About the workshop

An intensive training workshop focusing on methods used by analytical palaeobiologists has been held since 2005. As in previous years, the 2015 workshop will held at Macquarie University in Sydney. The sessions will run from 21 June to 11 July.

Topics will include community palaeoecology, diversity estimation, speciation and extinction, phylogenetics, phenotypic evolution, and geometric morphometrics. Both simulation modelling and data analysis methods will be employed. Training will combine lectures and practical exercises. Participants will be given hands-on instruction in programming using R and taught to use other analytical software. In addition to the workshop coordinator, each week a new instructor will be present. The instructors are expected to include John Alroy, Alistair Evans, Michal Kowalewski, and Pete Wagner.

There is no fee for registration, but no expenses will be subsidised this year due to lack of institutional support for the workshop. Participants will be advised on the availability of budget accommodations with cooking facilities near the campus. Participants are encouraged to solicit travel funds from their home institutions or other organizations.

How to apply

Participants should be in the early stages of their own research in palaeontology or any related area and should have a background in basic statistics. The ability to understand rapidly spoken English is essential. Although the workshop is open to all undergraduates and advanced graduate students, first or second year graduate students are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications from professionals who have completed their studies will be considered but are not given first priority. We strongly encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

Applications should be submitted in PDF format to John Alroy (john.alroy@mq.edu.au). Applications should be mailed by midnight on Saturday, 28 February 2015 as reckoned in the Pacific time zone. A cogent explanation must be given for submitting an application after the deadline. Applications should consist of a one page statement. Do not include separate documents such as a curriculum vitae. No form needs to be filled out.

The statement should include a brief description of current research plans, a list of degrees earned stating the year of graduation in each case, a brief list of relevant classes taken, and an account of the applicant's previous use of statistics and knowledge of programming. Applicants who do not employ English as a primary language should describe their experiences learning and speaking it. Applicants are encouraged to explain why the topics addressed by the workshop are of special interest to them and to what extent these subjects are taught at their home institutions.

Applications must be accompanied by a recommendation letter, also in PDF format, written by the applicant's academic advisor and e-mailed separately. Obtaining a recommendation from anyone who is not an advisor must be explained. It is important that the recommendation give details about the applicant's personal character and abilities, not just credentials and descriptions of research projects. Recommendation letters also should be received by the end of the due date.

2014 participants

Mairin Balisi	University of California, Los Angeles	Haley O'Brien	Ohio University
Tom Cullen	University of Toronto	Alejandra Ortiz	New York University
Sauruv Dutta	IISER Kolkata	Sandra Schachat	Smithsonian Institution
Adam Kocsis	Eötvös University	Laura Stroik	Arizona State University
Andreas Lauchstedt	Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Jon Tennant	Imperial College London
David Moss	Syracuse University	Collin VanBuren	University of Cambridge

2013 participants

Tomasz Borszcz	Institute of Oceanology (PAS)	Emily Orzechowski	College of William and Mary
Neil Brocklehurst	Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin	Silvia Pineda-Munoz	Macquarie University
Aidan Couzens	Flinders University	Mark Puttick	University of Bristol
Andrew Du	George Washington University	Nadia Scott	Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Daniel Field	Yale University	Stephanie Smith	University of Washington
Julieta Gallego	Cornell University	Davey Wright	Ohio State University
Derek Larson	University of Toronto

2012 participants

Jérémie Bardin	Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle	Rafal Nawrot	Universität Wien
Kirstin Brink	University of Toronto	David Nicholson	University of York
Sahale Casebolt	University of Florida	Celeste Pérez Ben	Universidad de Buenos Aires
John Clarke	University of Oxford	Luna Sánchez	Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Martin Ezcurra	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Roland Sookias	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Anneke Madern	Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis	Laura Soul	University of Oxford

2011 participants

Gabrial Aguirre	University of Otago	Manja Hethke	University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
Meghan Balk	University of New Mexico	Sabine Nürnberg	Humboldt University Berlin
Caleb Brown	University of Toronto	Shubhabrata Paul	University of South Florida
Jonathan Calede	University of Washington	Peter Smits	Monash University
Lucy Chang	University of California, Berkeley	Allison Stegner	University of California, Berkeley
Andy Grass	University of Iowa	Valerie Syverson	University of Michigan

2010 participants

Jessie Atterholt	University of California, Berkeley	Alex Janevski	University of Michigan
Monica Carvalho	Pennsylvania State University	Julien Millet	Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Max Christie	University of Georgia	Jon Mitchell	Appalachian State University
Liz Ferrer	University of California, Berkeley	John Renaudie	Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Frank Forcino	University of Alberta	Kathleen Ritterbush	University of Southern California
Clotilde Hardy	Université de Bourgogne	Priya Tamma	National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore

2009 participants

Mark Bell	University of Bristol	Felix Marx	University of Bristol
Katie Collins	University of Wellington	Heike Mewis	Museum für Naturkunde
Federico Degrange	Museo de La Plata	Gary Motz	University of Akron
Aaron House	University of Cincinnati	Alejo Scarano	Museo de La Plata
Annie Lagomarcino	University of Cincinnati	Amelinda Webb	Yale University
Kaitlin Maguire	University of California, Berkeley	Shawn Whiteman	University of New Mexico

2008 participants

Tracy Aze	Cardiff University	Emily Lindsey	University of California, Berkeley
Karen Bacon	University College Dublin	Luis Felipe Opazo	University of Plymouth
Diego Balseiro	Universidad Nacional de Córdoba	Juan José Rustan	Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
Javier Echevarria	Museo de La Plata	Daniel Thomas	University of Otago
Liz Freedman	Montana State University	Michael Tuite	University of Virginia
Michelle Lawing	Indiana University	Laura Wilson	Universität Zürich

2007 participants

Andrea Cobbett	University of Bath	Murat Maga	University of Texas, Austin
Felipe de la Parra	University of Florida	John Orcutt	University of Oregon
Kathy Hollis	University of Colorado, Boulder	Claire Samant	Université de Poitiers
Philip Jardine	University of Birmingham	Susan Standen	Case Western Reserve University
Soïzic Le Fur	Université de Poitiers	Susumu Tomiya	University of California, Berkeley
Graeme Lloyd	University of Bristol	Vera Weisbecker	University of New South Wales

2006 participants

Ayse Atakul	Middle East Technical University		Stephen Goodyear	University of Texas, Austin
Mara Brady	University of Chicago		Sarah Kolbe	University of Copenhagen
Andres Cardenas	University of South Florida		Sarda Sahney	University of Bristol
Brad Deline	University of Cincinnati		Krister Smith	Yale University
Jessica Gilner	Florida Institute of Technology		Bryan Valencia	Florida Institute of Technology
Ann Goewert	University of North Carolina		Richard Wilkinson	Cambridge University

2005 participants

Jessica Blois	Stanford University		Matt O'Donnell	Pennsylvania State University
Devin Buick	University of Cincinnati		Jocelyn Sessa	Pennsylvania State University
Sylvain Gerber	Université de Bourgogne		Adam Tomasovych	Universität Würzburg
Zack Krug	Pennsylvania State University		Patrick Wall	Syracuse University
Elise Nardin	Université de Bourgogne		Mike Weiser	University of Arizona
Mike Nowak	Duke University