********************GradStudentPositions******************** ### Msc Opportunity - Metagenomics and Metabarcoding for Caribou and Moose diets, at University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) ??" Department of Integrative Biology Co-supervised by: Edeline Gagnon & Quinn Webber Full ad available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CpCkaSRESdb0zpeHC_96wbpJ5zMqveBJ/view?usp=drive_link We are seeking a highly motivated graduate student (MSc or PhD) to join a collaborative research project focused on developing and applying genomic tools to understand dietary partitioning between caribou and moose. Due to funding constraints, we are only accepting Canadian applicants at the moment to the position. This project offers an exciting opportunity to help shape the future direction of our research program in collaboration with students from both the Gagnon and Webber labs, as well as academic and non-academic partners. Application Instructions: Please consult the ad and assemble the requested elements into a single application as a single PDF to: Dr. Edeline Gagnon (edeline.gagnon@uoguelph.ca) Dr. Quinn Webber (qwebber@uoguelph.ca) Thank you for your interest. We look forward to hearing from you! edeline.gagnon@gmail.com (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************WorkshopsCourses******************** Dear all, registration are now open for the online Physalia course on Multivariate Data Analysis with R and vegan, 4-7 May, and gain practical skills to analyse and interpret complex multivariate datasets using R and the vegan package. Course website: ( https://www.physalia-courses.org/courses-workshops/vegan/ ) This hands-on course covers ordination methods (PCA, CCA, RDA, PCoA), PERMANOVA, and permutation-based inference with applications to ecological and high-throughput data such as shotgun sequencing (metabarcoding) and metagenomics. Participants should be familiar with RStudio and have some fluency in programming R code, including being able to import, manipulate (e.g. modify variables) and visualise data. There will be a mix of lectures, and hands-on practical exercises throughout the course. Format: fully online, 14:00-20:00 Berlin time, mixing lectures, discussion, and exercises. For the full list of our courses and workshops, please visit: ( https://www.physalia-courses.org/courses-workshops/vegan/ ) Best regards, Carlo Carlo Pecoraro, Ph.D Physalia-courses DIRECTOR info@physalia-courses.org mobile: +49 17645230846 ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/physalia-courses-a64418127/ ) "info@physalia-courses.org" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************WorkshopsCourses******************** Learn how to apply modern machine learning methods to ecological time-series data in our live online course Machine Learning for Time Series Using R (METR01). https://prstats.org/course/machine-learning-for-ecological-time-series-metr01/ This applied R training is designed for scientists who want practical skills for analysing, modelling, and forecasting time-series data using reproducible workflows. Participants will work through hands-on examples to understand how machine learning approaches can be used to detect patterns, make predictions, and interpret complex ecological dynamics. The course covers: Preparing and structuring time-series data Supervised and unsupervised machine learning approaches Model training, validation, and performance assessment Forecasting trends and dynamics Interpreting machine learning outputs The training is delivered via recordings available 30 days before the course and supported by 5 x live Q and A sessions from 13-17 April. You also have access for 30 days after the course to revisit any materials. Course details Dates: 13'17 April 2026 Duration: 5 days, approximately 7 hours per day Format: Recorded sessions with live Q&A Fee: pounds 450 This course is suitable for postgraduate students, researchers, consultants, and professionals working with ecological monitoring data, population time series, sensor data, or environmental datasets who want to apply machine learning techniques in R. Full details and registration: https://prstats.org/course/machine-learning-for-ecological-time-series-metr01/ Email oliver@prstats.org with any questions -- Oliver Hooker PhD. PR stats ---- Build practical deep learning skills in Python with our live online course Deep Learning Using Python(DLUP01). https://prstats.org/course/deep-learning-using-python-dlup01/ This intensive two-day workshop provides a structured introduction to deep learning and its implementation in Python using PyTorch. Participants learn both the theoretical foundations of neural networks and how to build modern deep learning models through hands-on coding exercises. The course covers: Foundations of artificial neural networks and deep learning Training networks using backpropagation and optimisation methods Building multilayer perceptrons in PyTorch Convolutional neural networks for image data Transformer architectures and minimal GPT-style models Using pre-trained models with the Hugging Face Transformers library () Delivered live online with recordings available, participants receive course materials, datasets, and post-course support. Course details Dates: 14-15 April 2026 Duration: 2 days, approximately 6 hours per day Format: Live online Fee: 300 This course is suitable for researchers, data scientists, and professionals who are comfortable with Python and want a clear, practical introduction to neural networks, CNNs, and transformer models for real research problems. () Full details and registration: https://prstats.org/course/deep-learning-using-python-dlup01/ Email oliver@prstats.org with any questions -- Oliver Hooker PhD. PR stats Oliver Hooker (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************Conferences******************** Dear colleagues, The online seminars organised by the ESEB-funded STN network « Integration of Speciation Research » ( [ https://speciation-network.pages.ist.ac.at/ ] ) is about to restart, with the first session taking place Tuesday 3rd of March at 5pm CET. This session falls within the theme "Early Career Researchers in Speciation", with a new format featuring two talks (1 hour total): 1. José Cerca (Group Leader @ Swedish Museum of Natural History) "The identity Crisis of Speciation Genomics" 2. Andrea Estandia (Postdoc @ U. Oxford, UK): "Evolutionary Consequences of Island Colonisation in the Silvereye." followed by a 30 min Q&A with Mark Ravinet (U. Oslo, Norway) about his career path. We are grateful to José Cerca for stepping in at short notice as our previously announced speaker Nare Ngoepe sadly had to cancel. To attend, please use the following link: https://gu-se.zoom.us/j/68669501529 Talks (but not the Q&A) will be recorded and made available here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClEkDdE_5sDw70SQq78DIAA, where you can also find previous seminar recordings. The IOS network aims to promote both scientific and community integration across speciation research. A main objective is to foster diversity and inclusion across the field. We alternate time slots every month to maximise the geographic diversity of attendees. The seminar series and subsequent discussions are open to everyone, from students to established researchers and non-scientists. Please share this email with anyone who may be interested, especially those in countries that are typically underrepresented in scientific discourse. However, please do not post the zoom link on social media. The seminar programme is announced by email, on Bluesky (@speciation-network) and Twitter (@Speciation_net), here on EvolDir, and on the IOS network website. To automatically receive the programme and other news from the IOS network, sign up to the mailing list via the IOS website. We look forward to seeing you there! The STN IOS organising committee: Jonna Kulmuni (chair), Sean Stankowski, Carole Smadja, Sonal Singhal (co-chairs), Chris Cooney, Liz Scordato, Joana Meier, Richard Merrill, Konrad Lohse, Nick Barton, Roger Butlin, Jonah Walker, Parvathy Suendranadh, Hilde Schneemann and Rowan Schley Hilde Schneemann (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)