I am looking for a student or volunteer to work with me at the Budongo Conservation Field Station and the Bugoma Primate Conservation Project in Uganda for at least 6 months, preferably 8-10 months in 2023. Depending on the applicant’s study program, there is the option to write a master’s thesis with me and the Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior afterwards.
Project
As one of our closest relatives, chimpanzees share various cognitive traits with humans. Presumably including mechanisms that play a role for innovativeness and curiosity. To better understand the evolution of these traits, I study curiosity and social learning in wild chimpanzees.
Field Sites
The Budongo Forest Reserve and the Bugoma Forest reserve are located in North-Western Uganda, above lake Albert, which forms the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both forest span over 400km2 of continuous forest cover with an incredibly diverse range of plants, insects, birds, and mammals. Both forests are home to multiple chimpanzee communities. For more info, see http://www.budongo.org/about/ and https://bugomaprimates.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/
Budongo is fairly large field site which usually hosts multiple researchers at a time. Bugoma is a small field site, hosting only a few researchers. We share both camps with local staff. Living conditions are basic. Depending on the number of researchers at the site, the applicant will have to share a room at Bugoma. Food is basic (eg. rice and beans), mostly vegetarian. Solar panels provide enough power to charge equipment, depending on the weather power is limited. Mobile reception usually allows to send WhatsApp messages, better connection can be found in villages close by. Researchers do rarely leave the camp.
Tasks
The student/volunteer will collect observational and experimental data. Observational data is collected through daily focal follows. We follow one individual chimpanzee throughout the day, collecting general behavioural data in 3min intervals and additionally all occurrence data on behaviours that are of interest to us. Chimpanzees are always being followed together with a local field assistant. Experimental data is collected through camera traps and the student/volunteer will assist in setting up and maintaining experiments and cameras. All data needs to be cleaned, sorted, labeled, stored etc. directly after data collection.
Work in the forest is demanding. We follow chimpanzees from morning till late afternoon, often covering long distances in a day. This not only requires consistent focus, but physical fitness. The forest is often covered in thicket, parts of the forest are swampy, making it difficult to get ahead. The applicant should not be bothered by mud, insects or anything else that is typical for a rainforest.
Position outline
- Field stay of least 6 months, preferably 8-10 months at the site starting early 2023 (around February)
- Costs covered (mostly reimbursed after completion of stay):
· One round trip (including flights, other means of transport, hotel stays)
· Visa and permit fees (including transport and hotel stay in Kampala)
· Camp fees
- Costs not covered: Food, internet, additional trips either in Uganda or internationally, health insurance
Requirements
- Ability to stay focused, motivated, and attentive to details over long periods of time and for repetitive tasks
- Physical fitness
- Resilience to psychological stress, isolated living, little private space
- Awareness for and acceptance of cultural differences
- Good at working (and living) in groups
- Open communication
- Fluency in English
- Previous field experience or experience collecting behavioural observational data desired
For volunteers:
- You do NOT need an academic background in a related field, but you should demonstrate great interest for primates/animal behvaiour/comparative psychology
For master students:
- Great interest for the topic, demonstrated by course work and achievements in animal behavior/primatology/comparative psychology/cognitive science or related fields
- Experience with R
- Experience with or training in linear models, desirably GLMMs
Applications
Please send your applications (motivational letter, CV, English preferred, German possible) to nslania@ab.mpg.de. Since we will work and live together closely for months, tell me something about yourself (apart from primate related things), too!