Animal movement, behaviour, and big data approaches to ecology and conservation

Project Description

I am recruiting a PhD student (Fall 2027 start) to join the NORTH lab in the Département de biologie at the Université de Sherbrooke. Students can tailor their research across three themes:

(1) Tracking in the wild: long-term datasets on red squirrels in the Yukon, exploring the demographic consequences of behaviour and movement. Fully subsidized fieldwork and collaboration with an interdisciplinary research team.

(2) Meta-analyses: large-scale syntheses on a topic of the student's choice, from dispersal and behaviour to climate resilience, conservation interventions, or any other ecological or evolutionary theme. Ideal for those who enjoy identifying patterns across studies, asking big-picture questions, and working with data across systems.

(3) Big data: using cutting-edge movement datasets from global wildlife tracking networks (over 14 billion locations from 1,500+ species) to develop predictive models of animal responses to environmental change. Students will build skills in R, spatial analysis, and ecological modelling.

Minimum qualifications: admissible to the Doctorat en biologie (completed MSc OR 4.0/4.3 BSc GPA). Applicants must be eligible to apply for an external scholarship/fellowship (e.g., NSERC CGS-D, FRQNT B2, Weston Family Award) and commit to submitting an application during their first fall semester. Knowledge of French is not mandatory; English theses are permitted. Applicants of any citizenship are welcome. The position is contingent on securing external funding.

Competitive applicants will have peer-reviewed publications, experience with R or Python, practice communicating science, comfort sharing research with both academic and broader audiences, and an interest or experience working alongside Indigenous communities, government agencies, or other partners.

Application materials (single PDF, subject "Join@NORTH", emailed to aprilmartinig@hotmail.com): cover letter (max 1 page), unofficial transcripts, CV with publications listed, a writing sample (preferably a peer-reviewed publication), and contact information for three references.

Funding offered

To be discussed

$25,000 to $40,000 per year for 3 to 4 years

The last update was on 19 June 2026. The University reserves the right to modify its projects without notice.