DrRos Gloag

Project title: Mito-nuclear drivers of biodiversity (Evolutionary ecology of Australian native bees)

Project summary: 

This project aims to advance understanding of the evolutionary processes that generate and maintain biological diversity. You will apply field-based and genomic approaches in wild populations of native bees on Australia’s East Coast to test new theories of how interactions between different genomes in the same cell – mitochondrial and nuclear – can impede hybridization in nature and drive the formation of new species. The project goal is to provide new knowledge of the molecular basis of species boundaries, with potential to guide diverse endeavours in agriculture, biosecurity and conservation. By working with wild bees, this project also aims to produce new knowledge of bee biology, distributions and behaviour that will support efforts to conserve these remarkable pollinators in Australia’s tropical ecosystems, and promote their sustainable in crop pollination.

You will work within the supportive team environment of the Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Lab and wider community of the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at USyd. 

You will acquire skills and training in field entomology and population genomics of wild insects. 

Requirements: 

•    Honours or Masters in a relevant discipline (evolutionary biology, genetics/genomics and/or ecology).
•    Experience in population genetics/genomics or a keen interest to acquire these skills.
•    Experience with fieldwork or a keen interest to develop field skills.
•    Driver’s licence.

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Additional Information

•    This opportunity/project forms part of the Faculty of Science ARC Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme and will be advertised on the University of Sydney Scholarship Office website from November 2026. Further information is available at: https://www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships/d/arc-postgraduate-research-scholarship.html. 
•    The successful applicant is expected to commence their candidature between Research Period 1 (RP1) and Research Period 4 (RP4), 2027.
•    The scholarship application process is separate from the application for admission to the University of Sydney.
•    A scholarship offer will only be made once the successful applicant has received an unconditional offer of admission to the University.
•    The scholarship does not provide any additional allowances. Expenses associated with Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), visa applications, relocation, and other personal costs are the responsibility of the recipient.