Outline

DICE's research degree programmes all carry the generic title of Biodiversity Management. We welcome students with the appropriate background for research. Students taking a three-year (full-time) PhD register initially for an MPhil, which upgrades to PhD subject to satisfactory progress. We also consider students for a one-year full-time or twoyear part-time MSc by research, or a two-year fulltime MPhil. All research students have a supervisory committee, which includes a main supervisor who oversees the day-to-day supervision of the project. In conjunction with the supervisory committee, an individual training programme is devised for each student that includes both the generic and specific skills required to undertake the project. DICE is unusual in that it also has a Research Student Programme Convenor, who oversees the progress of all students to ensure their training needs are being met. Because of the diversity and international nature of many field projects, the amount of time that research students spend at DICE varies, but local supervision is usually organised for those students spending considerable time overseas.

Overseas students who wish to spend most of their time in their home country while undertaking research may register as an external student or for a split PhD. Both schemes require co-supervision to be arranged through a local university or conservation agency. For further information on this mode of study, please contact Shelley Malekia (S.Malekia@kent.ac.uk).

You can find a list of past and current student theses, with their supervisors, on the DICE website. This gives you an idea of the wide range of projects, in terms of research focus, species groups and geographical location, in which we can supervise research students.

If you are interested in registering for a research degree in Biodiversity Management, you should contact the DICE staff member whose research is the most relevant to your interests. You should include a curriculum vitae plus a short research proposal, a provisional budget and potential funding sources with all enquiries.

Programme structure

For further information see the School site.

Funding

DICE postgraduate students have received funding from bodies such as the African Wildlife Foundation, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society. International students taking one-year taught programmes can apply for Chevening Scholarships offered through the British Council or the British High Commission.

University research studentships are available to the School of Anthropology and Conservation, for the support of two PhD candidates in any one of three broad fields: social anthropology, biological anthropology or biodiversity conservation. These studentships are for three years and cover fees at the home rate and a stipend up to the UK Research Councils' level of £13,590 (2011/12 rate).

The School also offers scholarships in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) whereby postgraduate research students receive financial support in return for teaching. The value of awards may vary, but often cover tuition fees at the home/EU rate and a substantial maintenance grant.

All postgraduate research students are eligible to apply for GTAs. See Graduate Teaching Assistantships.

The School of Anthropology and Conservation has been highly successful in attracting NERC and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) studentships in the past and the University of Kent was selected as one of four Universities constituting the ESRC South East Doctoral Training Centre (DTC).

Details of all these funding opportunities can also be found on our website.

For further information about sources of financial support for postgraduate students, see Postgraduate funding.

Further information:

• Scholarships website
• Funding website
• Finance Office

Resources and facilities

DICE has various long-term study sites around the world, and maintains an ecology field trials area and field laboratory on the University campus.

DICE is part of the School of Anthropology and Conservation, which is well equipped with computing facilities and research laboratories for ethnobotany, biological anthropology, molecular genetics and ecology.

Further information:

• School website
• Canterbury campus

Staff research

Dr Peter Bennett: Reader in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Ecology
Evolution, ecology and conservation of birds; biodiversity hotspots; life history evolution and extinction risk; marine mammals; wildlife disease.

Dr Ian Bride: Lecturer in Biodiversity Management
Conservation education; biodiversity managment; PA and visitor management; nature tourism; guidng and interpretation; community-based conservation; and restoration ecology.

Dr Richard Bodmer: Reader in Conservation Ecology
Population dynamics and community ecology of rainforest mammals; community-based conservation, sustainable use, wildlife management in tropical ecosystems.

Dr Zoe Davies: Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation
Range edge population dynamics; species responses to climate change; conservation finance and investment; urban ecology; ecosystem service provision; landscape and spatial ecology.

Professor Richard Griffiths: Professor of Biological Conservation
Ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles; effects of environmental change on threatened species; survey and monitoring protocols for biodiversity.

Dr Jim Groombridge: Senior Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation
Conservation of highly threatened bird species; conservation genetics of small populations; parrot conservation, genetics and biogeography.

Professor Stuart Harrop: Professor of Wildlife Management Law
Law and policy relating to conservation, biodiversity and genetic resources; rights of indigenous people; intellectual property

Professor Douglas MacMillan: Professor of Conservation and Applied Resource Economics
Economics and wildlife conservation; environmental modelling; economics of collaboration in land and wildlife management; forest resource economics.

Dr Helen Newing: Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation
The effects of conservation and protected areas on rural development; participatory approaches to natural resource use; the role of NGOs; conservation and tourism.

Dr David Roberts: Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation
Species detectability and extinction, and orchid ecology; the response of orchids to climate change; epiphyte community ecology and modelling epiphyte seed dispersal.

Dr Thomas Roberts: DICE Research Fellow
Human-environment relations; public perceptions of the environment; designation of marine protected areas; development of low carbon energy tecnologies; common pool resource theory; social capital; and risk society.

Dr Matt Struebig: DICE Research Fellow
Mammal responses to environmental change; oil palm and biodiversity; identifying areas of High Conservation Value.

Dr Joseph Tzanopoulos: Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation
Biodiversity conservatioun; plant ecology; reconciling biodiversity conservation and sustianable development in rural areas; impacts of land-use changes on mountain and island ecosystems; pollination networks; and scenario analysis.

Further information:

• School website
• School staff profiles

Contact details

Admissions enquiries

T: +44 (0)1227 827272
E: information@kent.ac.uk

Subject enquiries

Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology,
School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, UK
T: +44 (0)1227 827928
F: +44 (0)1227 827289
E: anthro-office@kent.ac.uk

Further information:

• School website
• Graduate School

Find out more

• School website
• Staff profiles
• Graduate School
• Open Days
• Order or download a prospectus