Undergraduate research experience placement in deep-sea oceanography/ecology at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University.
A funded opportunity is available for an undergraduate student (subject to eligibility, see below) to be part of an active deep-sea research group at Bangor University during the summer of 2017.
The placement will contribute to a large EU-funded project on deep-sea sponge ground ecosystems (Grant Agreement no. 679849). It will focus on mapping the extent of distinct water masses in arctic seas that may be of importance to sponge grounds occurring on prominent topographic features of the seabed (e.g., seamounts, mid-ocean ridges, continental slopes). International scientific interest in sponge grounds has increased rapidly in recent years, as they are thought to be highly vulnerable marine ecosystems and sponges are showing great potential for interesting biotechnological and biomedical applications (e.g., in tissue engineering, anti-cancer medications, fibre optics, and building design/materials science).
The work will run from the last week in July until the end of September (flexible), and the successful candidate will be supported by a stipend of £200 per week through the NERC Envision DTP Research Experience Placement (REP) scheme.
The opportunity will provide experience in deep-sea ecology and oceanography, the handling of large oceanographic datasets, the use of geographic information systems (GIS), and data analysis and interpretation. This placement could make an original contribution to our (currently limited) understanding of the distribution of deep-sea sponges.
All expressions of interest should be in the form of a short (less than one A4 page) letter of motivation and CV to Martyn Roberts (emyr.roberts (at symbol) bangor.ac.uk, replace (at symbol with @) by the 2 June 2017. If you need further details, or to discuss the opportunity, please drop me a line by email.
Dr. Andrew Davies and Dr. Martyn Roberts
Bangor University, School of Ocean Sciences
Please note the following eligibility criteria. Applicants should:
- be studying for an undergraduate degree in a quantitative discipline outside of NERC’s scientific remit (e.g., mathematics, statistics, computing, engineering, physics)
- be applying for a placement in a different department to their undergraduate degree,
- be undertaking their first undergraduate degree studies (or integrated Masters),
- be expected to obtain a first or upper second class UK honours degree,
- be eligible for subsequent NERC PhD funding (i.e., UK, EU or right to remain in the UK).
