We
seek to fill a 2-year position for a Postdoctoral Researcher in the area of
primate communication and cognition, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Our
overall goal is to understand how primates socially learn to communicate,
especially in the vocal mode. To this end, we will carry out a set of
observational and experimental studies to make progress in this domain, such as
how acoustic structures are acquired and how sound-meaning linkages are
established. The entire project will encompass research with chimpanzees, both
in captivity and in the wild, and several monkey species, particularly Diana
monkeys, sooty mangabeys and vervet monkeys in their natural habitats in
Uganda, the Ivory Coast and South Africa.
The
successful candidate will have a strong academic background in a relevant
discipline (zoology, anthropology or psychology), ideally some prior experience
in collecting data in wild populations with a publication record adequate for
his/her career stage. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to take a
team-leading role and collaborate with Klaus Zuberbühler. He/she will join a
strong team of Master and PhD students and other postdoctoral researchers at
the Laboratory for Comparative Cognition at the University of Neuchatel (http://www2.unine.ch/compcog).
We
seek to fill the position by July 2016,
although the starting date is negotiable. We aim to generate a work programme
that maximally fits the candidate’s own interest -- within the limits of the
project’s goals – so personal initiative, independent work ethics, and a strong
interest in theory will be essential prerequisites.
If
you are interested in this position, please email a cover letter, your CV with
publication list, and the names of three referees to Dr Andrea Bshary (andrea.bshary@unine.ch).