ICARUS (Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS), Department of Geography

PhD Researcher: Ancient Woodland Palaeoecology

Details of the Award

ICARUS (Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS), Department of Geography is pleased to announce that a PhD Scholarship will be available for one student intending to commence PhD studies in April/May 2024 or soon after.

We are seeking a PhD Researcher to work on an exciting new project, “Ancient Woodlands Ireland” funded by DAFM and NPWS. The project will combine existing methodologies with novel approaches to deliver an all-island Ancient Woodlands Inventory. The multidisciplinary project will draw on expertise in GIS and remote sensing, paleoecology, contemporary ecology, and history to assess temporal changes in woodland cover in Ireland over the last 400 years. The Ancient Woodlands Ireland project will provide valuable data that can be used to enhance the protection of Ireland’s ancient woodlands and help prioritize sites for ancient woodland restoration.

The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr Helen Shaw and will be trained to use palaeoecological approaches (pollen, spores and a range of other proxies) to validate the presence and species composition of ancient woodland in woodland fragments identified in the project by mapping and historical mapping approaches. The research will use the small woodland hollow approach to ensure local stand-scale reconstructions of past woodland.

The wider team includes researchers at Maynooth Biology and History departments, Teagasc, Dundalk Institute of Technology, together with a number of project collaborators and advisers with woodland interests. The palaeoecological team on this project will include the Task Lead, Dr Helen Shaw, and a Post-Doctoral Researcher with experience in palaeoecology, also funded by the project. The work will also include close working with an existing PhD student.

Value of Scholarship

The Scholarship is funded as part of a research grant from DAFM and NPWS. The stipend will be 25k per year for 4 years.

Role of the student

The project is organised around several tasks including, mapping, historical map and text analysis, ecological and palaeoecological analysis. The PhD duties will include:

• Working under the supervision of Dr Helen Shaw (with additional guidance from other project leads).
• Undertaking aspects of the palaeoecological analysis, taking responsibility (with training and supervision) for the data collection and analysis of at least one type of palaeoecological proxy.
• Taking part in fieldwork coring trips.
• Laboratory work, including preparation of proxies, microscopy, and core scanning and analysis.
• Integrating PhD work with other work in the project.
• Actively assisting and contributing to writing of academic papers for publication and

wider research dissemination.

• Thesis development and production.
• Presenting results at workshops, conferences, and other relevant outreach activities.
• Carrying out additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.

Eligibility Criteria

Full time research degree students who have a relevant first class or 2.1 honours in their primary degree, or have a relevant Masters degree, are eligible to apply.

Essential

• A first class or 2.1 honours degree in Biology (focussing on Ecology) or Geography (focussed on Physical/Ecological Geography).
• Field and laboratory experience.
• Willingness to learn, and to spend time identifying and counting pollen or other proxy data using a microscope.
• Willingness to undertake fieldwork.

Desirable

• An MSc in a physical geography or palaeoenvironmental subject.
• Experience in palaeoecology and knowledge and experience in at least one proxy (e.g. pollen, spores, insects, macrofossils, etc.).
• Fieldwork experience specifically in palaeoecology or peat coring.
• Laboratory experience in paleoenvironmental techniques.
• Experience of analysis and interpretation of palaeoecological data.
• Experience using statistical packages such as R.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Good team skills.
• A clean driving license.

Duration

The scholarship will be awarded for four years of study, subject to satisfactory annual review of progress in research.

Application and Selection Criteria

Please submit applications directly to Dr Helen Shaw (helen.shaw@mu.ie).

Applications should include

• A personal statement including background on your relevant skills and experience and why you would like to undertake this PhD.
• A Curriculum Vitae.
• Relevant academic final transcripts.
  
   

All eligible candidates will be considered for open positions. Applicants may be shortlisted for interview and, if so, will be contacted directly by the Department to arrange an interview.

Closing Date: Please apply by 23rd March 2024. Late applications may not be considered.

Further details available

If you would like to discuss the PhD further please contact Dr Helen Shaw.