Below are two links for position options within my lab (1 PhD/postdoc fully funded position, 1 joint grant application option) at Uni Konstanz, Germany.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions in relation to the postings, or issues to access the links.
Best wishes, Raphaela Heesen
Fully-funded PhD/Postdoc Position on joint action in human children
Margarete von Wrangell Grant - Joint Application for Postdoc Position on Great Ape Communication
Un sujet de thèse est proposé dans le Laboratoire Éthologie Cognition Développement (LECD)
de l’Université Paris Nanterre (https://lecd.parisnanterre.fr/). Nous recherchons un(e)
candidat(e) motivé(e) pour concourir à un contrat doctoral de l' École Doctorale 139 (ED 139 -
Connaissance, langage, modélisation https://ed-clm.parisnanterre.fr/). En cas de succès, le/la
candidat(e) bénéficiera d'un contrat doctoral de 3 ans qui débutera en septembre 2026. Le
doctorat portera sur le sujet suivant :
Au-delà du prisme « masculin » : Vers une compréhension globale de la
communication vocale chez le rouge-gorge familier
Si le chant des oiseaux a longtemps été réduit à un attribut du sexe mâle façonné
par la sélection sexuelle, l’étude des productions sonores des femelles s’impose aujourd’hui
comme une nécessité pour comprendre l’évolution de la communication animale dans sa
globalité.
Le rouge-gorge (Erithacus rubecula) constitue un modèle biologique d’exception
pour propulser ce changement de paradigme. Contrairement à la majorité des oscines
(oiseaux chanteurs) des zones tempérées, en hiver, les deux sexes défendent
farouchement leurs territoires respectifs et mutuellement exclusifs, avec un effort vocal
comparable : les femelles chantent aussi proche des limites de la production vocale que les
mâles (Dudouit et al. 2022). De plus, les deux sexes augmentent leur effort vocal lors de
contextes d’agressivité accrue (Bosca et al. 2025), suggérant que cet effort sert de signal
de motivation agonistique. Au printemps, cependant, bien que les femelles conservent leur
capacité de chant, ce sont principalement les mâles qui chantent, et leurs chants assument
une double fonction : défendre le territoire et attirer des partenaires reproducteurs. Ces deux
fonctions pourraient impliquer des stratégies vocales distinctes.
Cette thèse vise à caractériser les stratégies acoustiques des individus à travers une
approche comparative multi-échelle. À l'interface de l'éthologie et de la bioacoustique,
l’étude s’appuiera sur l’analyse fine des paramètres spectro-temporels, de la plasticité
vocale et des phénomènes acoustiques non linéaires au sein du chant. Le travail de
recherche s'articulera autour de trois axes comparatifs : le sexe (mâles vs femelles), le
contexte social (situations non-agressives vs intrusions territoriales) et la saisonnalité
(période de reproduction vs hiver). En dépassant le prisme « masculin » traditionnel, cette
thèse entend révéler comment les pressions écologiques façonnent un signal de
communication commun aux deux sexes.
Les expériences seront menées, sur le terrain, sur différentes populations de rouges-gorges
sauvages vivant en Île de France. Durant la thèse, le ou la candidat(e) réalisera des
observations sur ces oiseaux, des captures et des baguages, des enregistrements sonores,
des expériences de playback sur le terrain ainsi que des analyses de signaux acoustiques
(utilisation de logiciels dédiés de type Avisoft-SASLab Pro).
Profil et compétences attendus : Le ou la candidat(e) devra être titulaire (ou en cours
d'obtention) d’un Master en biologie, éthologie, éco-éthologie, écologie ou neurosciences. La
possession du permis de conduire est indispensable pour ce projet. Nous recherchons une
personne très motivée et désirant mener des travaux/expériences sur le terrain. Il ou elle devra
faire preuve d’une bonne capacité d’organisation et de travail en autonomie, d’une bonne
maîtrise des analyses statistiques et de l'anglais ainsi que d’une bonne capacité de rédaction.
Des expériences acquises préalablement avec des oiseaux et/ou dans le domaine de la
bioacoustique seront des atouts supplémentaires.
Si vous souhaitez candidater, merci d’envoyer un CV, une lettre de motivation et vos relevés
de notes de licence et de master avant le 19 Avril 2026 à : Nicole GEBERZAHN
(nicole.geberzahn@parisnanterre.fr).
