[Aqualist] 2 x PhD Scholarships in Palynology and Isotope Geochemistry

[Ulm, Sean]

As part of an ARC Laureate Fellowship, Professor Michael Bird is seeking to appoint two PhD students in the areas of stable isotope geochemistry and palynology.

The five-year project will produce the first long-term (100,000 year), replicated, high-resolution terrestrial records of environmental change before, during and after the arrival of humans in Australian savannas. These records will be extracted from sediments accumulated in newly identified sinkholes in the Northern Territory. The sediment cores will be used to develop palynological and isotope geochemical records of changes in water balance, vegetation type and fire activity. This will enable natural and human drivers of change in northern Australia's climate and biodiversity to be disentangled on two timescales (i) millennial - before, during and after Aboriginal arrival in northern Australia and (ii) centennial - before, during and after European arrival in northern Australia.

The two PhD scholarships each include a stipend for four years currently valued at $25,406 p.a. with costs associated with travel, fieldwork and laboratory analysis covered by the project. The anticipated start date is March 2015. Applicants with a Masters Degree or 1st Class honours degree and an appropriate background in Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, Archaeology or Ecology should contact Professor Michael Bird (michael.bird at jcu.edu.au<mailto:michael.bird at jcu.edu.au>) in the first instance.


Professor Michael Bird FRSE
ARC Laureate Fellow
Director, Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science
College of Science, Technology and Engineering
James Cook University
PO Box 6811 Cairns
Queensland, 4870, Australia
Phone:  +61-7-4232-1137
Fax: +61-7-4232-1284
email: michael.bird at jcu.edu.au<mailto:michael.bird at jcu.edu.au>
location: building A2 room 219
https://research.jcu.edu.au/researchatjcu/research/tess
http://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/michael.bird