Kokolopori Bonobo Research Fellowship

Under the mentorship of Harvard professor Martin Surbeck, fellows will gain valuable fieldwork and applied conservation experience, including data and sample collection that will contribute to the scientific understanding of the bonobo ecology including food availability, prey species, other sympatric wildlife, climate, and the relevance of human impact. Other learning opportunities will include conducting social surveys and collecting many organic samples to support genetic, pathogen, diet, metabolomics, and isotope analyses of the bonobo ecosystem.

Along with the first-hand research data collection and analysis, fellows will also gain experience with other aspects of project management including coordinating field assistants and reporting back to the PI and camp administrator on data and fieldwork status updates.

Those individuals who would be the best fit for the fellowship may have a combination of the attributes below:

• Undergraduate degree in biology or a related field
• Previous fieldwork experience, preferably in remote areas of the tropics
• Conversational competency in French and English
• Proficient with email communication, MS Excel, and Word
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience working with an international team
• Communicate clearly and regularly via remote connections with coordinator/director
• Comfortable living and working in a context and culture potentially significantly different than your own
• Willing and able to live away from developed areas, isolated and with minimal living conditions (no plumbing, electricity, or housing) in extremely remote locations
• Experience with GPS, camera traps, and biological sample collection
• Proficiency with Cybertracker, QGIS, BaseCamp/MapSource

About the Fellowship:

This fellowship will offer:

• Unique opportunity to gain field experience in the central African rainforest with the world’s least known ape species
• Fellows will receive rigorous training and gain proficiency in diverse research and scientific methods relevant for careers in applied conservation and ecological research
• All expenses covered, including visa, roundtrip flights to Kinshasa (DRC), transport to/from the site, and lodging and food during the project
• All necessary equipment to perform diverse sets of research
• $500 monthly per diem to cover incidentals

The following will be the responsibility of the Fellow:

• Health insurance that covers emergency repatriation and liability, including COVID-related illness
• Vaccinations required for entry into DRC prior to departure, and any medications recommended for remote field work, including malaria prophylaxis
• Clothes, shoes, and personal field equipment (a suggested list of these items will be provided)