For students in the Bristol MSc Palaeobiology course:
I supervise thesis projects in topics related to macroevolution, particularly working with behavioural and/or morphological traits of extant species. I typically propose 1-2 projects per year, but I'm also happy to chat with any interested students about their own project ideas related to phylogenetic comparative methods, birds, mammals, and/or languages.
For students in the Bristol MSci Palaeontology and Evolution course:
I can co-supervise (with Mike Benton) year 4 projects related to ecology and evolutionary biology, particularly macroecology and macroevolution. Want to learn more about phylogenetic comparative methods? Think maps are really cool? Wish there was more about sexual selection and/or behaviour and/or speciation in your modules? Really like thinking about extant birds? Something else entirely, that is somehow related to my research? It would be great to chat with you!
For Bristol students who have wandered in from elsewhere:
I can also co-supervise undergrad and Master's level projects in the School of Biological Sciences or the Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, if you think our research interests may align.
For prospective interns:
The Bristol Palaeobiology Research Group often hosts interns at a variety of levels. (These positions are typically informal and as such unpaid, but I would be delighted to help you secure funding if that's something you'd like to pursue.) Palaeo interns tend to, understandably, be interested in the fossil side of things, but if you'd instead like to work on a project related to macroevolution, I can serve as a supervisor. We can either work together on an idea of your own design, or I can propose a project (depending on your interests, this can be birds, mammals, languages, fish, spiders, or something else entirely!). Please send me an email with your CV, some information about the sort of project you might be interested in, and what dates you'd be considering, and we can start the conversation from there. Obviously, given the COVID situation, these "internships" can be remote -- as long as your working pattern and mine overlap enough for us to schedule the occasional meeting, I'm happy to support projects from anywhere in the world.
Note: unpaid work is bad for diversity in science. I think the problem of unpaid internships, though, isn't going to be solved by a single prospective intern making a choice other than what they think is best for them, or by a single prospective supervisor refusing to supervise an unpaid intern. I'm advocating for systematic change at a variety of levels, and in the meantime, as your supervisor, I would do my best to help you find funding and to ensure you that you receive fair credit for the work you would do during your time here (including mentoring you through the process of pursuing first-author publications, if that is your aim).
For prospective students:
I don't currently have any funding for students, but if you'd like to work with me, I'd be delighted to help you apply for fellowships or to apply for grants with you. (I for example regularly mentor US students through the process of applying for UK fellowships such as Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, etc.) A prospective PhD student would typically be co-supervised by someone more senior; I can suggest folks either here at Bristol or within my network of collaborators around the UK, or I'd be very happy to hear what ideas you may have!
Diverse teams make for better science; they're also morally the right thing to encourage. I am currently part of initiatives to improve access to higher education for disabled students, queer students, and students from low-income backgrounds, as well as campaigns to improve the academic working environment for women (particularly from the standpoint of intersectionality). I especially encourage students from minoritized and/or marginalised groups to get in touch to discuss research opportunities.
You can email me at catherine (dot) sheard (at) bristol (dot) ac (dot) uk.
I supervise thesis projects in topics related to macroevolution, particularly working with behavioural and/or morphological traits of extant species. I typically propose 1-2 projects per year, but I'm also happy to chat with any interested students about their own project ideas related to phylogenetic comparative methods, birds, mammals, and/or languages.
For students in the Bristol MSci Palaeontology and Evolution course:
I can co-supervise (with Mike Benton) year 4 projects related to ecology and evolutionary biology, particularly macroecology and macroevolution. Want to learn more about phylogenetic comparative methods? Think maps are really cool? Wish there was more about sexual selection and/or behaviour and/or speciation in your modules? Really like thinking about extant birds? Something else entirely, that is somehow related to my research? It would be great to chat with you!
For Bristol students who have wandered in from elsewhere:
I can also co-supervise undergrad and Master's level projects in the School of Biological Sciences or the Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, if you think our research interests may align.
For prospective interns:
The Bristol Palaeobiology Research Group often hosts interns at a variety of levels. (These positions are typically informal and as such unpaid, but I would be delighted to help you secure funding if that's something you'd like to pursue.) Palaeo interns tend to, understandably, be interested in the fossil side of things, but if you'd instead like to work on a project related to macroevolution, I can serve as a supervisor. We can either work together on an idea of your own design, or I can propose a project (depending on your interests, this can be birds, mammals, languages, fish, spiders, or something else entirely!). Please send me an email with your CV, some information about the sort of project you might be interested in, and what dates you'd be considering, and we can start the conversation from there. Obviously, given the COVID situation, these "internships" can be remote -- as long as your working pattern and mine overlap enough for us to schedule the occasional meeting, I'm happy to support projects from anywhere in the world.
Note: unpaid work is bad for diversity in science. I think the problem of unpaid internships, though, isn't going to be solved by a single prospective intern making a choice other than what they think is best for them, or by a single prospective supervisor refusing to supervise an unpaid intern. I'm advocating for systematic change at a variety of levels, and in the meantime, as your supervisor, I would do my best to help you find funding and to ensure you that you receive fair credit for the work you would do during your time here (including mentoring you through the process of pursuing first-author publications, if that is your aim).
For prospective students:
I don't currently have any funding for students, but if you'd like to work with me, I'd be delighted to help you apply for fellowships or to apply for grants with you. (I for example regularly mentor US students through the process of applying for UK fellowships such as Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, etc.) A prospective PhD student would typically be co-supervised by someone more senior; I can suggest folks either here at Bristol or within my network of collaborators around the UK, or I'd be very happy to hear what ideas you may have!
Diverse teams make for better science; they're also morally the right thing to encourage. I am currently part of initiatives to improve access to higher education for disabled students, queer students, and students from low-income backgrounds, as well as campaigns to improve the academic working environment for women (particularly from the standpoint of intersectionality). I especially encourage students from minoritized and/or marginalised groups to get in touch to discuss research opportunities.
You can email me at catherine (dot) sheard (at) bristol (dot) ac (dot) uk.
