The Animal and Environment Research Group (AERG) is an interdisciplinary community of scientists working with relevant external organisations and industries in order to improve our understanding of the natural world and provide innovative solutions to the urgent and complex global issues of sustainability, ethical resource use and biodiversity loss. Our research has impact through conservation and wildlife management policy and through the animal-based leisure and food production economies. We operate in both human-dominated and 'natural' landscapes.

We have particular strengths in animal behaviour and welfare; palaeoclimate research; ecosystem restoration; biodiversity and taxonomy. We have been able to enhance and build on these areas by transferring intellectual experience as well as statistical, genetic and chemical analytical techniques and geographic information system (GIS) expertise. This has led us to develop a number of exciting new research projects and take advantage of emerging opportunities in a diverse yet coherent way.

Supervision and support

We provide a supportive, inclusive environment for graduate students with regular formal and informal meetings and activities for student and staff members.

Facilities

There are a variety of facilities available to support your work in this area, including a range of environmental monitoring equipment and access to a range of analytical techniques such as DNA analysis. Long-standing external collaborations also facilitate access to field sites in the UK and abroad. You will also have access to a range of software supporting statistics and geographic information system (GIS) in general as well as specific areas such as population size estimation and acoustics.

Funding

Aside from self-funding or funding by your employer, charities and trusts (competitively sought after, as are Research Council Awards), career, graduate, and professional study loans may be available. Visit: www.family-action.org.uk for information on educational trusts, or www.direct.gov.uk for bank loans at competitive rates. Alternatively, visit your local high-street bank for more information.

Career development and training

The nature of this research programme means that there is opportunity for you to study while working in an area related to your future career. This is enhanced by our location in Cambridge - the city is an international hotspot for conservation Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and bodies such as the Cambridge Conservation Forum. As part of your studies, you will benefit from training in transferable skills such as writing and presentation through our graduate student training programme. We are able to provide support on statistics and GIS.

• Dr Alvin Helden BSc, MSc, PhD - invertebrate biodiversity and conservation
• Alison Northrop BSc - animal training, equine
• Dr Alison Thomas BSc, PhD - molecular ecology, invasive biology, population and conservation
• Dr Andrew Smith BSc, PhD - colour vision, animal behaviour, primates
• Dr Charlotte Nevison BSc, PhD - animal welfare, ethics, equine
• Dr Nancy Harrison BSc, PhD - conservation, urban biodiversity, avian ecology and behaviour
• Dr Dawn Hawkins BSc, MPhil, PhD - conservation, animal behaviour, elephants
• Dr Deborah Clements BSc, PhD - parasitology, habitat restoration, invertbrates
• Fabrizio Manco BSc - GIS
• Dr Franc Hughes BSc, MSc, PhD - wetland ecology, habitat restoration
• Guy Norton BSc - tropical ecology and conservation, elephants, primates
• Dr Julian Doberski BSc, PhD - population ecology, invertbrates
• Dr Mark Kennedy BSc, PhD - animal welfare, equine
• Dr Paul Elliott Bsc, PhD - animal behaviour, invasive species, zebra mussels
• Dr Philip Pugh BSc, PhD - biogeography, conservation, invertbrates
• Dr Sheila Pankhurst BSc, PhD - captive animal management, small mammals
• Dr Toby Carter BSc, PhD - animal welfare, population ecology, fish

Candidates seeking admission to the degree of MPhil or MPhil with possibility of transfer to PhD will normally be required to hold a first or upper second class honours degree of a university, or any other institution of higher education in the UK with degree-awarding powers or a qualification which is regarded by Anglia Ruskin as equivalent to a first or upper second class honours degree.