There is a shortage of researchers with the necessary skills to address scientific questions on the ecological and evolutionary processes in the most species-rich areas on earth. There is also a need to develop approaches to halt the ongoing loss of biological diversity. HOTSPOTS works towards bridging the gap between biodiversity research and conservation by training multidisciplinary early stage researchers, whilst creating an international and multicultural network of students, academics and conservation practitioners.
Scientific training modules:
Acquire core skills for biodiversity research at partner institutions
The Eden Project
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & The Eden Project, 2006: Conservation, IUCN red list and conservation policies (CBD, CITES)
- University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), Station d’Ecologie Experimentale de Moulis, 2006: Community ecology, modeling and statistics
- University of Lausanne, 2008: Evolutionary Processes, Molecular Tools and Bioinformatics
- University of Munich, 2009: TBA
Training in complementary skills:
- research ethics
- grant writing
- management
- communication
- tutoring/mentoring
Conservation in practice:
Six weeks of courses and workshops in tropical Africa run by the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) to receive practical training in biodiversity research, conservation and management.
PhD experimental work:
- Designing data collection and extensive fieldwork in 8 terrestrial and marine hotspots of biodiversity
- Reconstructing evolutionary history using DNA sequencing and genetic fingerprinting
- Developing bioinformatic tools
- Testing key ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about biodiveristy hotspots
Station d’Ecologie Experimentale Moulis
