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Job Description Internship Title: NERC Research Experience Placement - Bats for biodiversity: where do bats live in the city, and what does this tell us about wider urban biodiversity? Department / School School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh Dr Alfred Gathorne-Hardy Reports To a.gathorne-hardy@ed.ac.uk Job Purpose Working closely with the supervisory team, you will monitor bats to estimate the wider biodiversity in urban habitats, using Edinburgh as a case study. This work is composed of two parts: (a) a systematic review to understand the diet of different bat species; and (b) the use of AudioMoth acoustic sensors to identify which bats feed where in cities (as a pilot study). The systematic review will lead to a publication and, when combined with the Edinburgh based primary data, will allow us to estimate the wider biodiversity in cities. Main responsibilities • Facilitating data collection for the systematic review, including conducting the literature search, selecting studies, and extracting data • Working closely with the supervisory team, co-design a pilot protocol for surveying bats across Edinburgh habitats using AudioMoths. This will include programming the AudioMoths and analysing data using the Acoustic Pipeline developed by the BTO • Carry out the pilot project • Analyse results and produce a report Knowledge Skills and Experience Person specification Attribute Essential Desirable Education, • Basic computing skills • Knowledge of Qualifications experimental design & Training
• Statistical analysis and familiarity with R (or similar software package) Knowledge & • Confidence to talk to Experience diverse people (from golf course managers to private house owners) • Enthusiasm for natural history and wildlife Planning & Organising The student should be self-motivated and happy to design their own work schedules, in collaboration with the wider project team. Problem Solving This project will involve lots of problem solving! It combines a ‘definite win’ component (the systematic review) and a higher risk pilot project (collecting data from around Edinburgh). However, the problems are fascinating and the results will be exciting! Decision Making Both components need categorical decisions to be made, and understanding of the implications of those decisions. Often there is no right or wrong decision – making it a harder but more interesting process Key contacts • Supervisory team: Alfy Gathorne-Hardy (a.gathorne-hardy@ed.ac.uk), Barbara Smith (barbarasmithmail@gmail.com) • PhD mentor: Helen Waters (helen.waters@ed.ac.uk) • Other: Stuart Newson (BTO) Dimensions Closing date for applications: 15 May 2022 Interview date: to be determined by the supervisor Start date: probably starting before the end of June, but open for discussion Hours per week and preferred pattern/restrictions (if applicable): 35 hours per week (part-time option available) Length of internship: 7 weeks (including 4.5 days of annual leave) Additional Information Host and Project outline The ability to fly gives animals access to a range of considerable advantages: they can escape predators or capture prey, they can access diverse habits or cover vast distances with speed and efficiency (for more details on this topic read On the wing: insects, pterosaurs, birds, bats and the evolution of animal flight by Alexander and
Taliaferro (OUP, 2015) - a fascinating and accessible book). It is likely due to these benefits that flying animals have been so evolutionarily successful; just think of the diversity of insect and bird species. Bats, the focus of this project, are the only group of mammals that can fly, yet they represent 25% of UK mammal species. Using flight and echolocation, all UK bat species are carnivorous. Due of their position at the top of the food chain we can assume that habitats favoured by feeding bats also support the wider food chain associated with their prey. The sensitivity of bats to the availability of their food source could allow us to use bats as an indicator of wider biodiversity and habitat quality. However, there remains an important key knowledge gap concerning the diets of different bat species and there is no comprehensive source to aid the ecologist. The student will contribute to a systematic review of bat diet, to enable us to understand what the presence of bats indicates about other species. Systematic reviews are a powerful tool, and experience of using them will be valuable to students in many aspects of academia. The systematic review is expected to contribute about 80% of the project time, and is likely to lead to a publication. During the systematic review, the student will be fully supported by the project supervisors. Additionally, and concurrently, the student will develop a pilot project to understand which urban habitats are favoured by bats. Urban habitats have become increasingly important for wildlife in the UK, but so far little work has taken place looking at the types of urban areas most favoured by bats. The student will use AudioMoths to compare bat activity in different habitats around Edinburgh, and