Research Assistants and Volunteer field internship positions
Details
Research Assistants (2 posts) and Volunteer field internship positions
Hiring Organization- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Department of
Humanities and Social sciences.
Position Description:
We are looking for two research assistants (paid) and volunteer field interns helping with a PhD project investigating social learning patterns and culture of Nicobar long-tailed macaque. The work of the research assistants and volunteers will include collecting behavioural data, assisting with archiving work at the research station, such as labelling the artefacts and a detailed description of the artefacts collected. Further, volunteers will be trained to use the software used for this project. The study is conducted at the Nicobar Islands (Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal). Most data collection will be carried out in the form of the focal animals throughout the islands. The work will require the candidate to be physically and mentally challenging: as the camp will be left before dawn, followed by few to long hours of walk to the field site and then full day observation by observing the focal animal through the study area until the evening around dusk. The research assistants and volunteers will be accommodated in a basic camp together with other researchers and local field assistants. There is no hot water at the camp. It takes a 15-minutes’ walk from the camp to get an internet signal, and very few places have proper cell phone network, and some islands have no signal at all. Most people work on a schedule where we do at least three days of fieldwork, one camp day and then three days of field work again. The field work will be conducted in the restricted islands of Nicobar; thus, and long-tailed macaques are endemic to this region. Students might conduct small own research projects within the framework of the doctoral thesis, given their main supervisors will provide the necessary guidance during their write-up phase. This project is funded by the International Primatological Society and The Leakey Foundation.
Qualifications/Experience:
Applicants should:
- Preferably have a Master Degree (Zoology or Anthropology) with interest in Biology (Research
Assistants)
- Preferably have a background or profound interest in Biology (Internship)
- Have experience with field work
- Be in excellent physical condition as the work in the forest is physically demanding: it includes long walks through the tropical forest, getting up early and long work days
- Be ready to live under very basic conditions and closely together with a small team of the researcher and local field assistants on confined space
- Be resistant to social and psychological stress
- Be able to live remote and isolated, with limited contact to the outside world
- Be experienced with travelling and living in foreign cultures
- Have good observing skills including patience, persistence and a high level of attention to detail
- Be ready to work independently and flexibly come up with creative solutions to emerging problems
- Be willing to learn the local language (Hindi/ Bengali/ Tamil/ Telegu) as the local staff speak very little English only
- Be ready to travel independently in India and go through a lengthy permit process in Port Blair.
- Be motivated, energetic and have the ability to maintain a positive attitude towards tiring and exhausting work
Salary/funding:
All permits and accommodation costs in the Nicobar islands will be covered, and the research assistants and interns will be provided with their licensed software.
The internship positions is non-payable.
The position of a research assistant is payable, and the salary will be 15,000 (INR/month). The Research Assistant will be hired for a period of 1-2/ 2-3 months (depends on the applicant). Additionally, the research assistant will have to sign a contract which will be according to the time commitment the individual can provide.
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
Volunteers and research assistants will be responsible for paying their travel (both side travel of home town to Port Blair), health insurance and for obtaining all required vaccinations. All involved people will have to sign a liability waiver. If additional funding can be secured throughout the year 2020 by the principal investigator, a monthly contribution to the volunteers will be awarded, after completion of a two months stay. Also, experience certificate will be provided at the end of the internship/ work. The living cost will be covered in the project. The food cost will have to be borne by the individuals.
The term of Appointment:
Start: April 2020, 1-month minimum (Internship), 1-2/ 2-3 months (Research assistants)
Application Deadline: February 15, 2020- or until positions are filled
Comments:
Interested applicants should send their CV and a short letter of motivation (maximum one page) to
Dr. Parth R. Chauhan, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.