Admission

Graduate Dissertations must be an independent research project that is fully motivated by the student. However, I believe that it is productive for a student to be given a small project to get their hands "wet". Research projects in areas of mutual interest will develop following regular discussions. These discussions will not only focus on the theory behind the project but also the timeline for completion of the project and the student's goals. Matt Dean successfully defended his dissertation in April 2003 and is shown to the right collecting flies in the Cook Islands.

Students must beadmitted to the Ph.D. or MSc program in BABS at UNSW. Entering graduate students begin conducting research soon after enrollment, working closely with faculty. Advanced course work in the area of specialization and related areas may be needed to supplement the research training. Doctoral students will usually develop the communication skills necessary for effective teaching by serving as teaching assistants for at least two semesters.

The lab. moved into new space in July 2006. We have wet lab, a microscope room, and a constant temperature and humidy room for fly experiments. We also have full access to the equipment in the Ramacotti Cente.

The School encourages applications from students whose career goals are to be biology researchers and/or teachers. Applications are evaluated under a single set of criteria, regardless of degree objective.

PhD Scholarship is AVAILABLE: A full-time postgraduate scholarship is available for a suitably-qualified candidate with a good Honours degree to undertake research studies leading to a PhD in biomedical sciences. The project is to investigate the systematics and biogeography of the Aedes mosquitoes using morphological and molecular data. The genus contains medically significant vectors and the project will embraces the international debate concerning nomenclature of species within the genus.

The research will be conducted at University of New South Wales under the supervision of Prof. Bill Ballard (http://billb.babs.unsw.edu.au). Professor Richard Russell at the University of Sydney will be the co-supervisor. Dr David Yeates will advise on morphological taxonomy and Dr Nigel Beebe on aspects of molecular data collection.

The scholarship, funded by the Australian Biological Resources Study, is valued at $25,000 per annum (tax exempt) and may be renewed for up to three years, subject to satisfactory progress.

Further information can be obtained from Prof. Bill Ballard (w.ballard@unsw.edu.au)