Field Assistant in Panama
Central Panama
Duration: Approximately 6.5 months
Job Type: Intern
Fieldwork in Panama on a project assessing the influence of environmental conditions on the reproductive ecology and demography of understory tropical birds. Fieldwork will include but not be limited to: mist-netting, drawing blood under time constraint, banding and resighting color-banded birds, conducting arthropod and fruit surveys, foraging observations, locating and monitoring nests and fledglings. There may also be opportunities to acquire skills and assist in lab work (metabolite assays, etc.). This work is in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Start date: January 15, 2016. End date: August 1 (end date flexible).
B.A./B.S. in biology or similar field is preferred. Assistants should be in good physical condition and able to carry 50 lb (~23 kg) in field conditions. Strong work ethic and willingness to work long hours independently in sometimes challenging conditions while maintaining attention to detail and safety is essential. Experience with mist-netting, banding, and drawing blood also essential. Previous experience in tropics, nest searching, observing marked birds, Spanish language skills, and ability to drive vehicles with a manual transmission are highly desirable.
A monthly stipend will be provided; amount will be contingent on experience. Housing, airfare to and from Panama, research-related travel within Panama, and station registration fees will be covered. Assistants are required to cover the cost of food, health insurance, personal phones, and other personal needs
Please send a one page letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references familiar with your experience and qualifications as a single word document or PDF (preferred) to email nishika2 AT illinois.edu.