Research scholarships

The project will use the complimentary strengths of the honey bee and Drosophila systems to examine how the tiny insect brain is capable of complex cognition, sleep and consciousness. It will use a combination of neurogenetics, imaging, electrophysiology, behavioural analyses and computational modelling to probe what circuit features of the insect brain can support working memory, sleep, consciousness, classification, attention or multimodal learning. Applicants should have a background in neuroscience and ideally experience with insect systems or computational neuroscience.

The project will be managed jointly between the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience at UoB and the School of Natural Sciences at MQ. The student will be supervised by Dr James Hodge (UoB) and by Professor Andrew Barron (MQ).

Availability

This scholarship is available to eligible candidates to undertake a direct entry 3.5-year PhD program commencing on 1 January 2025.

Admission and scholarship criteria of both universities must be met:

• For UoB, see School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience postgraduate research.
• For MQ, see Doctor of Philosophy entry requirements.

Components

The scholarship comprises the equivalent of a full-fees award and stipend for a period of up to 3.5 years. Scholarship holders will be expected to have submitted their thesis for examination by the end of that period. Candidates are expected to spend the first 21 months at UoB, followed by 21 months at MQ.

The UoB scholarship contribution will include the following components:

• 42-month tuition fee scholarship for UoB fees
• 21-month stipend (at UKRI rates) paid pro-rata for the period spent on campus at UoB
• Research costs.

The MQ scholarship contribution will include the following components:

• 36-month tuition fee scholarship for MQ fees. Note that the student registers to the PhD (MQ) at UoB first for 3.5 years. They register to the equivalent Global PhD (Cotutelle) at MQ after 6 months, for a 3-year period, keeping the program end dates the same at each institution.
• 21-month stipend scholarship at an annual rate of AUD $38,500 (tax exempt, 2024 rate), paid pro-rata for the period spent on campus at MQ.
• Airfare allowance for flights between the UK and Sydney up to AUD $4,000.

Unless otherwise specified, the scholarships do not cover:

• Any continuation, extension, or resubmission period/fees.
• A research training grant or another equivalent award for research expenses.
• Support for travel, immigration, health insurance and related charges between the partner institutions.

How to apply

Applicants need to apply to both the UoB and MQ to be considered for this PhD. Follow the application processes outlined below.

To apply with the UoB, applicants must submit an application via the UoB application portal. To apply:

1. Read the Admissions Statement.
2. Click on 'Apply Now' and select the program 'Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience (Macquarie) (PhD)'.
3. In the application, funding section, please indicate 'UoB - MCQ Cotutelle'.

To apply with MQ, applicants must submit an application via the MQ application portal. To apply:

1. Select 'PhD in Natural Sciences' as the program and 'COTUTELLE' as the scholarship in the online application from.
2. Provide the project-specific allocation number '20246668' in the according section in the form.

Questions and assistance

For questions about the Cotutelle program, contact:

• Kevin Higgins (UoB), kevin.higgins@bristol.ac.uk and/or
• Rahel Cramer (MQ), gr.globalprograms@mq.edu.au.

For questions about the project, contact:

• Project supervisor Professor Hodge via the Faculty of Life Sciences PGR Admin Team, fls-pgenquiries@bristol.ac.uk.

If you require assistance with your application on the portal, contact:

• Faculty of Life Sciences PGR Admin Team, fls-pgenquiries@bristol.ac.uk.