ACAD has several postgraduate projects by reseach for students who meet the following criteria:

• Have a 1st Class Honours or MSc degree and high undergraduate academic record in either of the followign areas evolution, genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics chemistry/biochemistry, paleontology, archaeology, or anthropology)
• Are highly motivated and enjoy independent and unusual research
• An interest in evolution and natural history
• Meet the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements
• Must be an Australian/NZ citizen or permanet resident or in the case of International Students, must apply for an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. This award covers stipends (a living allowance) and in some cases tuition fee waivers.

If you meet the above criteria and are interested in study at ACAD, please submit your expression of interest in writing and include your CV by email here.

International students are required to apply for an International Scholarship to be able to study in Australia. These scholarships are available to outstanding international students from any country, are highly competative and based on an excellent academic record, publications and any work experience. Prior to contacting our office, please read this website for information on how to apply. Both the Australian Department of immigration and the University of Adelaide expect international applicants to meet English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements. The ELP is based on high scores in IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). For further information please refer to the international entry requirements website here.

Closing date for International Scholarships is 31st of August of each year. The other alternative for international students to be able to study in Australia is to obtain sponsorship from their respective country.

Domestic Students (Australian/NZ citizens) are encouraged to apply for Australian Postgraduate Awards (APAs) (closing date is October 31st each year) where applicable, refer to this website for the application process >> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/scholarships/postgrad/pgresearch/. The Australian Centre for Ancient DNA is able to provide alternative stipends in some cases should your APA application not be successful. These are referred to as Divisional Scholarships. Eligibility usually requires a minimum of a Second Class Honours degree or equivalent and applicants must be Citizens or Permanent Residents of Australia prior to the closing date. Scholarships are offered on the basis of academic merit and Faculties may also consider area of research when selecting recipients. These scholarships share similar conditions to APAs. Scholarships provide a living allowance of approximately AUD$23,728(2012) tax free per annum for up to 3 years and indexed annually. Major Round Application Form | Conditions of Research Award

No open positions currently available.

New Projects for 2013 are listed below:

Investigating anicent oral microbiones.
Using calcified dental plaque (calculus) as a reservoir of ancient bacteria, we are investigating how the human microbiome has evolved through human history and how it has adapted to large changes in lifestyle, diet, and environment.  We are also analyzing ancient bacterial genomes from dental calculus to understand what factors drive both pathogen and commensal evolution.
This project is part of an Australian Research Council funded project and the PhD Candidate will be working within a small team. Potential applicants should have a background in infectious disease, phylogenetics, evolution, ancient DNA, or related fields, and have good time management skills. Experience in bioinformatics, microbiology, and evolutionary sciences are essential. Please direct your expression of interest including your CV to Dr Laura Weyrich.

Evolutionary Bioinformatics:

This project will apply the latest evolutionary bioinformatics methods to the study of ancient and modern DNA generated through new genomics and 3rd Gen sequencing data. Study species include a wide range of ancient humans, domestic animals, environmental samples, and broader evolutionary projects such as marsupial evolution, and extinct species such as thylacines, mammoths and other megafauna. The datasets will include genomic sequencing projects, SNP arrays and multigene phylogenies.

Ancient human DNA and Domestication genomics:

Several project opportunities are available to work with ancient humans, animals and plants. These projects will use advanced new genomic techniques to study ancient populations and species, and focus on evolutionary history, archaeology/anthropology, and the study of domestic/commensal animals to trace human movement, and identify and analyse genetic loci under selection. The methods used will include SNP and capture array approaches, and a strong expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics is required. Recent studies have examined Neolithic farmers in Europe, pre-Columbian South Americans, and bovids, chickens, pigs , and rats from around the world.

Expressions of interest from applicants with strong graduate marks, a good TOEFL score, and a background in evolution/bioinformatics/molecular biology are encouraged to contact the following supervisor and provide your CV/resume: Prof. Alan Cooper.