Postdoc in Evolution & Ecology of Human Behavior & Culture Lab

  1. Postdoctoral Researcher for Templeton funded Adoption of new religious rituals project

[ versión en Español aquí 🇵🇪 ]

    • Project: Deciding whether to adopt a new behavior poses a challenge, particularly when it is difficult to verify the efficacy of that trait. New religious beliefs epitomize such a trait. Unfortunately, most accounts of religious changes are retrospective, and therefore cannot measure the social, strategic, and cognitive underpinnings of such cultural change. In a new project we remedy those short comings. We take advantage of a rare opportunity to study the development of a new religious ritual site in the Peruvian Altiplano where people began worshipping an apparition of Jesus, along with traditional Andean figures such as a stone toad, in 2014. We seek a postdoctoral researcher for this project to co-develop a regional and longitudinal project at this site.

    • Timeline: The appointment will be for 3 years if the researcher is able to start on Oct 1, 2022. There is some possibility to start later in Fall 2022, but it would cut down the total appointment time. Reviews will begin Aug 22, 2022 and will continue to be reviewed until Sept 22nd if unfilled by then.

    • Qualifications: This is an interdisciplinary project, so colleagues with many different skills can contribute. As such not all the following are necessary, but the ideal candidate speaks Spanish, has experience with mixed methods anthropological fieldwork, data management, and statistical analyses of these. Expertise in cultural evolutionary theory is a plus. As with most research positions, written and verbal scientific communication skills, interpersonal skills and a willingness to work in a collaborative environment are important. Candidate must have PhD by the time they take up the position.

    • Responsibilities: The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in all phases of the research process from planning up to writing up.

      1. Project planning

        • There is flexibility as to which projects the postdoctoral researcher wishes to lead. During the planning phase they will decide which research questions are of interest to them and help develop the materials and ethics applications for these.

        • Data documentation for previously collected data and preparing data documentation protocol for future data to be collected.

      2. Fieldwork in Peruvian Altiplano (during Northern Hemisphere summers)

        • Accompanying one of the field teams during regional data collection

        • Conducting some interviews, cognitive tasks, & coordinating games.

        • Managing one of the field teams data collection and ensuring data quality

      3. Analysis

        • Devising and implementing data analysis for subsets of data

        • Leading articles for publication

    • Benefits:

      1. Research and conference travel costs are covered by the grant.

      2. All postdoctoral researchers at UC Davis are represented by the UAW. For more information on salary and benefits see: https://grad.ucdavis.edu/postdoctoral-scholar-benefits

      3. Further information from the UC Davis Postdoctoral Scholars Association can be found here: https://postdocs.ucdavis.edu/

    • Application: Applicants should address any questions, or submit their materials to moya@ucdavis.edu. Receipt of each applications will be confirmed. Get in touch if you do not hear from me within a week.

      1. Cover letter (one page): explaining why you are interested in this position and what makes you a good candidate for it

      2. CV

      3. Names and contact information for three references familiar with your work. (letters not necessary)

 

Full advert here

Fully-Funded PhD Position at University of Zurich on Hunter-Gatherer Tool Use & Culture

Fully-funded PhD position at University of Zurich on hunter-gatherer tool use & culture

We are offering a 4-year PhD position in the Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group of the Department of
Anthropology at the University of Zurich (www.apegroup-uzh.com) to study hunter-gatherer material
culture in Central Africa.

The PhD candidate will work within the Comparative Human and Ape Technology (CHAT) Project,
which is funded through a SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship (‘Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic
Origins of Ape Material Culture’). The overall goal of the CHAT Project is to enhance our understanding
of the evolution of technology and to shed light on what made humans the uniquely technological
ape. This research will apply a comparative developmental approach (Koops & Sanz, in press), which
integrates the study of the development of tool use and object manipulation while considering the
influence of ecological and socio-cognitive drivers, across species. The CHAT Project compares
chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and humans. The research for this PhD project will focus on hunter-gatherers
and includes behavioural observations and ecological data collection.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers working on the evolution of
tool use and culture. Excellent collaborative, independent working and time management skills are
essential. Previous field experience (incl. behavioural data collection, ideally on humans) and French
language skills are required. Experience working in remote places under basic and challenging living
conditions is highly recommended. The Ph.D. project will require 18-24 months of field work in the
Republic of Congo, split into a number of field seasons.

