Hiring Organization:
University of Chicago
Date Posted:
2008-11-30
Position Description:
We are looking for volunteers to help assist with a behavioral endocrinology project on free-ranging rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico (see http://ucm.rcm.upr.edu/cayosan.html). The project is being undertaken in the lab of Prof. Dario Maestripieri, University of Chicago (see lab webpage http://primate.uchicago.edu), and volunteers will be working directly alongside me, Dr James Higham, on a daily basis (see my webpage http://primate.uchicago.edu/james.htm for information about me and my research interests).
Volunteers will be expected to work on Cayo Santiago from 7:00 – 14:30 for 5 or 6 days a week, and may also be required to undertake data entry and/or processing in the later afternoon and early evenings. While on Cayo Santiago, duties will include learning to recognize group members, behavioral data collection, and the collection of fecal and urine samples for endocrine analysis.
These positions are ideal for graduate students or recent graduates looking to gain experience of fieldwork and of data collection. You will be trained in a number of field techniques, and I am also happy to explain in detail the laboratory procedures that will ultimately take place on samples collected. A number of projects from different researchers based at institutions around the world will take place on Cayo Santiago over the course of the volunteerships, offering opportunities for volunteers to meet other researchers and other students from a range of universities, and in a range of fields.
Qualifications/Experience:
Applicants should:
1) Be physically fit, and capable of undertaking fieldwork in hot conditions.
2) Have a background in biology/anthropology/zoology/psychology or a related field.
3) Be interested in primate behavior
4) Be hardworking and conscientious
5) Be independent, and capable of spending extended periods away from family and friends
Salary/funding:
We may be able to provide some support for candidates, depending on their experience. However volunteers may have to contribute some or all of the following expenses: return travel to the field site, medical insurance, field clothes and personal expenses, food, and housing. Shared accommodation can be often be found very cheaply in Punta Santiago (e.g. $200 per month).
Term of Appointment:
Start dates around 1st March 09. 6 months preferable. Candidates will not be considered for periods of less than 4 months.
Application Deadline:
We will consider applicants at any time.
Contact Information:
Dr James Higham
USA
Website:
http://primate.uchicago.edu
E-mail Address:
jhigham@uchicago.edu