mardi 11 janvier 2011

Research assistant

Hiring Organization:
Max-Planck-Institute for Evol. Anthropology
Date Posted:
2011-01-06
Position Description:
Two research assistants for an ongoing long-term project in LuiKotale, Salonga NP, Democratic Republic of Congo. Candidates will be in charge of habituating bonobos to the presence of human observers. Major work is to conduct daily walks in the forest to locate bonobos and attempts to follow individuals during the day. It also includes taking notes on the foods consumed by bonobos, scoring locations of nest groups, travel routes etc., and analyzing recordings from camera traps. Assistants will be accommodated at the LuiKotale Research Camp but occasionally, may also have to camp in the forest. Information about the field site and research activities at LuiKotale is available at www.eva.mpg.de/primat
Qualifications/Experience:
Essential requirements are: (1) field experience, (2) language skills (English and French), (3) above average physical fitness, (4) above average resistance to social/psychological stress, (5) practical and technical skills required to orient and move across dense tropical lowland forest without prominent land marks, (6) the ability to achieve tasks by improvisation, using the limited sources that are available, (7) the capacity to live and work with an international team of students, volunteers and local staff. Candidates should be independent, have social skills, a strong motivation to take on responsibility, and tolerance to costumes and practices of traditional societies. Candidates with experience in botany will be preferred.
Salary/funding:
300 Euro/month
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
- food (mix of mainly local food and some western food items)
- lodging (in tents) at the field site
- airfare for one domestic return flight from Kinshasa to the field site and back
- contribution of up to 800 Euro to an international return flight (reimbursement ONLY AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETITION OF A 9 MONTS TERM OF APPOINTMENT)
- expenses for visa (reimbursement ONLY AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETITION OF A 9 MONTS TERM OF APPOINTMENT)
- please note that expenses during the stay in Kinshasa on the way in/out of Congo can not be covered by the project
Term of Appointment:
9 months starting in May 2011
Application Deadline:
March 30th, 2011
Contact Information:
Dr. Gottfried Hohmann
Deutscher Platz 6
Leipzig 04103
Germany
Telephone Number:
++49 341 3550 208
E-mail Address:
hohmann@eva.mpg.de