We are recruiting a field vocalization assistant for the Capuchins at Taboga Project, a long-term project in Costa Rica on the behavior, communication, endocrinology, and conservation of wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator). All research is conducted at a field station located in the Taboga Forest Reserve in the Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica.
We are currently looking for a research assistant who is willing to conduct behavioral field studies in addition to being the vocalization technician for a graduate student with which they will be working closely with. This research position will be someone who has some vocalization research experience, and who would like to get a bit of field experience in while conducting field playbacks and focal vocalization collecting work in Costa Rica. We will provide playback protocol training on site.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the following: 1) conducting field playbacks, 2) recording new vocalizations and identifying individual monkeys, 3) field data management and data coding, 4) collecting daily behavioral data, and 5) processing, editing, measuring, and compiling vocalization data. The entirety of this position will be conducting fieldwork.
Qualified applicants will have a B.S. or B.A in Biology, Zoology, Biological Anthropology, Psychology, or a related field. You must also have prior training in field playbacks or other acoustic positions and be knowledgable in using acoustic software (e.g., pratt, avisoft, audacity, etc) and in R. Applicants must be fluent/highly proficient in English and conversational in Spanish (or at least willing to learn Spanish!), both of which are necessary to communicate with others at the field station. Prior travel and/or field experience in tropical regions is preferred. An ability to work full days (~ 8 to 10 hours) outdoors in hot, humid conditions, on sometimes steep terrain, and through sometimes dense forest is also required. We think the beauty of the forest and the wildlife is well worth it! Assistants must also be comfortable living, cooking, and working closely with others. Field work is conducted from 4am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, weekends are free.
Directors of the project are Drs. Thore Bergman and Jacinta Beehner (University of Michigan), and Dr. Marcela Benitez (Emory University). The project field station is part of a field campus of the Universidad Técnica Nacional of Costa Rica at Taboga. You can read more about the location here. We have multiple 4-bedroom houses that each sleep 7 people comfortably. Each house has potable running water, reliable electricity and internet, full kitchens, two bathrooms with showers (hot water!), and laundry facilities. The house is shared by our Costa Rican staff assistants during the week, volunteer assistants, and graduate students conducting research. Note that the Taboga adheres strictly to gender equality and will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment.
You should come prepared to share a room. Assistants take weekly turns driving to town for groceries (~40 min drive to nearest town) and for other project related purchases. Extended time away from the field site must be approved. When in the forest, assistants must wear a mask and stay at least six meters away from the monkeys.
Funding and Compensation: This is a volunteer position, so there is no formal salary, but there is an extra monthly stipend of $100, in addition to all expenses being covered. Round-trip airfare (up to $500) from your home city and living support while conducting fieldwork will be provided (e.g., travel, meals, and lodging). The assistant needs to have their own basic healthcare plan. The assistant will be responsible for covering expenses during vacations or other weekend trips they choose to take. Costa Rica does not require specific vaccinations to enter the country, but the assistant will be responsible for securing any recommended vaccinations they wish to have. Visa renewals for Costa Rica have recently changed and visitors from select countries with return tickets can now stay 180 days (6 months) without having to leave the country to renew visas.
The volunteer will need to provide their own backpack, water bladder, field clothing, bug repellent, and footwear. We will provide snake gaiters (lower leg coverings) and binoculars. We will also provide recording equipment, playback equipment, and access to vocalization software. We can also offer advice about what items are necessary for daily life in a tropical dry forest.The project is also committed to including assistants as authors on scientific publications made possible by their contributions in the field.
Appointment: A 4 month commitment is required but 6 month commitment is preferred, and appointments for the following year (2026) are also possible after your successful completion of the 2025 field season. January is the start of the dry season in Costa Rica which means ideal weather for vocalization research, and come May things begin to get wet. So, we are looking for an assistant who can start their appointment for January 2025 and stay at least 3 months.
Deadline: Positions will remain open until filled. We hope to fill the position before January 2025; and we hope to have the assistant in the field ASAP during the first few weeks of January.
Application: Please email the following materials to Tony Estrella, the graduate student you will be directly assisting (tonyest@umich.edu):
- A letter stating your qualifications for this position, whether you speak Spanish, how the position fits with your interests and future career goals, and when you would be available to come.
- A CV or resumé detailing relevant experience
- A summary of college courses taken and the grades received. Unofficial transcripts preferred.
- Contact information for at least two references, preferably at least one academic reference as well as one person who has worked closely with you or who has closely supervised your work. No need to send letters at this time. We will request letters at a later stage in the process.
The subject heading of the email message should read: “Application for Costa Rican field position”. We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment at this research site. We encourage applications from members of groups underrepresented in field sciences, including members of visible minorities, racialized groups, and LGBTQ+ communities. We also encourage applications from nationals of primate habitat countries, including Costa Ricans.