PhD opportunity: Social immunity in group-living birds

Social animals are at greater risk of contracting infectious diseases than those that live alone. But why do so many animal species form groups if this is so costly for individual health? One intriguing possibility is that social animals can share components of their immune system with their group mates as a means of bolstering group defences against parasites. As part of an exciting new project designed to test this idea for the first time in wild birds, we are looking for an enthusiastic and adventurous PhD student to join our team and perform research on social immunity in wild-living African birds.

As PhD candidate, you will work in a team focussing on immunity-sharing traits in birds. Your primary focus will be on immune sharing between family and group members during breeding. Our study species, the speckled mousebird has a highly complex social life, and it is your task to contribute to understanding how parasite exposure influences its evolution. You’ll find out what immune components are shared between members of breeding groups and test whether mousebirds adjust immune-sharing strategies according to the identity and infection status of their group members, as well as the environmental conditions at the time of breeding. The project involves field- and lab work, video-analyses and data analyses.

Data collection in the field for this project involves performing fieldwork under challenging field conditions, with stays of 3+ months at a field research centre in Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Eswatini, between October and January each year. Candidates must be able to commit to doing fieldwork in this period to be eligible for the position.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Fieldwork: perform nest searches, monitor reproductive attempts, record reproductive and social behaviours at the nest using video cameras, collect biological samples from eggs and nestlings. Fieldwork is conducted as part of a team involving Masters students and fieldwork assistants from the universities of Wageningen, Eswatini and Pretoria. As PhD student, you will (after appropriate training and experience) lead the field team and assist in the supervision of Masters students;
• Lab work: perform immune assays on egg and faecal samples;
• Extract data on social group composition and immune sharing behaviours from video recordings of mousebird nests;
• Analyse and pool data and findings to test hypotheses about how immune sharing relates to sociality, group composition and environmental conditions;
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present them at national and international conferences.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, which is led by Prof. Frank van Langevelde. You will work within the research team of Dr. Kat Bebbington, who will also provide the daily supervision. This project forms part of the Social Savanna Project, a collaborative long-term study into the ecology, physiology and behaviour of a community of savanna-breeding birds in Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Eswatini (see below). You will be co-supervised by Dr. Kevin Matson (Wildlife Ecology and Conservation group, WUR) and Dr. Sjouke A. Kingma (Behavioural Ecology group, WUR).

About the Social Savanna Project
The Social Savanna Project was established in 2019 by Dr. Bebbington and Dr. Kingma as a broadscale ornithological project, with the overall aim of filling the substantial knowledge gap regarding the reproduction, ecology and behaviour of savanna birds in southern Africa. In close collaboration with Prof. Ara Monadjem at the University of Pretoria and Zamekile Bhembe at the University of Eswatini, we run various research projects – some species-specific, some at the community level – aimed at understanding the social and environmental factors that shape behaviour, physiology and fitness of wild birds. At the heart of the project is a commitment to facilitating knowledge transfer between academics and students of different backgrounds in order to conduct excellent science. You can read all about the Social Savanna Project here: www.socialsavannaproject.com.

You are/ have:

• physically fit and enjoy spending time outdoors in all weathers. Fieldwork involves long periods of time in the bush in basic living conditions and data collection is both physically and mentally tough.
• a quick learner and are able to rapidly develop expert knowledge of relevant concepts and literature in the fields of behavioural ecology, sociality and ecological immunology.
• a high level of attention to detail and the ability to work efficiently, transparently and precisely (important for both fieldwork and lab work).
• a creative, independent researcher who works well in a diverse collaborative team of colleagues from different backgrounds and academic levels.

You also possess:

• A completed MSc degree in Biology, Ecology or Environmental Science, preferably with experience in the fields of behavioural/wildlife ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, immunology, or similar
• Experience with and affinity for laboratory work and statistical analyses
• Experience with field research on birds and/or experience working in harsh environments is advantageous, but not a prerequisite.
• A willingness to be an ambassador for the Social Savanna Project who enjoys collaborating with / mentoring researchers and students from diverse backgrounds

This is a multidisciplinary project that requires you to master several different skill sets. If you feel that you do not yet meet all the requirements below but are an all-round adventurous, persistent researcher who enjoys a challenge, we would still love to hear from you!

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.

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;
• 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 year-end 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 € 3.059,- per month rising to € 3.881,- 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.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.

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.

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.