Imperial College London provides a world class research environment and Silwood Park has long been a hotbed of high-profile ecology, evolutionary biology and ecosystem science. It is home to the Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment initiative, which brings together researchers from institutions worldwide to focus on addressing the major environmental challenges facing humanity.
If you are interested in joining the lab please send an email describing your research interests and experience. There is no taxonomic restriction. Past or current group members have studied most vertebrate groups and insects, as well as plant-animal interactions. I am also interested in the wider socio-ecological system and sustainable development. If you want to apply for an advertised position, I am well aware that some applicants come from disadvantaged backgrounds with much reduced access to inside information. If this applies to you, feel free to ask me questions in advance about how to navigate the system.
I’m open to hosting post-docs or fellowships in relevant research fields, so long as they have research funding of some sort. There are some good opportunities for researchers coming from abroad, including Marie Curie Fellowships and Newton Fellowships (for those coming from the US). Outside the usual NERC and Royal Society fellowships, it is also worth considering applying for three-year Imperial Fellowships. Here is a full list of post-doctoral or fellowship opportunities.
Most of the PhD studentships available at Imperial College are associated with Natural Environment Research Council DTPs and CDTs. Here is a full list of in-house options. Most of the funding sources for PhDs available at Silwood are exclusively for UK residents, but various international agencies can fund research training at Imperial. I have previously hosted PhD students with Fulbright Scholarships, Rhodes Scholarships and Ford studentships. Another possible source of funding are government-funded scholarships from foreign nations, although these tend to support college fees without providing funds for research. Get in touch if you want to develop an application for these funding sources, or if you’d like to discuss any other options with me.
I supervise several 5- or 8-month masters research projects each year, typically for students on one of the selection of 1-year masters courses taught at Silwood Park, or in conjunction with the Natural History Museum. Here is more detailed information about these courses and how to apply. If you are enrolled on one of these courses, feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss particular project ideas.
I also supervise at least 4 undergraduate projects each year. Any Imperial students wanting to enrol for these can check the project listings on Blackboard.