Fully funded, three year PhD position on elephant vocal behaviour at the University of Vienna supervised by Dr. Angela S. Stoeger, Mammal Communication Lab, Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna.
The Mammal Communication Lab, at the Department of Cognitive Biology, focuses at understanding mechanisms and the selective forces that shaped specific signals, skills and communication systems in mammals. Our main model species are African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants, highly social mammals that combine a capacity for vocal learning with complex cognitive skills. We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate who is interested in studying elephant vocal behaviour, considering sound production, information content (potentially including endocrinological aspects of acoustic variation), as well as propagation and perception of socially relevant vocalization types in both elephant species. The specific topic is flexible and open to discussion. Research (on both species) can be conducted in the field and under captive conditions applying a multi-level methodological approach (including acoustic recordings and analysis, sound visualization methods, re-synthesis techniques and playback experiments). Candidates with experience in bioacoustics (including acoustic recording and sound analysis), fieldwork or elephant behavior will be considered stronger applicants. In addition, a driving license is required for fieldwork.
This phd position would be enroled within the Doctoral Programme in Cognition and Communication at the University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Duration of contract: 3 years with the potential prolongation of another 12 months
Extent of Employment: 30.0 hours/weekU
Occupation group in accordance with Austrian University collective bargaining agreement: §48
VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (pre-doc).
In recent years, Vienna has become an important center for comparative behavioral and cognitive research, with a strong and growing research focus on cognitive biology and communication. The Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna have supported this development, by funding a multi-level, integrative and fully paid PhD training program on Cognition and Communication in humans and non-human animals.
Information for applicants:
http://cogcom.univie.ac.at/doctoral-program/
http://cogcom.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/p_cogcom/11_PhD_positions_2017.pdf
