Category: field
Title: Bonobo field research assistant
Hiring Organization: Max-Planck-Institute for Evol. Anthropology
Date Posted: 2020-06-10
Expiration date: 2020-09-24
Position Description: The LuiKotale Bonobo Project offers positions for research assistants. Appointments are for 9-12 months and aim on collecting behavioral data from habituated bonobos at the LuiKotale field site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Daily work includes focal follows (half-day and nest-to-nest) using hand-held Cyber tracker devices, Dictaphones, and long-hand notes. Successful candidates will assist ongoing PhD projects and contribute to the long-term data base.
Candidates will be trained by current staff and will work together with national and international assistants and researchers.
Qualifications: The field conditions are physically and mentally challenging. The forest is often dense and swampy and assistants are sometimes exposed to severe weather and tropical diseases. The research camp is very remote and has no running water, electricity, phone coverage, or internet access. Daily communication is limited to short emails but satellite phones are available in the event of an emergency.
Assistants live in tents in close proximity to one another and mostly eat simple, local foods (e.g., beans, manioc and rice). Both English and French are spoken in camp. Please carefully consider whether you will able to cope with these conditions for an extended period of time before applying for this position.
Ideal candidates will express strong interest in either of these fields: animal behavior, ecology, evolutionary biology, behavioral physiology.
They will demonstrate strong organizational skills and precision in collecting and managing research data. Due to the challenging physical and social environment at LuiKotale, all candidates must be (a)
physically fit; (b) resistant to psychological stress; (c) self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision; and (d) tolerant of social customs and beliefs. Good social skills and the willingness to work as part of a team are essential. Previous experience using Microsoft Excel and navigating with a compass and GPS unit are assets, but not required. Please note that the LuiKotale Bonobo Project adheres strictly to gender equality and will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment.
Salary/funding: up to 500 US$/month, depending on qualification
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging): Support provided for internship/volunteer positions include:
- food (mix of mainly local food and some western food items)
- lodging (in tents) at the field site
- airfare for one domestic flight from Kinshasa to the field site and back
- expenses for visa*
- contribution to an international return flight of up to 800 US$*
*reimbursement ONLY AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE APPOINTMENT
Term of Appointment: 9 - 12 months starting in August 2020
Application Deadline: none
Comments: Please note that people joining the research team in the field are required to have a health insurance that covers expenses for evacuation by charter plane in a case of emergency. Expenses for the health insurance cannot be covered by the project.
Applications include an updated CV, a letter of motivation that shows how the candidate meets the qualifications outlined above, and references of three people (or their contact information). Applications should be send to Dr. Gottfried Hohmann (hohmann@eva.mpg.de) and to Barbara Fruth (fruth@eva.mpg.de).
Information about the research and conservation activities at LuiKotale are available at
Contact Information: Dr. Gottfried Hohmann
Deutscher Platz 6
Leipzig, 04103 DE
Telephone Number: Website: www.eva.mpg.de
E-mail Address: hohmann@eva.mpg.de