Job advertisement
The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz IZW) in Berlin is Germany’s premier wildlife research institute. The Leibniz IZW focuses on the life histories and mechanisms of evolutionary adaptations of mammals and birds, their limits and their conservation in natural and anthropogenically influenced environments. The institute operates within the fields of evolutionary ecology, ecological dynamics, evolutionary genetics, wildlife diseases, reproduction biology and reproduction management.
The IZW Department of Evolutionary Ecology offers (beginning earliest 1st November, 2022) an unpaid
Masters Student Project
MSc project on: Do vultures prefer certain flight heights for foraging?
Tasks:
The focus of this project will be the analysis of the flight height of white backed vultures (Gyps africanus) when they find carcasses to feed on. This could answer the question whether vultures allocate time during the day specifically to foraging or if they might be foraging whenever they are on the move.
Within the project „GAIA-SAT-IoT“ we equipped 27 white backed vultures with GPS loggers. We will provide the GPS datasets and a dataset of locations where we could confirm that these vultures were feeding.
The main tasks will involve the extraction of relevant GPS data in the context of feeding and a statistical analysis of flight height in relation to carcass proximity.
Requirements:
Registration at a German university at a faculty of biology in a Master programme.
A suitable candidate will have some experience with R, a good command of English. Experience with QGIS can be helpful but is not a requirement.
Good organisational skills, high motivation and the ability to work independently for long hours are essential. Personal interest in the questions of how species adapt to ongoing change is a bonus.
Applications and working environment:
The position will start at the earliest on 1st Nov 2022 as soon as it is filled and will last for at least 3 months. Work load comprises a minimal of 10 hours per week, the actual amount of hours can be negotiated. The place of employment is the IZW Berlin or alternatively at home and no travel for the project is envisaged.
Enquiries or questions should be directed to Mr Wanja Rast (rast@izw-berlin.de).
As a member of the Leibniz Association the Leibniz-IZW is an equal opportunity employer, determined to increase the proportion of women in successful scientific careers, and particularly encourages women to apply. Preference will be given to disabled applicants with the same qualifications.
Please upload complete application documents including a letter of motivation, CV, proof of university enrolment and contact details (email address and telephone) of a person who can provide a reference. Submit your application as soon as possible but no later than 30th November 2022 via the Leibniz-IZW’s online-job-market (button “Apply online”).
