Hiring Organization:
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Position Description:
I am looking for a field assistant to assist with data collection for my Ph.D.
project on female mate choice and mating strategies in bonobos (Pan paniscus) at LuiKotale - a long-term field site near Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study is part of an ongoing project and all collected data will be handed over at the end of the appointment; therefore, this position is not suitable for candidates looking to pursue individual projects. The research assistant will be trained on site, and will learn to identify individual bonobos in a habituated community of bonobos. The assistant will work alongside an existing team of personnel, recording detailed behavioural observations and collecting faecal and urine samples.
Fieldwork includes long-distance walking through very difficult terrain, and the assistant should be prepared to work long days, sometimes from dawn to dusk, in all weather conditions. Information about the field site and research activities at LuiKotale is available at http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/files/bonobo.htm . This position will provide the successful applicant with an excellent opportunity to gain extended fieldwork experience with detailed behavioural research.
Qualifications/Experience:
Essential requirements are: (1) field experience, preferably in a tropical climate; (2) above average physical fitness and tolerance of demanding physical conditions; (3) above average resistance to social/psychological stress; and (4) the ability to live in a very remote and basic camp, and work with an international team of students, volunteers and local staff.
Candidates should have: (1) practical and technical skills required for orientation and navigation in the forest (e.g., experience with GPS units and compass reading); (2) strong social skills and patience; (3) high degree of self-motivation and responsibility; (4) respect for and willingness to adapt to local customs; and (5) up-to-date awareness of the current situation in DRC, including potential health and safety risks associated with working in DRC. Candidates with field research experience in Africa, animal behavioural research experience, and knowledge of French will be preferred.
Salary/funding:
300 Euros/month
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
- Food (a variety of local foods with limited western food items)
- Lodging (in tents under thatched roofs) at the field site
- Airfare and airport tax for one domestic return flight from Kinshasa to the field site
- Contribution of up to 800 Euros for an international return flight (reimbursement ONLY AFTER successful completion of a 9-MONTH term of
appointment)
- Expenses for visa (reimbursement ONLY AFTER successful completion of a 9- MONTH term of appointment)
* Please note that expenses during the stay in Kinshasa on the way in/out of D.R. Congo cannot be covered by the project.
Term of Appointment:
9 months starting in March 2012
Application Deadline:
October 1, 2011
Comments:
To apply, please send: (1) a letter of interest/motivation; (2) your CV or resume detailing relevant experience; and (3) names and e-mail addresses of two people who would be willing to provide references to heidi_douglas@eva.mpg.de by the October 1st deadline.
Contact Information:
Pamela Heidi Douglas
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig, none 04103 Germany
Telephone Number:
++49 (0) 341 3550 264
Fax Number:
++49 (0) 341 3550 299
Website:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/files/bonobo.htm
E-mail Address:
heidi_douglas@eva.mpg.de