Bonnes fêtes de fin d'année

Postdoctoral position: "Investigating the Social Behaviour of Fish Using Immersive Closed-Loop Virtual Reality"

We seek an outstanding scientist for a postdoctoral position to develop, and employ, immersive 3D closed-loop virtual reality (VR) environments to investigate visually-mediated social behaviours in fish. Like other group-living vertebrates fish must respond rapidly to changing visual cues in order to effectively employ social information when making movement decisions. Consequently they are an excellent system for investigating the process by which complex, high-dimensional visual information is translated into low-level movement decisions. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in computer science, robotics, biophysics, neuroscience, physics, or a related field. Expertise in developing closed-loop VR environments is not essential, but applicants must be skilled in C++ and/or Python and have experience with computer vision / 3D computer graphics.

This project is a close collaboration between Iain D. Couzin (MPIO and U. Konstanz, Konstanz), where the postdoctoral fellow will be based, and Andrew Straw (IMP Vienna) an expert on closed-loop VR. The position is available initially for 2 years from Feb 2015, with the possibility of extension based on performance.

The new Department of Collective Behavior is located on the campus of the University of Konstanz in the historic city of Konstanz, by Lake Constance in southern Germany. It is approximately 50 minutes (by train or car) from Zurich International Airport and closely affiliated with the nearby Max Planck Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology in Radolfzell.

The Max Planck Institutes and the University of Konstanz focus on excellence in research and the successful applicant will benefit from excellent infrastructure, opportunities for training and a highly collaborative and international research environment. The working language is English and consequently applicants must be fluent in this language; knowledge of German is not necessary.

Applications, including a CV, and in addition a 2-page description of past research activities should be sent, in PDF format, to icouzin@orn.mpg.de with subject line “MPI Fish VR”. In addition, applicants should arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent separately to dpiechowski@orn.mpg.de. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The Max Planck Society and the University of Konstanz are committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in their workforce and therefore we encourage applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, we seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. We offer extensive support to help researchers balance professional and home life, including assistance with childcare and support of the elderly, and flexibility in how employees arrange working hours. For details see http://www.mpg.de/equal_opportunities

For further information regarding this position please contact Iain D. Couzin, Director and Chair. (icouzin@orn.mpg.de)

PhD available in Animal Social Communication and Cognition

PhD studentship available for 2015 in animal social communication & cognition

Emotional signalling in animals: identifying positive affect and its consequences

School of Psychology, University of Sussex

 Supervisor: Prof Karen McComb (University of Sussex) and Dr Leanne Proops (University of Sussex)

http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/cmvcr/Home.html

Emotional signalling is a crucial but poorly understood aspect of animal social behaviour, mediating important social interactions and contributing to an individual’s ability to form social relationships and reproduce successfully. One aspect of emotional signalling in animals that has received surprisingly little attention is the way in which positive emotions are expressed and the consequences of this signalling both for the individual itself and its conspecifics.  Displaying positive emotions may contribute to building an individual’s own resilience as well as enhancing its ability to form social bonds – a possibility that has not been investigated in animals. Moreover, it is now recognised that animal welfare should be assessed not simply by the absence of negative emotions, but also by the presence of positive ones, so a systematic study of how positive emotions are expressed in a range of species would have considerable applied value. The PhD student would use techniques developed in our lab for quantifying animal facial expressions (and vocalisations) in order to identify cues that are consistently associated with positive emotional experiences. They would also explore the relationship between signals with positive emotional valence and physiological and behavioural measures of coping behaviour. Work on domestic horses would provide a starting point for this study, but the project would look at parallels in cues used to signal positive emotion across a range of different mammal species and their relationship to individual coping mechanisms and social behaviour.

Applications should be made by Friday 30th January 2015. The award of the studentship will be based on a competitive process. If awarded, it would be a full-time studentship (funded for a duration of three years) covering tuition fee, and a maintenance allowance. The maintenance allowance is currently £13,863 per annum. There is an expectation to contribute to teaching on a paid basis.

Eligibility requirements for potential candidates:

·       This award will only pay fees at the Home/EU rate. The maintenance allowance is currently £13,863 per annum.

·       Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a First or a high Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, and/or a Master's degree in Psychology or a related discipline.

Guidance for applicants:

Please send your initial enquires by email for the attention of 'Postgraduate Coordinator' to: psychology@sussex.ac.uk

If you wish to discuss the details of this PhD project further please contact Prof Karen McComb (karenm@sussex.ac.uk) 

Applications should be submitted to the University of Sussex online postgraduate application system (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/2015entry) by Friday 30th January 2015.

Please submit your online application together with:

·       A research statement that briefly outlines our current state of knowledge, hypotheses that could be addressed, and an outline of potential methods. Your answer should not exceed 2 pages including references, be set at minimum 10 font type with margins a minimum of 1cm.

·       A teaching-related statement that addresses the normal expectation that you contribute to teaching of statistics and research methods (up to 300 words).

      An up to date CV

·       A current degree transcript(s) with full details of performance on all completed courses

      Two academic references

      The proposed source of funding should be specified as 'GTA’.

