Insect Taxonomy and Field Sampling Skills



Overview

A fully-funded residential summer school in Oxford for PhD students or early career researchers.

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms with an estimated 10 million species worldwide – of which only an estimated 10% have so far been scientifically described. At the same time, insect populations are facing an unprecedented decline both in the UK and globally.

This loss is catastrophic not only for biodiversity and ecosystem health – due to the direct impacts on insect predators such as birds, reptiles, and mammals – but also for human society. Insects play a vital, beneficial role as natural pest controllers and pollinators in agricultural systems. Many commercial crops, for example, depend on insect pollinators to produce high-quality fruits such as apples, cucumbers, and coffee beans.

To have any hope of reversing this decline, we must employ the most appropriate surveying techniques to monitor changes in insect populations and develop high-level taxonomic expertise to accurately identify sampled species and assess their conservation status.

This five-day postgraduate course in Oxford aims, firstly, to equip you with basic insect identification and field surveying skills – including modern techniques such as the use of eDNA and DNA barcoding – and, secondly, to train you in identifying the two main groups of UK pollinators: aculeate bees and hoverflies.

The course will be taught by experts from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, supported by external consultants and entomologists from the University’s Departments of Biology and Continuing Education.

Content will be delivered through a combination of:

  • practical fieldwork in Wytham Woods, one of the best studied woodlands in the world;
  • workshops and seminars on key insect groups and sampling techniques;
  • self-paced, expert-led practical sessions using microscopes and identification (ID) keys to identify bees and hoverflies.

To support the in-person teaching and encourage in-depth, reflective learning, the course also includes an online component consisting of two introductory lectures covering insect morphology, survey techniques, and the use of museum collections.

Programme details

Online introduction sessions

In preparation for the in-person week, two online synchronous introductory lectures will be held in advance.

These will be recorded and uploaded to a dedicated site on the University’s virtual learning environment (VLE), hosting general overview information on insect morphology, survey techniques, use of museum collections and further resources. 

In-person timetable

Expected schedule for Monday 14 - Friday 18 July 2025:

  • Monday 14 July – classroom and field: Welcome and overview of the course and the most common field sampling techniques including a practical insect sampling session.
  • Tuesday 15 July – classroom and laboratory: Overview of the value of natural history collections for research and the value of museum collections; introduction to the taxonomy of the main insect orders.
  • Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 July – laboratory: Practical skills in identifying the most common British pollinators. You will work with your own material and a small teaching collection compiled by tutors.
  • Friday 18 July – laboratory: You will have the choice to further focus on either bees or hover flies. Also an opportunity for students to explore their own identification needs.

Please note the timetable above is subject to change.

Locations

The in-person week will take place at the following venues:

  • Oxford University Museum of Natural History
  • Wytham Woods
  • Rewley House, Department for Continuing Education

Accommodation in Oxford at an Oxford University college (five nights) along with full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) during the course is provided. Reasonable travel expenses originating from within the UK will also be covered.

Please contact the course team should you need particular assistance with access to facilities, or have special dietary requirements.

Course team

Tutor: Steven Falk, Entomologist and expert on bees and hoverflies

Tutor: Dr Liam Crowley, Postdoctoral Research Assistant and expert on traditional and DNA surveying methpods

Project lead: Dr Thomas Hesselberg, Departmental Lecturer and Director of Studies in Biological Sciences

Co-Project lead: Zoë Simmons, Head of Life Collections, Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Certification

Students who attend this course will receive a certificate of attendance.

Fees

Course fees are covered by NERC. There is no charge to the course participants.

Funding

If you have caring responsibilities or have caring or assistance needs please get in touch as we may be able to provide a grant to help with paying for outside care or accommodation in Oxford for an accompanying person. Email: researchsupport@conted.ox.ac.uk

This course is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under its training scheme for environmental scientists.

Payment

The course fees are covered by NERC. There is no charge to the course participants. 

Learning outcomes

This five-day postgraduate training course aims to build confidence and provide training excellence for early-career researchers needing to identify insects and design their own survey protocols and methodologies.

The course will offer an integrated core of transferable skills in taxonomic theory, identification skills and survey techniques, supplemented by lectures on molecular methods. 

The University’s Wytham Woods will host the field component of the course, including updating students on the latest genomics techniques used in projects such as the Darwin Tree of Life.

Application

Application deadline

The deadline for submitting completed applications is Friday 9 May 2025.

Priority applicants

NERC-funded DPhil/PhD students will be prioritised for this course, but other PhD students or early career researchers will also be considered if we do not receive sufficient numbers of suitable NERC-funded students.

Supporting documents

The following documents will need to be submitted as part of your application:

  • personal statement demonstrating that you meet the criteria for the course
  • current CV
  • supporting letter from your supervisor (or line manager if not currently a PhD student). 

More details and guidance about these documents can be found in the 'selection criteria' section below.

How to apply

To apply for this course, please complete this online form.

Please ensure you read the guidance notes in the 'selection criteria' below before completing the application form, as any errors resulting from failure to do so may delay your application. We strongly recommend that you download and save your files before completing your application to ensure that all your changes are saved.

To prevent any biases and ensure a merit-based selection of participants, CV's and personal statements will be anonymised and any references to gender, ethnicity and the university at which the doctoral student is based removed prior to the application documents being passed onto the admission panel. The selection will be based on standardised criteria including fit with PhD project topic, year of study, motivation and strength of support from advisor.

Selection criteria

Entry requirements

Applications will be assessed for evidence of how you meet the following criteria:

  • relevance of the training to your own research project
  • existing research experience or year of PhD study
  • demonstrable impact of the course in chosen career path
  • an evidenced interest in entomology and/or museums.

Supporting statement

Your supporting statement should demonstrate your suitability for this course, based on the entry requirements listed above. Max 3,000 characters (roughly 700 words max).

Supporting reference

Your supporting reference should be submitted by:

  • your supervisor if a current student; or
  • your line manager if not a current student.

Please note:

  • Your referee should not include references to your name or gender in their reference.
  • Your referee will need to clearly state if you are/are not funded by NERC.
  • Your reference needs to come from a recognised academic email address and on headed paper.

If you do not have a reference to upload, please contact your supervisor and ask them to email your reference directly to us at researchsupport@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Accommodation

Accommodation in Oxford at an Oxford University college (five nights) along with full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) during the course is provided.

Please contact the course team should you need particular assistance with access to facilities, or have special dietary requirements. Email: researchsupport@conted.ox.ac.uk

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support