Candidates should have a M.Sc. degree or equivalent, a relevant background in Biology, Psychology,
Anthropology or a related discipline, a strong interest in human/primate behaviour, advanced
scientific writing (in English) and strong data analytical skills (in R). Start of the position is 1 August
2022. The position is fully funded for max. 4 years.

Please submit your application as soon as possible in a single PDF to kathelijne.koops@uzh.ch. We will
consider applications until the position is filled. Feel free to get in touch if you have any inquiries about
the position. Applications should include: 1) cover letter stating your motivation and how your
expertise fit the project (max. 1 page), 2) Curriculum Vitae, 3) copy of highest degree obtained, 4)
names and contact details of two referees, 5) reprints of 1-2 selected publications or writing samples.

MindCORE Seeking Postdoctoral Research Fellow for 2022

MindCORE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

MindCORE seeks to recruit outstanding postdoctoral researchers for our Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars. Housed within the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, MindCORE (https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/) is an interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence and behavior.

 

Designed for individuals who have recently obtained a PhD degree in psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, computer science or other cognitive science discipline, the MindCORE Fellowship is a springboard for young researchers as they establish their own research program. Fellows are also encouraged to pursue collaborative research with faculty working across disciplines at Penn.

 

Benefits

Fellows receive a competitive salary, relocation allowance, health insurance, plus a modest research budget of $20,000. Fellows also benefit from access to the greater community of academics including visiting scholars plus leading research facilities equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation all on an urban campus in a vibrant city. Fellows are invited to join regular working group meetings within their field plus career development workshops aimed at young researchers, and will be provided with a mentoring committee. Funding is provided in one-year terms renewable for up to three years.

 

Eligibility & Application

We are accepting applications for 2022-2023 until January 10, 2022.

 

Applicants must have formally completed all requirements of the PhD degree and provide a copy of their diploma at the time of appointment (typically July 1, 2022 – Jan 15, 2023). Candidates must submit a research statement that identifies at least three MindCORE faculty (https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/people/faculty-and-associates/) at Penn with whom the applicant could potentially collaborate; along with a CV, and contact information for two referees. Complete applications should be submitted along with some basic information using a form available on the website: https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/post-doctoral-research-fellowship/.

 

Selection

All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee after January 10. Applications are judged on the following criteria:

Scientific excellence

Scientific match and interdisciplinarity

Career potential

 

MindCORE seeks to award ~2 post-doctoral Fellowships per year. Positions may start as early as July 1, 2022.

 

Questions? Contact pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu

Duke Kunshan University (DKU) Invites Applications for Faculty Position in Evolutionary Anthropology

Duke Kunshan University (DKU) invites applications to a faculty position in evolutionary anthropology, beginning in the academic year 2022-2023. We seek a candidate working at the intersection of psychology and biology, who is eager to contribute to our new interdisciplinary major in Behavioral Science. We encourage especially candidates capable of teaching classes in the comparative analysis of behavior, evolution, evolutionary and population genetics, or physiology. We are open with regard to a candidate’s research focus. Our interest includes but is not limited to scholars studying cultural evolution, evolutionary psychology, human evolutionary genetics, cognitive development and evolution, evolutionary neuroscience, primatology and human behavioral ecology. This position is open with regard to rank, including tenured, tenure track and non-tenure track. Mid-career and senior faculty are especially encouraged to apply.

As an international intellectual community that encourages diversity, openness and creative learning, DKU welcomes outstanding faculty from around the world who contribute diverse perspectives and experiences to a global learning and research environment. DKU particularly welcomes applications from underrepresented groups and minorities.

In order to meet Chinese visa requirements, prior to the position start date international (non-Chinese) candidates must have worked full-time (work experience obtained while studying full-time is not considered as full-time work experience) for at least two years in a relevant area (including post-doctoral work) after receiving their Bachelor’s degree, or begin their appointment at DKU within 12 months of obtaining their master’s degree/Ph.D. and without having work experience between graduation date on master’s degree diploma/Ph.D. diploma and position start date.

DKU is a collaborative partnership of Duke University, Wuhan University and the Municipality of Kunshan, China (https://dukekunshan.edu.cn/). Our campus provides an innovative and robustly interdisciplinary undergraduate liberal arts experience to a student body that will number 2000 students and 150+ faculty, with an acceptance rate of <8% and a student body represented by over 60 countries. We also offer a discrete number of Master’s level graduate programs. The DKU pedagogical model draws on the best of Duke’s educational experience and resources to reimagine undergraduate instruction on an intimate campus setting.

