Research Supervisor Connect
The world faces two pressing challenges: feeding a growing population and preserving biodiversity. Planting pollinator-friendly flowers alongside crops has been proposed as a promising strategy to address these challenges. Such companion planting can enhance crop yields by boosting pollination success, reduce pesticide use by attracting beneficial predatory insects, and support biodiversity. However, not all flowers make good ‘neighbours.’ Some may hinder the pollination success of nearby plants by ‘stealing” pollinators, while others may fail to attract or support predatory insects or native insects effectively.
What makes a flower a good neighbour depends on a complex interplay of factors, including the behaviours of flower-visiting species, flower traits, and the spatial arrangement of flowers. In this project, we will take a complex systems approach to uncover the mechanisms that drive interactions between neighbouring flowers and identify the traits that make certain flowers ideal neighbours for crops.
This interdisciplinary project combines behavioural ecology, pollination biology, and modelling. The ideal candidate will have an interest in pollination and either experience with individual-based or mathematical modelling—or the enthusiasm and willingness to learn these skills.
Join us to address one of the pressing issues of our time and make a tangible impact on sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation.
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
This opportunity/project is a part of the Faculty of Science Australian Research Council (ARC) Scholarship scheme and will be advertised on the Scholarship Office website starting mid-May 2025. The selected applicant is expected to commence their candidature in July (RP3) 2025 onward. Successful applicants will be supervised by A.Prof Tanya Latty and focus primarily on their PhD projects. They will also have the opportunity to participate in any activities held at the University of Sydney under the ARC Future Fellowship. Candidate will be enrolled in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.
Notes:
• The application process is separate from applying for admission to the University of Sydney.
• The scholarship will only be awarded once the successful applicant has received an unconditional offer of admission.
• International applicants are responsible for securing any necessary visas and costs to enable study in Sydney.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3587