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PhD Scholarship - Urban Kākā Ecology and Conservation
Scholarship details
| Study levels | Ph D |
|---|---|
| Value | $35,000 per annum stipend |
| Close date | Saturday, 15 February 2025 |
| Domestic/international | Both domestic and international |
About the scholarship
Wellington city has regained a taonga, the k膩k膩. However, this large forest parrot faces unprecedented threats in the city, including new diseases, unintentional poisoning, and conflict with humans. The successful PhD candidate will join a research project aimed at creating the world's first artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool for recognising individual birds in complex real-world images, without the need for manual marking. The candidate will contribute directly to our knowledge of the behaviour, movement and ecology of k膩k膩 in an urban area. In addition, their PhD research will investigate new and emerging threats to k膩k膩 in Wellington, through the application of new AI-based tools for recognising specific individuals. The successful candidate will join the MBIE Smart Ideas funded project “Recognising Taonga with AI: Facial Recognition for K膩k膩 Conservation Management”. Tikanga M膩ori will underpin this mahi to ensure that the development and use of an AI tool for recognising this taonga species adhere to kaupapa M膩ori values.
Entry requirements
We are seeking a highly motivated person with an excellent academic record, a good understanding of ecology and/or conservation and an interest in contributing to cutting-edge research on k膩k膩 conservation. The ideal candidate will have: Masters degree with an excellent GPA; Background in behavioural ecology and/or conservation ecology, or a related field; Strong statistical and analytical skills (preferably in R and/or Python); Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; An interest in contributing to the development of AI-based methods in ecology and conservation; Experience in ecological fieldwork, population monitoring or conservation management; A desire to build cultural competency.