Are you curious as to why wild animals cooperate? Do you dream of studying the social behaviour of savanna birds in Africa? Do you want to do conceptually-driven PhD research? Then read on, because this PhD position may be the perfect fit for you!

We offer a fully-funded PhD position in the Behavioural Ecology Group at Wageningen University to work in our "Social Savanna" project. The Social Savanna project was set up in 2017 with the goal of understanding the evolutionary drivers of sociality and cooperation in birds.

The research of the vacant position, funded by NWO ENW, is based on cutting-edge concepts in the field of social evolution, and consists of fieldwork supplemented by phylogenetic analysis. The focus will be on how adverse environmental circumstances affect the relation between sociality, cooperation and reproduction. Using state-of-the-art tracking and monitoring technology, the successful candidate will study a range of different bird species, covering both cooperative and non-cooperative breeders. The fieldwork, conducted in savanna habitat at Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Eswatini, includes for example catching and ringing birds, monitoring breeding attempts and reproductive behaviour, tracking individual movement, and recording various ecological and environmental features such as vegetation and predators.

The research is embedded within the chair group Behavioural Ecology, and the successful candidate will be a member of the 'Social Savanna' team, which is led by Dr. Sjouke A. Kingma (http://www.behaviouralecology.nl/). You will be part of a team consisting of, among others, Dr. Kat Bebbington, Prof. Marc Naguib, and Prof. Ara Monadjem.

You have:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in the field of Behavioural Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Animal Ecology, or similar
• experience (or an affinity for) conducting fieldwork on birds, ideally including behavioural observations, catching and handling of wild birds, and/or nest and population monitoring
• strong organisational skills, are a team player willing to work with a diverse group of researchers and technicians, and have the ability to work independently
• strong communication skills and are able to lead a team of students and technicians under difficult field conditions
• good quantitative skills in statistics, and preferably in phylogenetic analysis
• excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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 € 2.443,- per month rising to € 3.122,- 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 17th 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. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. 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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research



The mission of Wageningen University and 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, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.
Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!