I am a PhD student working on call combination in sooty mangabeys and I am looking for a volunteer field assistant to help me collect data on wild monkeys in the Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, for one year starting January 2023.
Study site and accommodation
The field site is located in a remote rainforest with basic living conditions and very limited access to phone or internet coverage, where researchers and assistants live together in small housings. The forest is a protected area where an amazing range of different species is living (including chimpanzees, 8 different monkey species, leopards, forest elephants, crocodiles, pangolins and pygmy hippos). The food consists mostly in rice dishes with different types of tasty sauces.
Working condition
Fieldwork requires following the mangabeys from dawn to dusk, conducting focal and ad libitum recording of vocalisations, assisting in experiments and processing data.
Qualifications and requirements
I am looking for a motivated candidate interested in scientific research and willing to work in a remote and physically demanding habitat for an extended period of time. Good social skills are needed to work and live amongst a group of international colleagues with different cultural backgrounds. The candidate needs to speak English and basic French is desirable to exchange with local colleagues. The candidate will have the possibility to conduct a side research project (e.g., MSc thesis).
Funding
This is a volunteer position so there is no salary. However, the stay is fully supported: accommodation at the field site, one roundtrip to the field site, administrative fees (visa, official documents), food, as well as a small monthly stipend (170$/month) to cover suitable clothing, health insurance and vaccination.
Term of appointment
The candidate is expected to begin in January 2023 and stay until December 2023.
Application
Please send a CV, a short motivation letter stating your interest in the position and the names and emails of two referees at auriane.lefloch@unine.ch. Evaluation process starts August 22 and continues until the position is filled.
This position is funded by the Leakey Foundation.