Similar to the best liberal arts colleges in the United States, DKU values dedication to teaching excellence in a liberal arts environment, as well as a strong commitment to successful scholarly engagement and research. This includes research with undergraduate students. As a whole, the Duke Kunshan faculty will have strong commitments to teaching and research, and outstanding quality in both areas will be highly valued.

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree or equivalent in a relevant field. Research experience at a postdoctoral level (or greater) and teaching experience are desirable, as is experience working in an interdisciplinary setting. Applicants should provide a cover letter including a clear statement of the candidate’s specific interest in DKU, a curriculum vitae, a research statement, a teaching statement, and three reference letters. All materials should be submitted through Academic Jobs Online: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/19343. The search committee also invites and encourages letters of nomination for potential candidates. Nominations and questions about the positions may be sent to integrated-science-search@dukekunshan.edu.cn using “Evolutionary Anthropology” as the subject line. Priority will be given to applications received by October 15, 2021; we will accept applications until the positions are filled.

The DKU campus is 37 miles west of Shanghai in Kunshan, and is connected to Shanghai via an 18-minute high-speed train and a subway-light rail train system. DKU provides internationally competitive compensation, housing allowance, child education benefits (for applicable faculty positions), and a discretionary fund or start-up package.

Postdoc Fellow for the Geography of Philosophy Project at UCLA

The Geography of Philosophy Project (https://www.geographyofphilosophy.com/) is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to work with Professor Clark Barrett in the UCLA Department of Anthropology, for a period of one year. The start date for the position is October 1, 2021 or as soon as the position is filled.

Submit applications here: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF06748

The Geography of Philosophy project seeks to understand diversity and universality in philosophical concepts around the world—particularly in the concepts of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. We are studying these concepts empirically using a mixed-methods, comparative approach spanning ten countries and multiple languages. Our methods are diverse and include focus groups, structured interviews, surveys, and experimental techniques. The structure of the project is collaborative, involving local research teams in ten countries, and experts from across the social sciences and humanities. The PIs on the project are Clark Barrett (Anthropology, UCLA), Edouard Machery (History and Philosophy of Science, Pitt), and Stephen Stich (Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Rutgers). The project is funded by the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/).

The project is entering its final year of funding, and we are beginning our final wave of data collection. The postdoc position at UCLA will involve analyzing results from these studies, collaborating in designing and running follow-up studies, co-authoring papers and edited volumes, and helping to administer the grant at UCLA. The postdoc will be housed in UCLA’s Department of Anthropology, a large, four-field department with a thriving community of diverse academic interests, including the Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture (http://www.bec.ucla.edu/), the Center for Language, Interaction and Culture (https://clic.ss.ucla.edu/), the Mind, Medicine and Culture group (http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/anthro/mmac/index.html), and connections to many other departments and units across campus.

Our project is explicitly interdisciplinary and experimental, and as such candidates from diverse fields are eligible, including Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics, and Cognitive Science. Candidates with strengths in statistical analysis, design and interpretation of cross-cultural studies, and familiarity with literatures in cross-cultural cognitive science are particularly encouraged.

Informal inquiries from potential applicants are welcome at hclarkbarrett@gmail.com. Feel free to get in touch if you’re curious about the position and have questions about your fit for the position, responsibilities, etc. Formal application materials should include a CV, cover letter with statement of research interests and experience, contact information for three references, and up to three publications. Applications will be considered on a rotating basis until the position is filled. Full advert here.

All qualified applicants will receive full consideration without regard to race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. Women and underrepresented minority applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please circulate this announcement widely. Looking forward to hearing from you!

UCLA Event: Community Involvement & Representation(s) in Biological Anthropology: A Panel Discussion on April 23

What do biological anthropologists owe to their research participants? How do we reckon with the biases that have characterized our field from its inception? The UCLA Biological Anthropology DEI Graduate Group, in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture is pleased to present “Community Involvement and Representation(s) in Biological Anthropology” on 4/23 10:30 AM – 2 PM PDT.  Over the course of two virtual panel discussions, we will explore these questions and contribute toward a more reflexive biological anthropology. Link here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/community-involvement/register

The first panel, “Community Involvement in the Research Process” features Dr. Stephen Acabado, Dr. Keolu Fox, Savannah Martin, and Luisa Rivera engaging in discussion from 10:30-12pm PDT.  Following a short break, the second panel, “Ethical Representation of Research and Research Participants” features Dr. Agustín Fuentes, Tina Lasisi, Dr. Cristina Moya, and Dr. Brooke Scelza from 12:30-2pm PDT.

