Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow

The above full time post is available from 1 January 2025 on a 3 year fixed term basis.

The post

The Faculty wishes to recruit either a Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow to participate in research on the evolution of social behaviour in wild banded mongooses using animal tracking methods. This ERC Advanced Grant (UKRI funded) post is available from 1 January 2025 for a period of 3 years. The successful applicant will work with a team led by Prof Michael Cant to investigate how intergroup conflict influences individual and collective movement in a population of wild banded mongooses in Uganda.

Intergroup conflict is recognised as a potentially powerful force shaping the evolution of social behaviour in animal societies. However, fights between animal groups are unpredictable and difficult to study in the wild. This project will use advanced tracking technology to study the influence of intergroup encounters on the movement and social behaviour of wild banded mongooses at our study site in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. In this species groups are highly territorial and engage in frequent aggressive intergroup interactions which involve the risk of injury or even death. Yet there is evidence that groups – or certain individuals within them – sometimes actively seek out conflicts with other groups. The project will set up a new reverse-GPS (ATLAS) tracking system to provide live tracking data on the simultaneous movements of all groups in the population and test hypotheses about who initiates intergroup fights and why. The broader aim is to better understand the causes and consequences of intergroup conflict in animal societies and its role in social evolution.

The successful applicant will be based at our lab in Cornwall, UK but will be required to spend short periods at our field site in Uganda to set up and maintain the tracking system and manage the transfer of data to our Cornwall lab for analysis. They will join a multi-institution team in the UK and Germany working on the evolution of intergroup conflict using diverse empirical systems and theoretical approaches.

About you

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or nearing completion for Associate) or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. For Fellow the successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in behavioural ecology, movement ecology, collective behaviour or evolutionary biology. Applicants will possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will have good statistical and IT skills and familiarity or experience with animal tracking and/or spatial behaviour. Applicants will be required to conduct research for short periods at the field site.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role. 

Further information

For further information please contact Prof Michael Cant, e-mail m.a.cant@exeter.ac.uk.

Interviews are expected to take place in the week commencing 4 November 2024.

This role may be subject to additional background screening.

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