use the Acoustic Pipeline (a software developed by Stuart Newson of the BTO, who will assist this project) to identify individual species. The student will be able to take a leading role in developing the pilot study design. The pilot will both explore the presence / absence of bat species in different areas, and also develop methods to compare the relative value of different urban land uses including: golf courses, allotments, Edinburgh’s ‘seven hills’, and areas of varying urban density. Note: (i) the student should be friendly and confident to talk to people from diverse backgrounds, so that people are happy to ‘host’ the AudioMoths; (ii) the student would benefit from easy access to the city, for example access to a bicycle; (iii) this part of the project is a pilot study – it is designed to test methods rather than collect data appropriate for publication. This is expected to represent about 20% of total project time, but will happen concurrently with the systematic review. The project will take place over 7 weeks. The dates can be negotiated by the student with the wider supervisory team, but starting early in the summer would be beneficial for field data collection of bat activity in Edinburgh. The student will be fully supported throughout the project and will have the opportunity to contribute to the design and main activities involved in this research. There will be expert input from the BTO and opportunities to develop ideas with those leading the field of acoustic monitoring.
We hope and expect that a paper will come out of the systematic review, with the student included in the author list. Budget £500 Research Costs (included) for travel costs Location The student will be hosted in KB, we expect in the room normally allocated for dissertation write up students. They should bring their own laptop if possible. All other equipment and software will be provided by the supervisors. Health & Safety Requirements for the role The job will include independent travel within Edinburgh. Key Job hazard information specific to the role n/a Covid-19 contingency plan In principle this whole project could work from any location in Edinburgh. If the student would not have Edinburgh based accommodation, then the location of fieldwork could change too, as that component is a pilot study. Programme Information Research Experience Placement is a summer placement scheme funded by NERC, aimed at undergraduate students to address demographic and diversity-related challenges in the environmental sciences as well as thematic skills gaps (e.g. quantitative skills). Please see the application instructions and selection process on the REP webpage: Research Experience Placements (REPs) | The University of Edinburgh As well as great work experience, the Careers Service provides supporting resources, this is combined with a framework to support the development of participants’ employability and self-reflection with an Edinburgh Award as part of the internship. Application Support For guidance on writing an effective application see our website: CV, Applications and Interview Advice You can also make an appointment with a Careers Consultant using MyCareerHub. Eligibility Students must meet ALL of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for a REP. The students must: • Be undertaking their first undergraduate degree studies (or integrated Masters) in a UK Higher Education institution in any science discipline - Year 2 onwards; Note: students in their final year who have graduated and no longer have student status at the time the placement starts are not eligible. If the student
meets the eligibility criteria (i.e., has student status) at the beginning of the placement, we would consider the eligibility criteria to be met even if the student graduates during the course of the placement. • Be eligible for subsequent NERC PhD funding as defined here, i.e. be either: o an UK citizen who has been living in the UK for at least the past 3 years OR o an EU citizen with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme OR o a non-EU citizen who has obtained the right to remain in the UK - known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’ (ILR) OR o an International/EU student already studying in the UK and currently under a Tier 4 or Student Route Visa with validity until at least September 2022 REPs do not meet the requirements for a visa request therefore non-UK students who are not currently living in the UK or who are without a suitable UK visa are not eligible to apply. Internships are ONLY open to undergraduate students studying in an UK Higher Education institution and based in the UK. You cannot take part if you are a visiting student, or you have already taken part in the programme before. Privacy Statement In addition to the University’s HR data privacy statement, please read the Student and Graduate Privacy Statement: Internships and work experience programmes to understand how and why we will use the information you submit. If you require this document in an alternative format please contact the E4 DTP team at e4dtp.info@ed.ac.uk
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