Jim Willis Studentships 2012–2013

Applications for the 2012–2013 Jim Willis Studentships have now closed.

The National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) Melbourne, invites applications for vacation studentships honouring the late Dr James Hamlyn Willis, distinguished former senior member of staff at the National Herbarium of Victoria. The studentships allow students in the third or fourth year of a Science degree to participate, under supervision, in one of the research programs at RBG Melbourne.

There are two studentships available and each is awarded for an eight-week period between December and February, and remuneration is $1620.93 gross per fortnight.

The following projects are offered for 2012–2013:

Testing recent changes to the generic/infrageneric taxonomy of the daisies Allittia and Brachyscome using morphological data

Recent molecular data has indicted that the two Allittia species, Allittia uliginosa (Wet-heath Daisy) and A. cardiocarpa (Swamp Daisy), belong in the genus Brachyscome. Using morphological character traits of freshly collected specimens and herbarium specimens, this project will re-examine the genus Allittia with closely related Brachyscome species to determine the status of Allittia, and whether Allittia species should be returned to their former genus Brachyscome.

Supervisors: Megan Hirst (+613 9252 2379, megan.hirst) and Neville Walsh (+613 9252 2310, neville.walsh).

Evolution of Australian tussock grasses

The tussock grasses (Poaceae tribe Poeae) includes 17 genera and approximately 94 species in Australia, including some of the most economically and environmentally important native and introduced pasture grasses, such as Festuca (fescues), Lolium (ryegrasses) and Poa (tussock grasses). As part of an ongoing project to DNA barcode and clarify evolutionary relationships of all Australian taxa in tribe Poeae, it is necessary to resolve the taxonomic boundaries of species. For example, the widespread and ecologically important species Poa labillardieri and Poa sieberiana show extensive morphological variation across their geographic ranges, which requires characterisation. This project will investigate the systematics and taxonomic boundaries of select Poa species using herbarium sampling techniques and molecular and morphological analysis methods.

Supervisors: Dr Joanne Birch (+613 9252 2372, joanne.birch), Dr Dan Murphy (+613 9252 2377, daniel.murphy) and Neville Walsh.

For general information on the studentships contact Frank Udovicic (+613 9252 2313, frank.udovicic).