Animal Behavior Society - Grants and Grant Information

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ABSNews

Animal Behavior Society's News and Announcments

Gelada Monkey Research in the Ethiopian Highlands

Two field assistants are needed for a study of the behavior, ecology, endocrinology, and conservation of wild gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) at a remote, semi-permanent field site in north-central Ethiopia called Guassa. Field research assistants will participate in data collection during an intensive 13 month long field season as part of this long-term study. Assistant duties will include (but are not limited to) carrying out behavioral observations, fecal sample collection, and vegetation monitoring. Work will begin in mid-late May 2012 and last until the end of June 2013. Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

Masters project available at the Konrad Lorenz Research Station in Grünau im Almtal, Upper Austria.

Topic:: Performance of carrion crows on touch-screen in the presence of bystanders. Subjects: Ethology, Behavioural Ecology, Cognitive Biology, Zoology

Field Assistant (Undergraduates) for bat research in Costa Rica (June 10 – August 3, 2012)

We are looking for a field assistant to participate in a study to investigate how individual personality traits of bats affect the efficiency of their foraging behavior. This project will take placeat La Selva, an international biological station in Costa Rica established by the Organization for Tropical Studies. This offer is part of the REU program (http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/index.jsp) which covers the cost of room, boardand international travel to and from Costa Rica. Additionally, participants will also receive a stipend of $3600 for their 8 weeks of research.

Summer Fellowship at the MBL

"Fellowships available for summer research at the MBL".Purpose: With these Fellowships, The Grass Foundation encourages independent research by investigators early in their careers and increases research opportunities for persons planning careers in neurobiological investigation. Supported approaches include neurophysiology, biophysics, integrative neurobiology, neuroethology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, systems neuroscience, cellular and developmental neurobiology, and computational approaches to neural systems. The Foundation also has a longstanding interest in epilepsy-related research.

Internship Opportunity for a cat behavior study with the ASPCA

The ASPCA is seeking an intern for assistance with research aimed at helping animal shelters accurately determine whether cats entering their care are truly feral cats who are not socialized with people, or are socialized cats who are frightened in the shelter setting. This information is critical for channeling truly feral cats into Trap-Neuter-Return programs and for allowing frightened pet cats time to adjust to the shelter environment or to be reclaimed by their owners. The research team is working on developing an assessment tool that shelters can readily implement, with the ultimate goal of reducing euthanasia of feral cats and frightened pet cats.Deadline to apply is December 30, 2011.Please send resume and two professional references to: Dr. Katherine Miller, Director of Applied Science and Research, katherinem@aspca.org

M.S. positions available, Salisbury University, located in Salisbury, MD, USA.

One or possibly two positions are available for a M.S. student at Salisbury University, located in Salisbury, MD, USA. I am looking for motivated students who are interested in pursuing questions related to sexual selection and animal communication in frogs. Funding will be provided on a T.A. including a stipend and tuition waiver. Depending on the project, additional funding may be provided such that the student does not have teaching responsibilities. For more information, visit my website or contact Ryan Taylor: rctaylor@salisbury.edu

2012 Summer Apprentice Program

The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) is currently taking applications for our Summer 2012 Apprentice Program. Graduates, undergraduates, and post-graduates from various academic backgrounds (e.g. Anthropology, Biology, Psychology, Linguistics, Philosophy, etc.) and all nationalities are encouraged to apply. The dates of the program are June 24 to August 17, 2012.

Pre-doctoral Fellowships at Texas State University

The Graduate College is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for the 2012 Summer Predoctoral Fellowship Program. This will be the seventh year Texas State has offered the program. But if you are not familiar with the program, an overview is provided below and the complete announcement and application may be viewed at http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/Predoctoral_Fellowship.html.

Graduate student position in BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY

Applications are being sought from students with grit and optimism who wish to pursue a PhD. Students should also have both curiosity and zest about both behavioral ecology and questions related to our lab’s research. Current research in our lab focuses on various aspects of the physiology and behavior of sailfin, Atlantic, and Amazon mollies. Amazon mollies, Poecilia formosa, are a clonal, all female species that are sexual parasites, as they require sperm from the closely related sailfin molly, P. latipinna and Atlantic molly, P. mexicana, to start the development of their eggs but do not use the sperm to fertilize their eggs. Conflict exists between male mollies that prefer to mate with conspecifics and the Amazon mollies that require matings with these males.

MS degree opportunities in evolution and ecology.

Eastern Kentucky University offers MS degrees in evolution and ecology. Support is via competitive graduate assistantships which include salary and full or partial tuition waiver. Work may be additionally supported by grants. Multiple research programs in behavior exist, such as that described below. For more information about EKU, the department, and other faculty programs in ecology, evolution, and behavior visit http://www.biology.eku.edu.

Graduate students positions to investigate the neurogenomic basis of social and reproductive behaviors.

The research group of Dr. Lisa A. McGraw at North Carolina State University is seeking outstanding applicants for Ph.D. positions (or highly motivated Master’s students) to investigate the neurogenomic basis of social and reproductive behaviors.

Volunteer Assistant needed for tufted capuchin project

Para la Tierra is a conservation and research station based in Paraguay. We have recently launched a new long term study on the Paraguayan tufted capuchin (Cebus apella paraguayanus). Located within the Atlantic forest at the Laguna Blanca wildlife reserve these populations are poorly studied and understood. The project aims to establish long term research into the behaviour, ecology, and genetics of this species.

Volunteers Needed to Research Primates in the Amazon Rainforest

Volunteers are needed to serve as research assistants in a primate study in the Amazon Rainforest in Madre de Dios, Peru. Volunteers will be assisting Peruvian biologist, Jorge Florez Mayorga, conduct his research at CICRA. Jorge’s research focus is mixed groups of Cebus apella (brown capuchin) and Saimiri boliviensis (squirrel monkey). Volunteers will be assisting the following types of activities: primate surveys, assessment of habitats and food resources, monitoring primate behavior.

Volunteer field assistant - Australia

We are looking for a volunteer field assistant to help with a study of the reproductive biology of passerine birds in Australia from November 12 through to mid/late-December. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to gain further field experience in preparation for a Masters or PhD program in evolution, ecology or behaviour. Work will be conducted at multiple sites throughout Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland), thus the position will involve a large amount of traveling by air and car. Primary duties will include observation and passive and target netting of birds, collection of blood and other tissue samples and data entry. Volunteers are also expected to help with driving (thus a drivers license is required), maintenance of equipment and general logistics (cooking, cleaning, etc). Previous experience mist netting and bleeding is preferred, but highly motivated individuals lacking experience will also be considered. Study sites are remote, fitted withonly basic facilities and poisonous snakes, ticks and spiders are common. Thus volunteers must be able to work under harsh conditions – high temperatures, hiking off-trail in a variety of habitats, etc – and live and work with a small group (group size varies from 2 to a dozen) throughout the period. Moreover, working days will be long, often beginning at or before dawn and continuing until dusk. Throughout the project there will be fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities (kangaroos, wallabies, parrots, wombats, etc) and our final site is in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland rainforest. Food, housing and domestic travel will be provided. However, assistants will have to provide their own airfare to and from Australia (beginning in Sydney). To apply, please send a cover letter detailing interests and previous experience, your CV, and the contact details of three references to Dr. Melissah Rowe (email: melissah.rowe(at)nhm.uio.no: (at) replaces @ to dodge spammers). Review of applicants will begin immediately until the position is filled.