PhD Stipend in the design and analysis of surveillance and sampling schemes for imported goods

Overview

We are seeking domestic and international PhD applicants with advanced skills in mathematical statistics to contribute to an ARC Linkage funded project “Surveillance programs and sampling schemes for assessing and maintaining the absence of pests and diseases”. We intend to fund a PhD project on designing effective surveillance and sampling for imported goods, with applications including imported frozen prawns, and imported tomato and cucurbit seeds.

The successful candidate will be supervised by Associate Professor Robert Clark in the Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics (RSFAS). They will work closely with ANU researchers from the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) and also collaborate with staff from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Both domestic and international applicants are welcome to apply for this stipend. There are also a number of PhD stipends for other topics under the same ARC Linkage Grant which are only open to domestic applicants. These will be advertised separately.

Fields of Study

Candidates should have a strong quantitative background in mathematical statistics or a closely related discipline. Experience in applying these quantitative skills to ecological, biological, or epidemiological problems would be an advantage.

Eligibility

The stipend will be awarded to prospective domestic or international graduate students who:

• have applied for admission to a PhD in the Research School of Finance and Applied Statistics and are ultimately accepted;

• have a Bachelor degree with first-class honours or a Master degree with a research component or equivalent from a recognised university; and

• have the skills in mathematical statistics required to complete this PhD project.

Benefits

ANU Stipend of $34,000 (2023 rate) for up to 3.5 years.

How to apply

To apply, you will need to

• Apply separately for admission into the ANU Higher-Degree Research program by 31st October 2023 and meet the admission criteria.

• Complete the Application Form by 31st October 2023, including the names of 3 referees we may contact and your CV.

• If shortlisted, attend an interview with the selection committee.

Interested individuals are invited to contact Professor Robert Clark (robert.clark@anu.edu.au) to express interest in this scholarship. You are strongly encouraged to make contact by 20th October 2023 so that you are well placed to submit your application into the ANU Higher-Degree Research programme by the end of October.