POST-CONFERENCE TRAINING WORKSHOP (19-21 June 2018, three days and two nights): A training workshop on butterfly biology will be held at Honey Valley Homestay, Kodagu (=Coorg), Karnataka. The workshop is meant for students and other young scientists interested in or working on butterflies. Butterflies are an exciting model system for a wide array of research problems in ecology and evolution. The workshop aims to introduce participants to the kinds of ecological and evolutionary questions that can be asked in butterflies, and the approaches that can be used for these kinds of studies especially in tropical forests and in the Oriental context. The following sessions are planned:

General Introduction to butterflies and their importance in biology
Butterfly field biology techniques
Taxonomy, Systematics & Museum Science
Phylogenetics and Biogeography
Diversification and comparative methods
Hypothesis testing and statistical methods

The sessions will be offered by researchers from across the world who use butterflies as their model systems, and who are in Bengaluru for the BOB 2018 conference. This will provide unparalleled opportunities to learn from practising scientists in the field, and to interact and network with fellow students and young scientists in an exciting landscape for butterflies. The workshop will be limited to 40 students. BOB participants and their families can join for field work and to watch butterflies in the famed Western Ghats, whether they want to participate in the training workshop or not.

Venue: Honey Valley Homestay in Kodagu, about five hours drive from Bengaluru. Kodagu is a very picturesque part of the country that offers plenty of opportunities for recreation, if participants and their families want to spend additional time. We plan to start with breakfast on 19th.

Costs: Students will have to arrange and pay for transportation to Honey Valley Homestay, as well as for food and accommodation during the workshop. The total expense for the workshop is expected to be Rs. 3,000 to 5,000. We have negotiated special prices with Honey Valley for the workshop and have already booked the entire homestay. Therefore, there is no need to contact the homestay. If you are accepted for the workshop, you will have accommodation at the discounted price. Financial assistance may be offered to a limited number of needy students.

How to apply: Please send an email to ullasa@iisertvm.ac.in, CCed to krushnamegh@ncbs.res.in, with the subject "Registration for Post-conference workshop - Your name". Include a brief Statement of Purpose mentioning why this will be useful to you, your academic background and a short CV; incomplete applications may be rejected. There will be a cap of 40 participants, but preference will be given to those who register earlier. If there are many more applicants than we can accommodate, we will use information provided in the application (SoP, academic background and CV) to shortlist the final 40.

Deadline: We are full now. You can still apply, and we might find a place for you if any participant drops out.