PhD position: Behavioural and ecological determinants of social strategies in great tits

We offer a 4 year PhD Position (1.0 FTE) to undertake research on the behavioural and ecological determinants of social strategies in great tits in wild great tits within the Behavioural Ecology chair group at Wageningen University in collaboration with the Animal Ecology department of NIOO-KNAW.

As a PhD student, you will contribute to novel insight into the social mechanisms underlying discovery and acquisition of food resources, social bonds and behavioural strategies using the great tit (Parus major) as model species. You will combine direct observations with novel technology, including smart feeders, tracking and automatic song recorders in the unique long-term NIOO-KNAW nestbox population in Westerheide, the Netherlands. The project will also include the opportunity to conduct aviary studies at the unique facilities of NIOO-KNAW. As a PhD candidate, you will play a pivotal role in organizing and conducting the field and aviary research.

Wild animals can use various strategies in taking advantage of social connections to maximize fitness. Making use of social information and social bonds is pivotal for survival and reproduction. Indeed, earlier studies found correlations between social connectivity and novel food patch discovery in various animal species, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. For example, do social companions just happen to discover food together, do naïve individuals follow informed individuals or are naïve individuals actively recruited by informed birds? And does information always result in resource acquisition or are individuals constrained in acting on information through individual traits and environmental conditions?

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• extensive fieldwork;
• effective application of several technological tools;
• big data management;
• experimental design;
• student supervision;
• statistical analyses;
• academic writing.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Behavioural Ecology, which is led by Prof. Marc Naguib You will be supervised by Prof Kees van Oers, dr. Lysanne Snijders and dr. Chris Tyson.

Requirements

You have:

• a MSc-degree in Biology with specialization in Animal Behaviour / Behavioural Ecology or equivalent experience;
• strong experimental and analytical skills;
• good organisational skills;
• affinity or experience with the application of novel technology;
• good (written and spoken) communication skills in English;
• proven ability to collaborate with others;
• the ability and willingness to conduct and organize extensive ornithological fieldwork;
• a valid driving licence.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Conditions of employment

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.872,- per month rising to € 3.670,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Employer

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

Additional information

For more information about this position, please contact Lysanne Snijders, Assistant Professor, lysanne.snijders@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 2 December 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews soon after the closing date. The intended starting date of the position is February 2025.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.