Job Title: The Calgary Stampede Performance Animal Post-Doctoral Fellowship

Area of Specialization: Animal Behaviour and Welfare

Start Date: Immediate

Faculty/Admin Area: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Department/Unit: Production Animal Health

Job Term: 2 years guranteed.  Up to three years possible depending on performance

Salary:  To be determined based on experience and motivation, minimum of 55,000 per year

Background

Research into the welfare of performance animals is lacking as are programs to train highly qualified personnel, such as scientists, within the performance animal industry.  Both areas are required to ensure the sustainability of the performance animal industry. UCVM working with the Calgary Stampede have initiated research and training opportunities; this fellowship increases those experiences and continues building a program in performance animal health and welfare.

Qualifications/Expertise Required:

A Ph.D. degree in the area of animal behavaviour and welfare.  Experience with animals used in western events performance  would be an asset.  The successful candidate should also have relevant and recent peer-reviewed first author publications. Funding is available immediately, however the candidate is still expected to seek external research support

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to:

1) Research  Activities

• Provide leadership and complete multiple research projects on the welfare of performance animals used in western events. There is an expectation that the work would result in peer-reviewed publications.

• Involvment with outreach/education opportunities with the Calgary Stampede that could also result in peer-reviewed publications.

•The fellow will be expect to apply for external fundiing each year

2) Industry experience

 •Extensive work with management, Stampede departments, volunteers, sponsors, suppliers, event participants, consultants, exhibitors and industry representatives and the community regarding animal care and welfare issues.

•Oversee and maintain animal care codes of practice and programs for the OH Ranch, Stampede Ranch, Rodeo, Chuckwagons, Agriculture and Western Performance Horse.

•Assist in the development and delivery of training programs on animal care for staff, volunteers, and other key stakeholders.

•Participate and provide expertise in animal care strategic planning.

•Actively participate in the communication of animal care initiatives to both internal and external stakeholders. 

•Work with animal care assessment consultant.

Supervision

The Fellowship will be primarily supervised by Dr. Ed Pajor, the Anderson-Chisholm Chair in Animal Care and Welfare and Max Fritz, Director of Western Events and Agriculture at the Calgary Stampede, this position will combine post-doctoral research with the experience of working within the performance animal industry at the Calgary Stampede.  Dr. Ed Pajor will have primary responsibility for research activities and will approve all activities with the Calgary Stampede (CS).  Daily supervision and reporting while working on CS activities will be to Mr. Fritz. 

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is a leading Canadian university located in the nation’s most enterprising city. The university has a clear strategic direction to become one of Canada’s top five research universities by 2016, where innovative teaching and ground breaking research go hand in hand, and where we fully engage the communities we both serve and lead. The strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by our Gaelic motto, which translates to ‘I will lift up my eyes.

 About Calgary

Named a cultural capital of Canada and one of the best places to live in the world, Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

Application Information

This position would be best suited for an individual interested in a career in the performance animal industry.  Interested candidates should send a cover letter describing their interest and motivation, a CV and contact information for three references to eapajor@ucalgary.ca (subject header: CS Post-Doc position) or to the address below. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Calgary respects, appreciates, and encourages diversity.

Ed Pajor, PhD

Anderson-Chisholm Chair in Animal Care and Welfare

Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare

Department of Production Animal Health

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

University of Calgary

3330 Hospital Drive NW

Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1

CANADA

PhD fellowship

PhD fellowship on the Refinement of Humane endpoints of long-term studies: Using murine species-specific behaviours to assess reduced welfare in the home cage of mice and rat models at the LIFEPHARM Centre.

Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen is offering 1 PhD fellowship commencing April 1st 2015 or soon thereafter. The application deadline is 31 January 2015. The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and Novo Nordisk A/S established a research centre in 2010 - The LIFEPHARM Centre (www.lifepharm.dk) - with a total budget of DKK 78 mill covering activities until the end of 2018. The present position is part of the Centre´s activities. The purpose of the research centre is to strengthen the research in experimental pharmacology and toxicology and to increase the output of candidates and PhDs with a strong in vivo pharmacological profile. It is expected that the future PhD fellows will be enrolled in the Graduate Programme for In Vivo Pharmacology and Experimental Animals (IVP) at SUND and participate actively in this network. The IVP Graduate Programme was established in 2006 as a collaboration between the Faculties of Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, University of Aarhus, and industrial partners; Novo Nordisk A/S, LEO Pharma and H. Lundbeck A/S. www.invivofarm.dk For more information on LIFEPHARM or IVP please contact: Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt Director of LIFEPHARM Head of IVP jopl@sund.ku.dk Phone: (+45) 35 33 31 63) Project description: The objective of the proposed study is to establish a test battery consisting of non-invasive, home cage-linked, natural behaviour-based and highly sensitive tests, which can be used routinely for assessing discomfort, stress and low-grade pain in laboratory mice and rats in long-term studies in animal models for late complications in diabetes and hemophilia. The hypothesis is that most experimentally induced discomfort during animal experimentation will affect natural behaviours such as nest building in mice, hoarding in rats, burrowing in both species, interaction with a known handler in rats and negative sucrose contrast in mice and rats (i.e. enhanced sensitivity to reward loss). A test battery based on these behaviours will be validated to run as routine procedures in the home cages of group-housed rats and mice. For hoarding and burrowing, relevant devices will be designed, incorporated and validated; nest building, sucrose negative contrast and human approach tests will be modified to run in home cages. Perspective: Combining these tests to an assessment tool will provide a refinement in long-term rodent studies, improving both animal welfare and experimental outcome since e.g. pain in diabetic neuropathy and discomfort due to nephropathy will be evident sooner than by standard observations due to the reduced/impaired performance of natural behaviours Principal supervisor Assoc. Prof Dorte Bratbo Sørensen E-mail:brat@sund.ku.dk  Direct Phone: (+45) 35 33 27 24 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Section of Experimental Animal Models University of Copenhagen Co-supervisors Jan Lund Ottesen Laboratory Animal Science, Novo Nordisk A/S Email: jlo@novonordisk.com Anna Olsson, Laboratory Animal Science, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Portugal Email: Olsson@ibmc.up.pt Required qualifications MSc in biological science, veterinary medicine or other equivalent degree with a special interest in topics such as animal behaviour and animal welfare, animal research and In vivo pharmacology High motivation and an ability to work independently Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. Preferred qualifications Education and training in Laboratory Animal Science on FELASA Category C or equivalent training. Knowledge and practical experience with Animal behavioural testing including handling of laboratory rodents Experience with Animal welfare assessment General Job description Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at SUND are to: Manage and carry through your research project Take relevant PhD courses Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis Participate in international congresses Spend a period at a research institution abroad Teach and disseminate your research Part of the PhD project will potentially be performed in the Animal Unit at Novo Nordisk in Denmark. We offer The opportunity to work in a well-equipped, highly innovative and scientifically stimulating environment. Excellent training opportunities. Key criteria for the assessment of candidates The grade point average achieved Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD programme Previous publications Relevant work experience Other professional activities Language skills The successful candidate is also required to be enterprising and to possess good interpersonal skills. Formal requirements The position is available for a 3-year period for applicants holding a relevant master´s degree. It is a prerequisite that the PhD candidate is enrolled as PhD student at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen according to the rules stipulated in "Bekendtgørelse nr. 18 af 14. januar 2008 om ph.d.-graden." Terms of employment Salary and other terms and conditions of appointment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant professional organisations. The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (2007). Questions For further information contact Dorte Bratbo Sørensen, brat@sund.ku.dk      Foreign applicants may find the following links useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility) and www.workingconditions.ku.dk Application Procedure Applications - in English - must include all the following: Cover Letter, stating which PhD project you are applying for and detailing your motivation and background for applying for the specific PhD project. CV Diploma and detailed transcripts of records. Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications (if any), peer reviewed and other. Personal recommendations. A maximum of 3 relevant scientific works which the applicant wishes to have included in the assessment. The application will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities. The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested in this post to apply. Please submit the application with the required attachments by clicking on "Apply online". Only online applications will be accepted. The closing date for applications is 23.59 pm, 31 January 2015. Apply online The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences comprises approximately 5000 students, 1000 PhD students and 1800 employees. The Faculty advances the field of health sciences through its core activities: research, teaching, knowledge sharing and communication. With basic research fields ranging from molecular studies to studies of society, the Faculty contributes to a healthy future through its graduates, research findings and inventions benefitting patients and the community.

Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the oldest university in Denmark. With 37,000 students and 9,000 employees, it is among the largest universities in Scandinavia and one of the highest ranking in Europe. The University consists of six faculties, which cover Health and Medical Sciences, Humanities, Law, Science, Social Sciences and Theology.

Deadline: 31-01-2015 Employer: The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Manager, Animal Welfare

The National Pork Board in Clive, IA, seeks a dynamic person to become a manager within our animal science function.  This person will be responsible for assisting in the implementation of animal welfare and welfare-related programs. The essential job functions for this position include:  oversight of animal care content for National Pork Board’s various certification programs.  The manager will work cross departmentally with NPB staff in the areas of communication, producer services, and social responsibility to provide technical advice with respect to animal welfare and welfare-related issues. This person will also assist with coordination of special projects within the animal welfare program.

The ability to communicate orally and in written form with producers, veterinarians, and other diverse professionals; capability to translate animal welfare research and situations for producers and other audiences. Familiarity with the food chain from farmer to packer/processor to retail food company.  A minimum of one year experience in a pork production setting or equivalent experience incorporated in an advanced degree program. Applicants should have a proven track record of strong project management skills.

BS or MS degree in animal science, animal physiology or a closely related field with emphasis on animal welfare. A DVM with experience in animal welfare is also acceptable.

This position may require up to 35% domestic travel by both air and auto and requires a valid driver’s license and good driving record.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management.   Applicants should be able to support the mission of the organization with enthusiasm to serve U.S. pork producers.

Qualified candidates should forward their cover letter, resume and salary requirements by December 31, 2014 to:

HR@pork.org

No phone calls please.

The National Pork Board, an equal opportunity employer, offers an exceptional benefits package and work environment.  Visit us online at www.pork.org/careers  and www.PorkBeInspired.com