Santa Rosa Primate Project - Field Assistant

 *Please note that the application deadline for this position has changed to Nov 5

Position Description:

We are seeking a field assistant for a project exploring age-related differences in the sensory foraging behaviour of wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator) at Sector Santa Rosa, Área de Conservación Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The project will be conducted by University of Calgary master’s student Megan Mah (project PI) and supervised by Dr. Amanda Melin. We are seeking applicants who can make a 6- or 7-month commitment (December 2021/January 2022 to June 2022; there can be some flexibility in the start date).

The assistant will help locate monkey groups based on known ranging territory, follow monkey groups, and collect detailed behavioural data using scan sampling and focal animal sampling. They will be responsible for learning to recognize individual monkeys, identify capuchin foods, and use relevant ethograms for behavioural data collection. The assistant will also help collect capuchin dietary fruits and measure their properties. Learning proper data collection techniques will require self-motivation and perseverance. The assistant will be trained by the project PI.

The assistant must be able to work long shifts in the field (~8-10 hours), often waking up before dawn or coming back to the field station after dusk. They will be in the forest up to 5 full days and 1 partial day per week. Workdays typically involve intense hiking in a hot and humid climate. The assistant will have 1-2 days out of the forest per week, and 3-4 consecutive days off at the end of each month.

The field site is remote, and field assistants will live in a project field house equipped with internet, a full kitchen, bathrooms with showers, and a laundry machine. Applicants must be clean and tidy, responsible, respectful, and have experience living communally with housemates. There are snakes and other wildlife that assistants must be able to cope with, and hopefully enjoy.

All researchers and assistants wear snake guards in the forest to prevent snake bites, but no one has been bitten in the >30-year history of the project. Wasps, large spiders, scorpions, chiggers, and ticks are all common and non-lethal, but stings and bites will happen. Though medical care is available ~60 minutes by car from the entrance to the field site, researchers are often multiple hours from the nearest roadway, and will not have immediate access to a vehicle. For this reason, applicants with a history of anaphylactic reactions to wasp/bee stings must have undergone treatment (e.g., immunotherapy) and allergies must be at a manageable level.

The assistant must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their involvement with the project. When following monkey groups, the assistant must wear a mask and stay at least six meters away from monkeys. The successful applicant will be notified of additional details regarding the project’s COVID-19 mitigation plan.

Qualifications/Experience:

1. High level of physical fitness is required. The terrain is rough, and the climate is hot and humid. Researchers are often required to hike quickly through varied terrain while following monkeys.
2. Extensive fieldwork experience is not required, but applicants who have experience working with wild primates or other wild animals will be given priority.
3. Up-to-date Standard First Aid and/or Wilderness First Responder certifications are highly recommended.
4. An interest in scientific research and primate behaviour is required.
5. A background in biology, anthropology, or a related field is preferred.
6. Conversational level Spanish or English language skills are required (having both is preferred).
7. The ability to live away from friends and family for an extended period is required.

Support provided:

1. $500 USD/month to offset living expenses while assisting on the project.
2. Lodging in the project field house.
3. Transportation to and from the field site at the start and end of the project.
4. A Samsung tablet, GPS unit, and binoculars will be provided for data collection.

Assistants are responsible for paying for:

1. Health insurance (for Costa Ricans, this must cover work-related incidents; e.g., Grupo INS Seguro Obligatorio de Riesgos del Trabajo)
2. Food. Assistants will be responsible for their own food (usually purchased and cooked communally). Depending on dietary preference, food costs between $130-$180 USD/month.
3. Personal field gear (including sturdy field clothing, water bottles, hiking boots, field backpack, etc.).

To apply, please submit the following:

1. Curriculum vitae
2. Up to 1-page statement of interest describing a) your goals related to this position (what you are looking to gain), b) why you want this experience, c) your preparedness for this position (e.g., comment on the requirements/preferences listed under Qualifications/Experience), and d) dates that you are available for this position.
3. Names and contact information for 2 references (1 academic or work-related reference and 1 personal reference).

Please email all application materials to Megan Mah (memah@ucalgary.ca) using the subject “SSR Primate Field Assistant”. If you have questions about this position, please feel free to send an email.

We strongly encourage applications from Costa Ricans and members of underrepresented groups in the research community, including members of visible minorities or racialized groups, members of LGBTQ2+ communities, and nationals of nonhuman primate habitat countries. We are committed to working with you to make sure that your experience is as safe and positive as possible.

Application Deadline: November 5, 2021