Si votre candidature est retenue, nous vous assisterons pour vous préparer au concours de
notre école doctorale qui aura lieu en présentiel à l’Université Paris Nanterre le 9 juin 2026 et
consiste en une présentation de 10 minutes du projet de thèse face à un jury interdisciplinaire
suivi d'une session de questions/réponses d’environ 10 minutes.
Bibliographie
Bosca, J., Jacquin, G., Maury, C., Bakker, A., Gahr, M., Aubin, T., Rybak, F., Nagle, L., & Geberzahn,
N. (2025). Vocal performance in birdsong is an aggressive signal in both females and males:
Experimental evidence from a field study in European robins. Proceedings of the Royal Society B,
292(20251042).
Dudouit, C., Maury, C., Bosca, J., Bakker, A., Gahr, M., Aubin, T., Rybak, F., & Geberzahn, N. (2022).
Vocal performance during spontaneous song is equal in male and female European robins. Animal
Behaviour, 193, 193–203.
Goller, F. (2022). Vocal athletics – from birdsong production mechanisms to sexy songs. Animal
Behaviour, 184, 173–184.
Leitner, S., Voigt, C., & Gahr, M. (2001). Seasonal changes in the song pattern of the non-domesticated
island canary (Serinus canaria), a field study. Behaviour, 138(7), 885–904.
Odom, K. J., Hall, M. L., Riebel, K., Omland, K. E., & Langmore, N. E. (2014). Female song is
widespread and ancestral in songbirds. Nature Communications, 5(3379).
Riebel, K., Odom, K. J., Langmore, N. E., & Hall, M. L. (2019). New insights from female bird song:
Towards an integrated approach to studying male and female communication roles. Biology Letters,
15(20190059).
Schwabl, H. (1992). Winter and breeding territorial behaviour and levels of reproductive hormones of
migratory European robins. Ornis Scandinavica, 23(3), 271–276.
General Description
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (http://pbs.jhu.edu/) at Johns Hopkins University invites applications for a full-time teaching position specializing in animal behavior or behavioral ecology. The faculty member will have a long-term, key role in the educational mission of the David S. Olton Behavioral Biology Program through the design and teaching of core and upper-level courses.
This non-tenure track position will be filled at the rank of Lecturer. The teaching load will be a 2/2 the first year of appointment, and a 2/3 thereafter. The faculty member will be expected to teach existing courses in Animal Behavior, Animal Behavior Lab, and Senior Seminar in Behavioral Biology, and develop upper-level courses in their area(s) of expertise. The potential to develop experiential intersession courses involving a field research component would be of particular interest. The faculty member will also advise students in the Behavioral Biology major and have the opportunity to supervise undergraduate research.
The non-tenure teaching track at Johns Hopkins was established for faculty involved primarily in education with a continuing full-time commitment within a home department at the university. Criteria for promotion within this track include excellence in teaching, educational publications, curriculum development, and pedagogical innovation. The successful candidate will receive a competitive salary and benefits options including health and retirement plan participation. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The start date is July 1, 2026.
Qualifications
A Ph.D. is required in psychology, biology, neuroscience, ethology, or a related discipline. Teaching experience is essential.
Application Instructions
Candidates should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy and interests, teaching evaluations, and the names of at least three references
Salary Range
The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.
Total Rewards
Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.
Pre-Employment Information
If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.
Background Checks
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification.
EEO is the Law:
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf
Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.
The following additional vaccine requirements may apply, depending upon your campus. Please contact the hiring department for more information. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office
(PhD part-time 65 % / Postdoc full-time 100% E 13 TV-L)
The start date is as soon as possible (reviewing candidates on a rolling basis). The position is available for
three years.
The University of Konstanz is one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany. Since 2007 it has been successful in the
German Excellence Initiative and its follow-up programme, the Excellence Strategy.
The successful candidate would be integrated into the interdisciplinary research environment of the Centre for the Advanced Study
of Collective Behaviour (CASCB) and the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS-QBEE), which offers an international
main hub on collective and animal behaviour with a range of further internal funding opportunities. The PhD or postdoc position is
available as part of a larger project investigating the evolutionary, developmental and cultural origins of human cooperative sociality
led by Jun. Prof Raphaela Heesen. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and provides a unique
opportunity for candidates wishing to conduct cutting-edge research on the foundational communicative and emotional
mechanisms underlying joint action in human children across the ages three-, five-, and ten years. The candidate will employ
state-of-the-art methods and technologies while collaborating closely with team members to conduct systematic cross-group
analyses. These will include comparative studies involving nonhuman primates such as chimpanzees, bonobos and Callitrichid
monkeys. The research has a strong interdisciplinary focus at the intersection of biology, primatology, linguistics, anthropology,
psychology and computer vision. The working language is English, but German language skills are recommended given data
collection procedures in Germany.