Both virtual sessions will be hosted live on Crowdcast, and feature each panel of speakers answering questions from moderators and the live audience.  The live sessions are open to the public, but we kindly ask that you register for this event via Crowdcast.

To register for this event, please go to this website: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/community-involvement/register. You will be asked to provide an email to join the event. Enter your email, click agree to terms, and then follow the directions in the automated email Crowdcast sends to you.

If you have any questions about registering for this event, please contact the event coordinators at uclabioanthrodei@gmail.com. Thank you, and we hope to see you there!

Event Flyer

The OCEAN Speaker Series Presents Virtual Talk by Amy Boddy, PhD.

The OCEAN Speaker Series Presents Virtual Talk by Amy Boddy, PhD. entitled, Life history trade-offs in reproduction and cancer.

 

Abstract: Life history theory is a powerful approach to study human health and disease. However, there has been little work in applications of life history theory in cancer biology. Here I will discuss how cancer is fundamentally characterized by life history trade-offs. Using a newly curated comparative oncology dataset across a wide range of mammals, I show why some mammals may be more vulnerable to cancer than others. I suggest some of this cancer vulnerability is due to life history trade-offs in reproductive output and discuss how insights into life history and cancer can be useful for human health and disease.

 

Time and Date: Thursday February 25, 2021, 3:30 – 5:00 pm CST

Location: Zoom

 

The web address to sign up for the talk is: OCEAN SPEAKER SERIES – The Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary ANalysis (mystrikingly.com)

Post-Doc Position at Washington State University

Dr. Anne Pisor is looking for a postdoc to co-lead a three-year project with co-PI Dr. Monique Borgerhoff Mulder and NGO Mwambao Coastal Community Network. The project is focused on whether between-community social relationships impact resource management — specifically, managing fisheries on the Tanzanian coast. The postdoc will be based in the Human Sociality Lab (www.pisor-lab.com) in Pullman, WA, but will also spend time on site in Tanzania.

Fieldwork, leadership, language, and R skills desired. PhD in any field. Initial 12 month appointment with possibility for renewal for up to two additional years pending satisfactory performance.

Priority review of applications begins Feb 15. Anticipated start date is June 1.

Apply here.

University of Utah Anthropology seeking Assistant Professor of Evolutionary Ecology

Department of Anthropology at University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-track position in evolutionary ecology at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin July 1, 2021 (https://anthro.utah.edu/faculty_recruitment/index.php). The Department of Anthropology at University of Utah seeks diverse candidates who complement this historical strength of the department and take a quantitative, empirical approach to the study of human behavior, biology, or evolution. Applications are due February 1, 2021.

 

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Anthropology or a related field by the time of appointment, an established record of high-quality research indicated by external funding and publications, and evidence of relevant teaching and field work experience. A competitive application will present evidence of teaching and research excellence, or potential for the same. We seek candidates whose research, teaching and service have prepared them to contribute to our commitment to engagement and inclusion of culturally diverse audiences.

 

Apply here: https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/109707

Evolutionary Lecture Exchange Group Sign-Up

Attention HBES faculty:

Are you teaching online in Spring 2021? Would you love to expose your students to more evolutionary-minded researchers? Join our lecture exchange group! We have created a spreadsheet for faculty interested in exchanging prerecorded guest lectures for classes in social psychology, evolutionary psychology, cultural psychology, evolutionary anthropology, and more. We think that this time of online teaching affords an excellent opportunity to expose students to experts on various topics in the study of human behavior.

The idea would be to provide a prerecorded guest lecture that can be used by any participating faculty. Please add your name, lecture topic(s), and email address to our list! And, if there is something you would like for your class, feel free to send the request to that faculty member. They can then send you their recorded lecture.

A wonderful, but not mandatory, accompaniment to the lecture would be to exchange “tea time chats”. That is, allow the professor and/or students in a course to interview you for 10 mins at a mutually convenient time after watching your lecture.

If you would like to be involved in this exchange, sign up here: Lecture exchange