Scholarship – PhD in Tropical Conserva4on Ecology

Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME), School of Environmental and Geographical, University of NoEngham Malaysia Campus

Project title

Status of the wild elephant popula1on in Peninsular Malaysia

Project description

Asian elephants Elephas maximus play key and irreplaceable ecological functions in ecosystems but have become endangered due to the rapid decline of their populations in recent decades. The main threat for Asian elephants is the combination of habitat loss and the resulting human-elephant conflict (HEC), especially in the form of crop raiding. Peninsular Malaysia is home to ~ 1500 wild Asian elephants, whose range has drastically declined since the middle of the 20th century. However, we know little about the status of this elephant population, especially about elephants occurring in forests outside Protected Areas (such as National and State Parks) but inside in Central Forest Spine (CFS) landscapes.

The Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME) is offering a fully-funded PhD scholarship to study the status of the wild elephant population in Peninsular Malaysia’s forests, especially elephant distribution within CFS landscapes and factors affecting it. The specific focus of the study will be decided later on as part of the student’s work developing the final research proposal. This will include the specific research questions, geographical scope, and relevant methodological approaches (e.g. remote sensing, molecular work, and /or social science techniques). MEME is a 9-year research project run in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) of Peninsular Malaysia. MEME is an interdisciplinary and holistic project that studies wild elephants behavior, ecology, and their interaction with people and aims to bring a science-driven conservati1on of elephants in Peninsular Malaysia. MEME is part of the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences at University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC, hLp://www.no[ngham.edu.my/EGS/index.aspx). More details about MEME can be found in our website and newsletter.

Candidates are expected to meet the following requirements

• Being a Malaysian citizen

• Having a Master (or equivalent) in Conservation Science, Ecology, Environmental Science, Geography, or a relevant discipline (including environmental economics and other social sciences).

• Possessing a good command of English and Bahasa Malaysia.

• Being highly mo1vated and able to work resourcefully, independently, and in a team.

The successful candidate will be en1tled to a 100% tui1on fee waiver, a monthly s1pend of RM2500, and

an annual research budget of ~ RM30,000, for a period of three years. MEME has 4WD vehicles and a field station in Gerik, Perak. This scholarship is sponsored by Yayasan Sime Darby and UNMC.

How to apply

Applications should consist of (1) a Curriculum Vitae, (2) academic transcripts, and (3) a short (1 page

maximum) statement letter describing the motivation to pursue this PhD. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz at ahimsa.Camposarceiz@nottingham.edu.my. Applica1ons, specifying the scholarship being applied for, should be sent by email before 5th July 2017 to MEME’s Project Manager at Praveena.Chackrapani@nottingham.edu.my.