Hiring Organization:
Maryjka Blaszczyk (Ph.D. candidate, New York University)
Date Posted:
2011-08-22
Position Description:
Seeking a volunteer field assistant to participate in a study of personality and social behavior in wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) in South Africa. This position involves helping with habituation of vervet monkeys and the collection of behavioral data during all day follows of vervet groups between dawn and dusk 5-6 days per week, and data organization in the evenings or on parts of off-days as needed. The study site is Soetdoring Nature Reserve, which is a 40 min drive from Bloemfontein, a city with hospitals, malls and other facilities. Accommodation will be in a room shared with another field assistant in a small town 15km from the reserve.
Successful applicants will be trained in all of the specific field methods to be employed in this study, and the position provides a good opportunity to gain experience in fieldwork and animal behavior research.
Qualifications/Experience:
Applicants should have had coursework in animal behavior, behavioural ecology, zoology, primatology or other relevant fields. Expertise in behavioral observation methods is not required, as successful applicants will receive training in the data collection methods used in this project. Some experience in field biology, is, however, preferred. The applicant should have experience in scientific research, and be able to follow protocols closely and collect data in a systematic fashion.
Applicants must be comfortable spending whole days in the field, often alone, and must be both physically and mentally fit for long and challenging workdays. Critical personal characteristics for this position are being a hard worker, being reliable and self-motivated, being able to follow instructions carefully, and being able to work independently. Applicants should be fluent in English.
Salary/funding:
None at present. We have applied for grants to cover living expenses for long-term field assistants (~ 1 year commitment), but will not know about the outcome of these grants until around January 2012. If successful, we will be hiring long-term field assistants to begin in January or February 2012, and previous or current volunteers will be preferred for these positions if interested.
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
At present applicants would be responsible for all expenses associated with the position, including flights to and from the field site ($1200 - $1700), visas, health and travel insurance, and food and accommodation. Accommodation will be approximately $ 150 per month, food and other living expenses depend on personal preferences but are expected to come to between $250 and $350 per month.
Term of Appointment:
Start date is as soon as possible. A commitment of 6 months or longer preferred, although we will also consider shorter-term applicants, e.g. September to December 2011. We will not be working on the project for 2 - 3 weeks over the holidays (from the middle to the end of December), so longer-term applicants should plan for this accordingly.
Application Deadline:
Until position is filled.
Comments:
To apply, please email the following to mbb348@nyu.edu:
(1) A cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position and why you are suitable, including your previous experience, qualifications, and future career goals. Please also state your availability (duration and available start date).
(2) Your CV, including contact information.
(3) Contact details of at least two references. Your references should preferably be people who have supervised you in a research capacity (professors or research supervisors) and who will be able to provide information about your experience, training, and suitability for fieldwork.
Contact Information:
Maryjka Blaszczyk
South Africa
E-mail Address:
mbb348@nyu.edu