The Grackle Project Internship: Student designed research in animal behavior
The Grackle Project aims to understand how this bird species uses behavior to succeed in urban environments. We offer spring and summer internships for students at any level who are interested in animal behavior research and are skilled at detail-oriented work. The project began in 2012 and has collected extensive behavioral data in 4 populations across the US.
You are welcome to use this data to explore your own research questions. See www.CorinaLogan.com to get an idea of the data we have already collected and what we have done with it. The (unpaid) internship would require access to a computer and the internet, a minimum commitment of 50 hours across 10 weeks (2 credits), and enrollment for credit.
As biologists, we understand the importance of diversity and we encourage applications from individuals belonging to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. If you are interested in discussing internship opportunities, please email Corina Logan (corina_logan@eva.mpg.de) a cover letter discussing how you meet the required qualifications, explain your motivation for applying, potential research questions, proposed timeline and number of credits, proposed outcome (e.g., a report), and your CV (Curriculum Vitae; a researcher’s version of a resume. See https://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/applying-for-jobs/cvs-and-cover-letters for advice on how to make one). Please also describe how you demonstrate the potential to be a strong role model for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences (e.g., via outreach activities you have conducted, groups you have held leadership positions in, policies you have been influential in changing, talks you gave, discussions you organized, etc.). Candidates who are a good match for the project will then be interviewed.
The Grackle Project Internship: Are populations on the range edge physiologically different?
The Grackle Project (www.CorinaLogan.com)aims to understand how this bird species uses behavior to succeed in urban environments. We offer spring and summer internships for students at any level who are interested in animal behavior research and are skilled at detail-oriented work.
We collected physiological data (fat score and hematocrit [percentage of red blood cells]) for grackles at three latitudes (Tempe, Arizona; Woodland, California; and Sacramento, California). The intern will extract data from various data sheets to make one data sheet, and then analyze the data using a statistical program of their choice to determine whether physiological variables vary with latitude. The (unpaid) internship would require access to a computer and the internet, a minimum commitment of 50 hours across 10 weeks (2 credits), and enrollment for credit.
As biologists, we understand the importance of diversity and we encourage applications from individuals belonging to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. If you are interested in discussing this internship, please email Corina Logan (corina_logan@eva.mpg.de) a cover letter discussing how you meet the required qualifications, explain your motivation for applying, proposed timeline and number of credits, proposed outcome (e.g., a report), and your CV (Curriculum Vitae; a researcher’s version of a resume. See https://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/applying-for-jobs/cvs-and-cover-letters for advice on how to make one). Please also describe how you demonstrate the potential to be a strong role model for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences (e.g., via outreach activities you have conducted, groups you have held leadership positions in, policies you have been influential in changing, talks you gave, discussions you organized, etc.). Candidates who are a good match for the project will then be interviewed.
The Grackle Project Internship: How widespread is male parental care?
The Grackle Project (www.CorinaLogan.com)aims to understand how this bird species uses behavior to succeed in urban environments. We offer spring and summer internships for students at any level who are interested in animal behavior research and are skilled at detail-oriented work.
Great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) are known to have a mating system where females are the sole builders of the nest and caretakers of the young. However, there is one report from Selander (1970) in which an unmarked male provided parental care to two juveniles in Austin, Texas. We are finding repeated parental care events by multiple individually marked adult males in Tempe, Arizona, and further events in Santa Barbara, California, and San Clemente, California (see our preregistration at http://corinalogan.com/Preregistrations/gmalecare.html). To understand how widespread male parental care might be in this species, the intern will search eBird.org for pictures of this species feeding their young. They will then enter data into a data sheet: the the sex of the grackle that is giving the food, what the food is, and where the photo was taken. The (unpaid) internship would require access to a computer and the internet, a (free) eBird.org profile, a minimum commitment of 50 hours across 10 weeks (2 credits), and enrollment for credit.
As biologists, we understand the importance of diversity and we encourage applications from individuals belonging to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. If you are interested in discussing this internship, please email Corina Logan (corina_logan@eva.mpg.de) a cover letter discussing how you meet the required qualifications, explain your motivation for applying, proposed timeline and number of credits, proposed outcome (e.g., a report), and your CV (Curriculum Vitae; a researcher’s version of a resume. See https://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/applying-for-jobs/cvs-and-cover-letters for advice on how to make one). Please also describe how you demonstrate the potential to be a strong role model for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences (e.g., via outreach activities you have conducted, groups you have held leadership positions in, policies you have been influential in changing, talks you gave, discussions you organized, etc.). Candidates who are a good match for the project will then be interviewed.
Dr. Corina Logan (she/her)
Group Leader
Comparative Behavioral Ecology Research Group
Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
www.CorinaLogan.com
Mastodon: @CorinaLogan
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