Your responsibilities Your Competencies We Offer
– Conduct a doctoral thesis
(Dissertation) or postdoc
– Data collection with human children
in Germany and possibly Uganda
(observational and experimental
methods)
– Code and categorize behaviors and
communication (gestures, facial
expressions, language)
– Writing of academic papers and
preparation of oral presentations at
national/international conferences
– Contribute to the broader aims of the
interdisciplinary project (including
cross-species and cross-cultural
comparisons in collaboration with
other team members)
– Analyze data using advanced
statistical methods (e.g., Bayesian
regression models)
– Analyze data from motion tracking
and posture recognition systems, set
up tracking rooms
– Mentoring junior researchers in the
lab
– Completed master’s (/ doctoral)
degree in psychology, biology,
linguistics, evolutionary
anthropology or in a related
discipline
– Strong written and oral
communications skills in English and
German (to work at German KiTas)
– Experience in working with children
– High level of interpersonal skills and
the ability to work collaboratively in
diverse teams
– Skills in designing experiments and
collecting observational data
– Advanced skills in statistical data
analyses
– Programming experience is desirable
(e.g., Python, R)
– Experience in using thermal-imaging
and applying tracking technology is
encouraged
– Experience and/or interest in
applying computer vision methods
for posture estimation
– Strong career development
mentoring
– An open and ambitious
interdisciplinary research team
– Access to innovative technologies
and resources in the field of
comparative cognition and
behavioural biology
– A dynamic, interdisciplinary research
environment with collaborative and
further funding opportunities within
the CASCB
– Comprehensive academic development
support, including training and mentoring
– Structured guidance toward acquiring
independent research funding and
preparing for a postdoctoral career
– A vibrant academic community in the
attractive and livable city of Konstanz,
located by Lake Constance
We look forward to receiving your application including your CV, cover letter, 2 reference letters and reference contacts
including phone numbers & email until 01.04.2026 by email to Jun. Prof Raphaela Heesen: raphaela.heesen@uni-
konstanz.de. Questions can also be directed to R. Heesen.
The University of Konstanz is committed to ensuring an environment that provides equal opportunities and promotes diversity, as well as a good balance between
university and family life. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to increase the number of women working in research and teaching. We also support working
couples through our dual career programme. Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact
sbv@uni-konstanz.de, + 49 7531 88-4016).
Call for Expressions of Interest
Joint Application for a Margarete von Wrangell Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Konstanz Jun-Prof. Dr. Raphaela Heesen (Department of Biology, University of Konstanz) invites expressions of interest from outstanding early-career researchers interested in jointly applying for a Margarete von Wrangell Postdoctoral Fellowship: https://mwk.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/hochschulen-studium/hochschulpolitik/chancengleichheit/individuelle-foerderprogramme
The fellowship would support a three-year postdoctoral position (100% full-time, TV-L E13) for women max. 2 years post PhD (PhD grade magna cum laude or higher) at the University of Konstanz, with connections to the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour (CASCB). The position is expected to start as soon as possible following a positive fellowship decision (anticipated August 2026).
The successful candidate will develop an independent research profile while collaborating with Prof. Heesen on a broader research program investigating the mechanisms and origins of joint action in humans and other primates.
Within this research program, applicants are invited to develop their own research ideas related to one or more of the following themes: communicative feedback and temporal synchrony in social interaction and group-specific/socio-cultural influences on interaction dynamics. Research in the group combines behavioural observation, experimental approaches and multimodal analysis of joint action, including comparative work with human children and nonhuman primates (mainly chimpanzees and bonobos). The candidate will work with existing video data from Heesen’s lab and collect new data, notably on human children.
Applicants should hold a PhD in psychology, biology, anthropology, linguistics, cognitive science, or a related discipline, and have a strong interest in research on social interaction, communication, or cooperative behaviour.
Interested candidates should send an expression of interest including their CV, cover letter, a 1-page research statement outlining how their own work fits with ideas for a project within the broader mentioned research program and contact details of two referees. Expressions of interest should be sent by 1 April 2026 to Jun.- Prof. Dr. Raphaela Heesen, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz by email:
raphaela.heesen@uni-konstanz.de
Selected candidates will then develop a joint application for the Margarete von Wrangell Fellowship together with R. Heesen. The final fellowship application deadline is expected at the end of May 2026
