PhD position on Social Evolution
The <http://www.orn.mpg.de/IMPRS> International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Organismal Biology is jointly organized by the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen and Radolfzell and the University of Konstanz. More than 25 internationally recognized research groups actively participate in the PhD program and offer challenging, cutting-edge PhD projects in the fields of Behavioral Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Physiology, and Neurobiology. Project description How does the social environment influence the evolution of social behaviours? Gregarious living means that individuals have to interact with each other. Social interactions are used to cooperate, compete, or convey information. Social behaviours can vary widely within and between individuals, and also incur fitness consequences. Interestingly, social behaviours are influenced by the social partners they are expressed with, which can have a genetic component. This means that the genes of social partners can influence the evolution of social behaviours. Nevertheless few studies of the evolution of social behaviour account for these social genetic effects. This project will examine how social environment can influence the phenotypic and genetic variation in social traits. We study this in wild bird populations, which are exposed to a natural range of variation. This project combines field and lab work, and is very team-oriented. Applicants should be dedicated field workers, able to work independently in remote areas, wanting to learn or apply molecular genetic skills and have strong analytical skills. Main advisor <http://www.orn.mpg.de/218867/Research-Group-Schroeder> Julia Schroeder, MPIO Seewiesen Our offer All students accepted to the program will be supported by stipends or contracts. Besides their own research, the IMPRS fellows attend laboratory courses and workshops in relevant transferable skills like scientific writing and project management. Talks by invited speakers during our annual IMPRS symposium, student retreats, and conference participation complete the individually tailored curriculum. The working language is English. Each PhD student receives individual supervision and mentoring and is guided in her/his research work by a PhD advisory committee. Your application Outstanding students of all nationalities with a deep commitment to basic research in Organismal Biology are invited to apply. Deadline for the application is January 15, 2014. Interviews with the applicants are scheduled for Mid-March. Candidates accepted into the program may start latest September 2014. The Max Planck Society and the University of Konstanz are equal opportunity employers. Qualification: Applicants should hold a MSc or equivalent degree in biology or a related discipline at the point of enrollment. Queries should be mailed to the program office: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] Application : For the online application process visit <http://www.orn.mpg.de/2383/Application> www.orn.mpg.de/2383/Application. More information on the current PhD projects at http://www.orn.mpg.de/projects and <http://www.facebook.com/OrganismalBiology> www.facebook.com/OrganismalBiology.
