PhD Position in Behavioral Biology

At the University of Göttingen -Public Law Foundation-, Graduiertenkolleg 2906 Neugier, there is a position as

to be filled. Starting date is 8/1/2026. The position is limited to 7/31/2029.

As part of a research network that has been established at the University of Göttingen in 2024 - Research Training Group (RTG) 2906 Curiosity - we advertise here a PhD position for an initial period of three years, with a very strong possibility of extension for a further year. The project is expected to commence on August 1st, 2026.

Across eleven projects, scientists in the second cohort of the RTG 2906 will investigate the neuropsychological, biological, and computational underpinnings of curiosity. The network comprises a highly interdisciplinary consortium of psychologists, biologists as well as systems and computational neuroscientists who will work together to answer three broad research questions: (A) When are we curious? (B) Why are we curious? and (C) How are we curious? The PhD position advertised here will investigate factors that influence curiosity for ecological and social information and the consequences of individual differences in curiosity of wild Assamese macaques in Thailand (DPZ field site Phu Khieo, https://www.dpz.eu/en/social-evolution-in-primates/field-station).

Your profile:

• A good M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) in Behavioral Ecology
• Advanced statistical and analytical abilities (experience using R is a plus)
• Excellent command of the English language
• Excellent critical thinking and a solid background in behavioral ecology
• Field experience in observational behavioral data collection on vertebrates
• Willingness to live and work in challenging conditions
• Team-oriented attitude
• Excellent communication skills
• Driver’s license

What we offer:

• Opportunity to immerse oneself in the fascinating society of Assamese macaques
• A highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, team-oriented research environment
• Close supervision by an interdisciplinary Thesis Advisory Committee
• Enrolment in a training programme comprising compulsory and elective courses suited to individual needs and careers goals, as well as regular retreats and summer schools
• Ample funding for conferences and external laboratory visits

RTG 2906 is based in Göttingen, a university town with 28,000 students across all disciplines. The Göttingen Campus has its overarching research foci in living networks, sustainability, and dynamics of change, and includes four Max-Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center, the Campus Institute for Data Science, and the Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks. The thirteen doctoral projects are spread across these Göttingen Campus institutes.

How to apply:

Detailed information on the application process, the research project and the training programme are available on the RTG webpage (https://www.uni-goettingen.de/rtg2906). As part of the online application process you will be asked to upload a motivation letter and certified copies of your degree and language certificates. There will be a total of eleven open PhD positions in RTG 2906; in case you are applying for more than one position, please indicate this in your cover letter (n.b. applying for more than one position is in no way detrimental to your application). Please note that you must apply to each position separately.

• For questions about the position, please contact Dr. Oliver Schülke (oliver.schuelke@biologie.uni-goettingen.de)
• If you have any questions about the application process, you can write to rtg2906@uni-goettingen.de

The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant.

Please upload your application in one pdf file including the usual documents until 12/20/2025 on the application portal of the university using this link: http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/76165. For more information get in touch with Aleksandra Bovt directly via E-Mail: abovt@uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 5513927963.

Please note:
With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Information General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

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