Publisher
source

Missouri Botanical Garden

PhD in Conservation Biogeography and Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Missouri Botanical Garden

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Computer Science

Funding

Funding is anticipated through University and Garden fellowships for 4 years. Full details will be confirmed before formal interviews. The post also notes that the Washington University application requires an application fee and essays, which is why a two-stage application process is used.

Deadline

Oct 25, 2026

Country

-

University

Missouri Botanical Garden

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Keywords

Computer Science
Environmental Science
Biology
Conservation Biology
Earth Science
Morphology
Global Change
Phenology
Geometric Modeling
Climate Extremes
Statistics
Species Distribution
Programming Language

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About this position

Adam Smith, Scientist and Head of the Global Change & Conservation Compute Lab at the Missouri Botanical Garden, is recruiting a PhD student to start in Fall 2027.

The project sits at the intersection of Environmental Science, Biology, Earth Science, Statistics, and Computer Science, with a strong emphasis on computational modeling. The successful student will design an independent research project focused on integrating weather rather than climate alone into conservation biogeography and climate change vulnerability assessment.

Possible research directions include: how extreme weather affects species distributions and abundances; combining models with phenological or morphological data from the Missouri Botanical Garden herbarium; and investigating how climate cycles such as El Niño/La Niña influence restoration success. The lab notes that its work has a global scope and a strong modeling component.

The student will join the Global Change and Conservation Lab at the Missouri Botanical Garden and be enrolled in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduate program at Washington University in Saint Louis, where Adam Smith holds a joint adjunct appointment. The post highlights a vibrant academic environment with around 50 PhD-level researchers, plus other PhD students and postdocs.

Funding is anticipated through University and Garden fellowships for 4 years. The post also explains that the application process is two-stage: first apply to the lab, then, if invited, apply to Washington University in Saint Louis. The WUSTL application requires an application fee and essays, so applicants are asked not to submit there unless contacted.

Eligibility highlights include a quantitative background and/or coding experience, plus interest in conservation impact. The advisor specifically welcomes applicants with life or work experience outside a standard classroom setting, including those returning to school after time away.

Application deadline for the lab is October 25, 2026. The formal Washington University PhD application deadline is December 1, 2026.

Funding details

Funding is anticipated through University and Garden fellowships for 4 years. Full details will be confirmed before formal interviews. The post also notes that the Washington University application requires an application fee and essays, which is why a two-stage application process is used.

What's required

Applicants should have a quantitative background and/or enjoy coding. The advisor especially welcomes students with life or work experience outside a standard classroom setting, including those returning to school after time away. The project is suitable for students interested in conservation impact, modeling, and global change research.

How to apply

First complete the lab application at the provided link by October 25, 2026. Do not apply to Washington University in Saint Louis unless invited to do so after hearing back from the lab. If selected, you will later submit the formal WUSTL PhD application due December 1, 2026.

More information can be found here

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