Hiring Organization:
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Date Posted:
2012-06-25
Position Description:
The Department of Primatology at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, is seeking highly motivated field assistants to manage a team for the collection, entry, and process of scientific data as part of the Pan African programme ‘The Cultured Chimpanzee’ (for more details on this project please see the report in Nature 476, 18 August 2011, pp. 266-269). The project aims to compile a large data set to answer questions about the evolution of tool use, hunting, life history and social organisation in wild chimpanzees with a continent wide approach.
The successful candidates will work at temporary or long-term research sites where they will collect detailed data on chimpanzee demographic and social structure, tool use, behaviour and ecology, as well as organic samples for genetic, pathogen, diet and stable isotope analyses. The candidate will be responsible for the installation of remote video cameras and subsequent regular revisits for maintenance and data download. Additionally, data on food availability, prey species, other sympatric wildlife, human impact, and information on additional chimpanzee food sources such as ants, termites, nuts and honey will be collected. The candidates will also collect and store faecal, urine, bone and hair samples, as well as environmental samples for isotope analysis.
The candidate will be further responsible for data entry, sample storage preliminary analysis and monthly reporting of progress and results. Finally, the candidate will be responsible for coordination of the project activities for the site, supervision of the team members, and managing the field site.
The field sites are located in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Senegal and Tanzania. Positions will begin in November with a 2- to 3-week training workshop at the institute in Leipzig, followed by approximately 13 continuous months in the respective field site.
Qualifications/Experience:
The successful candidate should hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in biology or a related field. As field work will be extremely demanding, the successful candidate must be physically and mentally fit, able to spend long periods of time away from developed areas and be comfortable with minimal living conditions (no plumbing, electricity, or housing) in extremely remote locations. The candidate must be self-sufficient and able to work independently, capable of learning fast and making decisions on his/her own. He/she also needs to be able to work in a team and communicate well with other team members and the project managers at the institute. Field experience (GPS usage, navigation and camping skills, etc.) is mandatory. All candidates need to be proficient with computers, graphics and spreadsheets, and proficiency in written and oral English is necessary. For candidates applying for the French-speaking countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Gabon, Senegal and Republic of Congo), additional proficiency in spoken and written French is essential.
Salary/funding:
200€/month, of which 100€ will be paid each month. The remaining amount will be paid following the successful completion of the field data collection.
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
- Travel to Leipzig for the workshop will be provided.
- Accommodation in Leipzig for the duration of the workshop.
- One round trip airfare from Leipzig to field site will be reimbursed. Half of the airfare will be reimbursed on the candidate’s arrival in the field site, and the rest on the successful completion of the project.
- Basic food is provided, but should you wish to purchase anything more, you will need to cover it yourself.
- Accommodation in the field site (housing in established locations or in most cases tents).
- Field survey equipment will be provided.
The candidates are required to arrange and cover the following:
- Health insurance that covers emergency repatriation and liability
- All vaccinations required for the country of travel prior to departure, and any medications needed, including malaria prophylaxis.
Application Deadline:
Friday 10th August 2012
Comments:
Please send a Curriculum Vita, cover letter and two reference letters to Mizuki Murai (mizuki_murai@eva.mpg.de). Please reference “Field Positions - The Cultured Chimpanzee” in the subject line.
Telephone interviews will be held on the w/c Monday 3rd September 2012 and w/c Monday 10th September 2012. In order to apply, you MUST be available for the starting date of Monday 5th November 2012 for the workshop in Leipzig. If you receive no reply within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you were not successful on this occasion.
Contact Information:
Mizuki Murai
Leipzig, none
Germany
Website:
E-mail Address: