Postdoc position in Animal Behaviour

Vocal communication and cognition in meerkats (Suricata suricatta)

at the University of Zurich, Switzerland

A three year postdoctoral position in animal behaviour is available at the University of Zurich working with Prof Marta Manser and her international team. The research involves behavioural and vocal studies in relation to physiological aspects on meerkats, with fieldwork performed at the Kalahari Meerkat Project in South Africa.
Within this framework, several aspects of research can be pursued including: playback experiments documenting knowledge about other group members; hormone analyses investigating the physiological correlates of status, condition, age and vocal signals; and the flexibility and individuality in the production and perception of vocal signals.
The tasks will consist of collecting observational and experimental data in the natural habitat of the meerkat. The postdoc will be responsible for: (1) conducting the field research; (2) analyses of behavioural and acoustic data; and (3) involvement in supervision of our assistants, MSc and PhD students in the field and back in Zurich.
We welcome highly motivated applicants with PhDs in Biology/Zoology. Applicants must have a strong background in collecting and analysing behavioural data. People with experience in acoustic research (i.e. acoustic analysis and playback experiments) are preferred. The working language in the group is English, German skills are not essential. The position is available from January 2011. Target application date is November 15th, 2010, but open until a suitable candidate has been found.
Applicants should please send a cover letter with a brief statement of their research interests, a cv (including publication list), and the names and affiliations of three references. Applications (preferably as a single pdf file) and informal inquiries should be sent to:
marta.manser@ieu.uzh.ch
information on our group:
http://www.ieu.uzh.ch/research/behaviour/cognition.html;
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/

PROPOSITION DE STAGE

Nous recherchons un(e) étudiant(e) pour participer à des travaux semi-expérimentaux sur l’étude des décisions individuelles dans le cadre des déplacements collectifs chez les vertébrés. Notre modèle d’étude est le mouton domestique (Ovis aries). La personne recherchée s’impliquera dans des tâches de conduite des troupeaux, d’élevage, de construction des dispositifs expérimentaux, la réalisation de nos expériences et éventuellement dépouillement des résultats.

Ces travaux se dérouleront en janvier-février 2011 près de Salon de Provence. Les expériences requièrent une bonne résistance physique, dans des conditions climatiques hivernales et la manipulation d’animaux d’assez grande taille. Les expériences sont menées quand les conditions climatiques le permettent, ce qui peut supposer un travail les week-ends. Une très forte motivation est donc exigée.

Les frais de transport et de logement seront pris en charge dans le cadre du projet mené par le laboratoire d’accueil et la personne sera rémunérée sous forme d’indemnités de stage.

Les candidat(e)s intéressées sont invitées à se mettre en rapport au plus vite avec Richard Bon (rbon@cict.fr).

Richard BON
Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale UPS/CNRS UMR 5169; UFR SVT - Bât 4R3 Université Toulouse III
118 route de Narbonne
31062 Toulouse cedex 9
(33) 5 61 55 69 13

Postdoctoral position in bee behavioural neuroscience, Newcastle University

As part of the UK government's Insect Pollinators’ Initiative, a 3 year postdoctoral position is available to join a project aimed at investigating how exposure to industrial chemicals such as miticides and pesticides influences neural function and development in honeybees and bumblebees. This project is part of a larger project aimed at identifying how sublethal exposure to pesticides influences neural function in bees. The candidate will be expected to use behavioural, pharmacological, and electrophysiological methods to investigate how industrial chemicals influence bee learning and memory. The appointed researcher will be expected to engage in community outreach events and attend scientific meetings planned as part of the Insect Pollinators’ Initiative. The annual salary will be in the range of £25,000-29,800 depending on experience and qualifications. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. at the time of appointment and be fluent in written and spoken English. The ideal candidate will have experience with the design and analysis of behavioural experiments. Experience with bee husbandry and/or electrophysiology is desirable.

Review of applications will begin on 5 January 2011.

Contact: Dr Geraldine Wright, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, email: jeri.wright@ncl.ac.uk

Tenure track position in sensory neurobiology, University of Maryland

The Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park invites applications for an Assistant Professor in sensory neurobiology. We seek an outstanding candidate taking experimental and/or theoretical approaches to major questions in sensory neurobiology at the molecular, cellular, and/or organismal levels. Applicants must have a doctorate degree and should have developed, or demonstrate the potential to develop, an outstanding research program and a record of extramural funding. Applicants should also exhibit a commitment to excellence in teaching. Postdoctoral experience is preferred.

The Department of Biology is in the College of Computer, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences. Candidates whose research activities will strengthen interactions within the College are of particular interest. The Department of Biology itself is home to a vibrant group of researchers in the areas of biophysics, neuroscience, development, ecology, evolution, behavior, and conservation biology (http://biology.umd.edu). Graduate programs include both Biological Systems (http://chemlife.umd.edu/bisi) and Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (http://www.nacs.umd.edu).

The University of Maryland, College Park is the flagship campus of the University of System of Maryland and is one of the most rapidly advancing public research universities in the country. Our close proximity to Washington, D.C. facilitates interactions with researchers at an extraordinary range of institutions (e.g., National Institutes of Health and the Smithsonian Institution)

Applicants should apply electronically to https://jobs.umd.edu, specifying Sensory Neurobiology, Dr. Catherine Carr, Search Committee Chair (position #116926). Applications should consist of a single PDF file containing (1) a letter of application, (2) a curriculum vita, (3) a statement of research interests and plans, (4) a statement of teaching experience and interests. PDFs of selected publications can be submitted as supplementary information if desired. Please arrange for three recommendation letters to be submitted directly to https://jobs.umd.edu, specifying the same information as above. For best consideration, applications should be complete by 30 December 2010.

The University of Maryland is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Applications from minorities and women are encouraged.

Post-doctoral teaching and research at Columbia University

The Columbia Science Fellows Program

Applications are invited for post-doctoral positions combining research with experience in undergraduate science education via Columbia's innovative Frontiers of Science course:
http://www.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/frontiers/fellows.html

Applicants must first contact a sponsoring faculty member or Department (Astronomy, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Evolution, Ecology and Environmental Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology or Statistics). The application (including a CV plus 1-2 pages each of research accomplishments and plans, a 1-2 page statement of teaching experience, and 3 letters of recommendation) should then be sent to:

Columbia Science Fellows
c/o Elina Yuffa, Asst. Director
Center for the Core Curriculum
202 Hamilton Hall MC 2811
New York, NY 10027
(212) 854-4690
Fax (212) 854-3236
fos@columbia.edu

Appointments are for 3 years subject to annual review at a starting salary of $49,000 and an annual research allowance of $4,000. The application deadline is January 17, 2011. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

7th Ecology & Behaviour meeting

Rennes, France from Monday 2 to Friday 6 May 2011.

This annual event welcomes scientists working on ecology and behaviour coming from more than 15 countries. The main objective of this meeting is to give PhD students and post-docs an opportunity to present their researches in English, in front of an international scientific audience and to encourage exchanges with confirmed researchers in the different disciplinary fields covered.

The SERL association thus supports registration fees, accommodation and meals (but not the travelling costs) for PhD students and post-docs givng a talk or presenting a poster. Permanent researchers are also encourage to come and meet these young researchers beginning their career.

Thirteen invited speakers will also give a talk on different subjects covered by six different theme sessions: Optimal Foraging, Reproductive Strategies, Chemical Ecology and Neuroethology, Biological Invasions, Spatial Ecology and Dispersal, and Group Behaviour.

Please make sure to visit our website frequently to see the latest news: serl2011.univ-rennes1.fr. Registration will start in January, and end around mid-March.