vendredi 16 mars 2012

PhD Position in Primate Behaviour

Description
We seek to fill a PhD position to study cultural differences in two groups of wild chimpanzees at Budongo Forest, Uganda, the Sonso and Waibira communities (www.budongo.org). Unlike other chimpanzee communities in Africa, the Budongo chimpanzees do not use sticks as tools, but instead have developed an extensive leaf technology. Leaves are used, for example, to produce sponges and remove parasites, for medicinal purposes, signalling, and personal hygiene. We are interested in describing the ontogeny, social transmission, botantical knowledge and cultural diversity of this behaviour. The successful candidate will be supervised by Professor Klaus Zuberbühler.
Term of Appointment
Initial appointment will be for 1 year, to be extended by a further 3 years following satisfactory evaluation. The successful candidate will take on a managerial function at the field station to supervise collection of project data and ensure the delivery of scientific goals. Estimated time in the field is at least 6 months per year, for the first 3 years. She/he will also be required to assist with undergraduate teaching at the Institute of Biology in Neuchâtel. Basic/intermediate knowledge of French is required. The position is fully funded by the University of Neuchâtel (http://www2.unine.ch/biol).
Qualifications and Experience
Required: Masters degree (or equivalent) in biology or related fields; research experience in animal behaviour; strong interest in animal cognition; good interpersonal skills to act as team leader; excellent knowledge of English; sufficient knowledge of French to deliver undergraduate teaching. Beneficial: knowledge of primate cognition literature; field experience in Africa; research experience with primates.
Contact Information
Applications should include a (1) letter of intent, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) research proposal (no more than 500 words), (4) sample of academic written work (no more than 2,000 words), (5) 2-3 letters of recommendation, and (6) copies of academic transcripts and degrees. Please send all documents to Klaus.Zuberbuehler@unine.ch by 31 May 2012. Start date is negotiable from 01 August 2012.