carbon Lab: (a) A first-authored paper in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, (b) first class Honours/Masters, (c) strong quantitative skills, and (d) experience working in similar topics;
Whilst we still accept applications from any persons interested in our roles, due to the impacts of COVID-19, we are currently prioritising applications from those with current working rights in Australia.
For more available positions within the CIE please visit our Current Vacancies page.
PhD + Postdoctoral Reaserch Fellow Opportunity – Deakin University, supervised by Dr Michalis Hadjikakou
Deakin University is seeking expressions of interest for one Postdoctoral Fellowship (2-years at Academic Level A or B) and one PhD Scholarship (3-years, fully funded) in food system sustainability assessment as part of a Centre of Research Excellence on “Healthy Food, Healthy Planet, Healthy People”, in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health.
Research topic and background
The food system is a key determinant of human health as well as a key driver of global environmental impact. A major transition in the food supply has resulted in widescale distribution and consumption of meat-based and increasingly highly processed food and beverage products that are contributing to poor health outcomes and have high environmental footprints. In Australia, extensive transformation of the food system is needed to reduce the large and increasing prevalence of diet-related diseases and to enable the transition towards net zero emissions and staying within planetary boundaries.
While emerging work has focused on the impacts of broad agricultural commodities (notably animal source foods such as meat and dairy), existing footprint databases are not fully representative of the many packaged products most of us consume on a regular basis. Consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental issues, yet they are currently unable to access the right information about the sustainability of food and beverage products. Similarly, the food industry is in desperate need for sustainability data on the types of food and beverage products that are likely to have lower environmental impact and are unlikely to attract regulatory and fiscal disincentives in the longer term. Governments also require reliable information to inform policies designed to support a more sustainable food production and consumption environment. A rigorous and comprehensive analytical framework capable of providing reliable estimates of the environmental impacts associated with the entire food supply chain (from farm to fork) of food and beverage products is needed to provide information for all market actors.
The Healthy Food, Healthy Planet, Healthy People NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence will address the impacts of food on human and planetary health by providing the granular data and insights required to undertake the systemic changes necessary for meaningful transformation of the food system.
Project aim
The aim of this project will be to develop a state-of-the-art hybrid life cycle assessment approach to of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other critical environmental sustainability indicators such as water, land use and biodiversity impact for ~100,000 food and beverage products contained in the FoodSwitch database. This will involve using a combination of both bottom-up (ingredient-based, process-based life cycle inventories) and top-down (economy-wide, environmentally extended input-output analysis) sustainability assessment approaches, along with a sophisticated handling of uncertainty and error propagation associated with each of the major stages in the food supply chain (food production, processing, distribution, retail and food preparation).
The Postdoctoral Fellow and the PhD candidate will work together on the development of the life cycle assessment approach and on delivering comprehensive food and beverage environmental footprint database. They will then be in a unique position to apply the approach and database alongside other unique datasets offered through the “Healthy Food, Healthy Planet, Healthy People” NHMRC Centre of Research the Excellence to answer questions such as (but not limited to):
How do different healthy and sustainable diets made up of different combinations of available food products perform across different environmental indicators?
How can the environmental footprint data be meaningfully combined with nutrition quality algorithms to produce ratings and food labelling that identifies the degree of alignment or misalignment between environmental and health outcomes within and across product categories?
How important are GHG emissions related to transportation/processing and the cooking method across different products?
To what extent can increases in production efficiency and/or uptake of renewable energy reduce the environmental footprint of different food products?
How do consumers react to having more granular information? What type of information is most effective in pushing them towards healthier and more sustainable diets?
Research Environment
The Postdoctoral Fellow and the PhD candidate will be principally supervised by Dr Michalis Hadjikakou and will work within Deakin University’s Planet-A lab, led by Alfred Deakin Professor Brett Bryan, the School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Centre for Integrative Ecology. Planet-A offers a unique research environment with a strong focus on sustainability assessment of the land use and food system, notably through its involvements in the Land Use Futures project. The position is based at the Melbourne/Burwood Campus.
Co-supervision and mentoring opportunities will be available through the “Healthy Food, Healthy Planet, Healthy People” NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence partners at the George Institute, Imperial College London and Oxford University.
Selection criteria
Applications are invited from candidates with a strong tertiary qualification in environmental science and/or management, ecology, geography, sustainability assessment, ecological economics, environmental/sustainable engineering or related fields. Candidates with a working background in life cycle assessment, environmental footprinting, input-output analysis, life cycle assessment, food systems modelling, integrated assessment modelling or similar fields are particularly encouraged to apply. Candidates with a background in social science, economics, nutrition science or public health with strong quantitative skills and with an interest in sustainability, will also be considered.
Essential Skills (Postdoctoral Fellow and PhD candidate)
Sound technical ability and experience working with quantitative data as evidenced by prior work;
Excellent data management, numerical and programming skills are essential;
Proficiency in English, including excellent written and oral communication skills;
Evidence of ability to publish or disseminate academic research, or similar.
Essential Skills (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Prior experience in the development or application of quantitative sustainability assessment methods such as life cycle assessment;
On-time delivery of project tasks, reporting and other deliverables of research;
An ability to manage research projects and willingness to develop good working relationships with other researchers in the field and project collaborators.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible you must be either a domestic or international candidate currently residing in Australia. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship.
To be competitive for the Postdoctoral position, you must have:
Recently obtained or just submitted a PhD in environmental science and/or management, geography, sustainability assessment, ecological economics, environmental/sustainable engineering, nutrition science or public health or related fields;
An emerging track record of academic publications in the field showcasing your ability to carry out quantitative analysis.
For the PhD position, you must:
Meet Deakin’s PhD entry requirements;
Be enrolling full time and hold an honours degree (first class) or an equivalent standard master’s degree with a substantial research component;
Applicants are expected to have 1st class Honours (or equivalent ranking) in a suitable undergraduate degree and a top-ten grade in relevant postgraduate degrees;
Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page for further information.
Application Procedure
Enquiries and expressions of interest should be sent to Dr Michalis Hadjikakou (m.hadjikakou@deakin.edu.au). The formal application procedure is expected to open shortly. Interested candidates will be expected to a include a cover letter referring to the essential skills outlined above along with academic transcripts, a CV and the names and contact details of two referees. The deadline for applications is expected to be 31 November 2021. Candidates would ideally commence in February 2022.
For more available positions within the CIE please visit our Current Vacancies page.
Centre for Integrative Ecology 