Study with us

The E&ERC hosts extended visits from distinguished international and regional research scientists. The visitors will give research presentations, participate in workshops and discussions, meet individually with research students, and attend dinners or other social events.

In 2019, the PG Student Committee invited Professor Bob Wong from Monash University and A/Prof. Cate Macinnis-Ng from the University of Auckland. As part of their visit, the PG Student Committee organised a student workshop each and speaker gave a seminar.

Previous distinguished visitors have included:

• Dr Michael E. Price, Brunel University, UK (2018)
• Prof. Madeleine van Oppen, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Aus (2018)
• Dr Jonathan Pruitt, UC, Santa Barbara (2016)
• Prof. Troy Day, Queen’s University, Canada (2016)
• Prof. Mike Wimberley, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence at South Dakota State Univ (2016)
• A/Prof. Liran Carmel, Hebrew University in Jerusalem (2016)
• Prof. Martin Thiel, Universidad Catolica del Norte (2015)
• Dr Sasha Dall, University of Exeter (2015)
• Prof. Maciej Boni, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City (2015)
• Prof. Jeffrey H. Schwartz, University of Pittsburgh (2014)
• Prof. Martin Daly, University of Missouri (2014)
• Dr Donald Baird, University of New Brunswick (2014)

The E&ERC hosts short conferences on areas of research strength. In these conferences, academics and postgrads from the E&ERC, and other Australian and global researchers present seminars and participate in discussion groups on current and future research directions in that research area.

Previous conferences hosted by the E&ERC have included:

• 2016: Prof. David Warton presented "Model-Based Multivariate Analysis of Abundance Data using R" course 22-26 November 2016.
• 2015: E&ERC together with the Eco-Stats research group at the UNSW School of Mathematics and Statistics hosted the Eco-Stats '15: Technological advances between Ecology and Statistics conference at UNSW in December 2015
• 2014: "Phenotypic Variation and Evolution" Symposium organised by Dr Lisa Schwanz. This was held on 15 & 16 September. Speakers included: Prof. Mark Blows (UQ), Dr Carla Sgro (Monash), Dr Matt Hall (Monash), A/Prof. Glenda Wardle (Usyd), Prof. Ben Oldroyd (Usyd), Dr Adrienne Nicotra (ANU), A/Prof. Simon Griffith (Mq)
• 2014: "Meta-analysis and Data compilation" workshop, held 2-4 April 2014 and organised by Dr Habacuc Flores-Moreno. Presenters included A/Prof. Shinichi Nakagawa and Dr Will Cornwell.
• 2014: "Cooperation and conflict in the family" organised by Centre Director, Prof. Rob Brooks and Jason Collins (UWA). This conference was held 2-5 February 2014; it brought together leading economic and evolutionary researchers to explore the nature of conflict and cooperation between the sexes in the areas of marriage, mating and fertility.
• 2013: "Colour Analysis" workshop, was held 14 & 15 November 2013 and organised by Dr Michael Kasumovic. This workshop covered the different techniques currently available for analysing colour data. A hyperspectral camera was available to see how well it works under different laboratory and field scenarios for different types of animals, plants and non-living organisms.
• 2013: "Women in science" a career building workshop for women in academia was held on 18 September as part of the Distinguished Visitor Program that was hosted by A/Prof. Tracey Rogers. 
• 2013: "Mammals response to change", this conference was part of the Distinguished Visitor Program that was hosted by A/Prof. Tracey Rogers. It was held on 20 September and brought together researchers and academics from Australia and USA.
• 2013: "New opportunities at the Interface between Ecology and Statistics", a two day Eco-stats symposium was organised by A/Prof. David Warton 11 & 12 July 2013.
• 2012: "Shifting species interactions and the tropicalisation of temperate marine ecosystems", which brought together ecologists and oceanographers from Australia, USA, Japan and Spain to discuss and review the ecological impacts of climate-mediated changes in species interactions.

A committee of postgraduate students from various labs within the Centre function as a steering team that ensures postgraduate students have a direct say in current and future activities of the Centre. For example, the committee proposes, and often subsequently develops, new initiatives where gaps are evident in the graduate program. The committee also hosts student-invited external speakers (e.g., for the distinguished visitors program; see above) and arranges social events focused on integrating new postgrads and creating a sense of belonging in the centre. Events include a wine and cheese evening, trivia night and a movie night. Student tenure on the committee circles on an annual basis and is open to nominations from any E&ERC postgraduate student. Most current members are 2nd year PhD students, but this is by no means an explicit requirement. Calls for new nominations go out on a 6-month basis.

The 2020 PG Committee are: Shannen Smith (shannen.smith@unsw.edu.au) and Baptiste Wijas (b.wijas@student.unsw.edu.au)

There is more to developing a research career than simply finishing a postgraduate degree. With experienced mentors, we aim to provide resources and advice for students at various steps along the pathway to a research career. The most tangible way the centre achieves this is through special interest courses in which faculty and senior postgraduates provide advice on various aspects of a successful research career, including funding opportunities, grant writing, research networking, and finding employment. These courses are recurrent and will generally overlap a student’s tenure within the graduate program. Nevertheless, new students should feel free to contact Dr Daniel Falster (daniel.falster@unsw.edu.au) to express interest in any past courses that have not been run recently, or to propose ideas for any new, future courses that might be run by the centre.

Please contact Dr Daniel Falster (daniel.falster@unsw.edu.au) for a copy of the E&ERC Graduate Program Handbook