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SEABCRU Fellowships

The fellowships are intended to place young researchers with Dr Tigga Kingston’s research project at Krau Wildlife Reserve, Malaysia to provide intensive training in ecological bat research techniques. The fellowships are modeled on the many workshops and training programs of the Malaysian Bat Conservation Research Unit, which has trained over 100 people (> 10 workshops), and are intended to equip fellows with the capacity to implement the SEABCRU research priorities. The preliminary fellowship program includes:

  • Practical training:
    • Field techniques for bat capture: harp traps, ground mist nets, canopy mist nets, netting over rivers.
    • Bat identification and handling.
    • Acoustic techniques for the survey of bats.
    • Radio-tracking of bats to identify roosts and to establish foraging areas.
  • Lecture series:
    • Bat Diversity and Indentification
    • Bat Ecology (I) – Foraging Ecology, Roosting Ecology & Mating Systems
    • Bat Ecology (II) – Ecomorphology – echolocation and wing morphology
    • Bat Research In South East Asia
    • Bat Conservation
    • Data Collection & Analysis
    • Publishing & Grant Writing
  • Outreach Activities:
    • The Children’s Workshop (covering materials for 7-10 year olds)
    • Environmental Education Activities for Older Children
    • Role Play
    • Project Activities for Volunteer Groups

The fellowships are for four weeks, so that fellows not only cover the above activities but participate fully in the long-term research program of the MBCRU (which fits within SEABCRU Research Priority Area 5 (long-term monitoring of forest-dependent species), gain sufficient confidence to implement effective surveys/research in their own countries and to publish their findings. The dates for the 2010 team are May 1st-29th 2010

Eligibility
Fellows should be students or young researchers from South East Asian countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam). Priority will be given to applicants with some prior bat experience and who can clearly indicate how their participation will further bat research or conservation in their home country.

Deadline for 2010: 22nd February 2010.

Fellowship Follow-up
The success of the fellowship program will be monitored by:

  • Requiring all fellows to submit a report of their experiences upon return to their host country.
  • Requiring a follow-up report six months later detailing how the fellows have since used their experience.
  • A mentoring program linking individual fellows to senior researchers from other countries.

Complete the Application Form Here and submit to Tigga Kingston.