A Eurasian strain of H5Nl highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) emerged in North America in December 2021. This strain ofHPAI is highly infectious and often fatal in domestic poultry and can also cause mortality in wild birds and mammals. More work is needed to understand wildlife and domestic poultry interactions leading to these HP AI infected premises.

We are looking for an MSc student to join an exciting, collaborative team of scientists at Carleton University and Environment and Climate Change Canada. The student will lead a study exploring wild bird communities and their habitats on poultry farms that were infected with H5Nl during the 2022 and 2023 outbreaks. The project will involve examining geospatial data, acoustic recordings, and transect count data collected in on farms in southern Ontario. Some field work may be a part of the study. The study will help understand how wild birds may contribute to the movement of HPAI onto farms and inform a set of recommendations to minimize the spread of the virus to agricultural lands. The position start date is flexible but September 2024 would be ideal. The student will be supervised by Dr. Rachel Buxton and Dr. Jennifer Provencher.

Essential Skills and Qualifications: BSc degree in ecology, conservation science, environmental science, geography, applied statistics, or a related field; strong research, leadership, and communication skills; enthusiasm and kindness; a desire to make the world a better place for people and nature.

Desirable Skills: GIS/mapping; coding in R; bird identification; experience analyzing acoustic recordings

Application details: Canadian applicants should send the following to Rachel Buxton (Rachel.Buxton@carleton.ca) and Jennifer Provencher (jennifer.provencher@ec.gc.cab) y March 15:

1. Letter of interest summarizing your experience;

2. Curriculum Vitae;

3. Contact details for three references; and

4. University transcripts (unofficial are fine).

Please use the subject line: Birds and farms application.