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Delegates at ASSAB 2012, hosted by Deakin University, Geelong
announcements
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POSITIONS VACANT
PhD Scholarship Position
The Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) is an invasive fast spreading and readily swarming species of honeybee that was accidentally introduced to Australia in 2007. The first known swarm entered Cairns harbour by being concealed in the mast of a boat, and the species has since become established in a 50km radius around Cairns and Townsville. Efforts by various government authorities to destroy the outbreak using conventional trapping means have unfortunately failed. Australia’s agricultural, environmental and public sectors are now faced with an additional biosecurity hazard.
The aim of this project is to develop a lethal attractive baiting station that is specific to Apis cerana. We will exploit semiochemicals signaling and evaluate ways of improving baiting station attractiveness specifically toward Apis cerana. Behavioural experiments in the field will be conducted to evaluate the attractiveness and specificity of our stations.
We are seeking a PhD candidate to carry out field and laboratory experiments for this position. The candidate will be based at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, will conduct field experiments in and around Cairns, Queensland, and would be expected to commence no later than November 2012. The successful applicant will receive a tax free stipend of $23,728 per annum for three years with the possibility of a $4000 top up per year, and as Overseas Student Health Care policy (OSHC) if an international student.
The successful candidate must be able to provide evidence that they are able to:
- carry out precise and accurate experiments in the field and laboratory environment
- work effectively and show initiative
- be capable of problem solving
- work independently (unsupervised) and as part of a multidisciplinary group.
- travel to and stay in remote locations for 2-3 week periods at a time.
- communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders in English, including academic and community groups, landholders and the general public. International applicants should refer to the web regarding English language requirements:http://www.newcastle.edu.au/ policy/000104.html
A sound academic background in Biology, Animal Behaviour and/or Chemistry would be advantageous, as would any previous experience in working with bees or invertebrates. Applicants must also hold a valid car licence and be eligible to obtain an Australian student visa. More information about Australian student visas can be obtained at http://www.immi.gov.au/students/
If you would like to apply for this position,please send a cover letter, your CV and a brief 2-3 page letter addressing the above criteria to Dr David Guez at the School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia. Email: David.Guez@mac.com or david.guez@newcastle.edu.au
Phone:+61 (0)2 4921 6782
The position will remain open until filled or until September 2, 2012.
Postdoctoral Position, Rutgers University
I have recently started looking for a postdoc to join my newly established lab. I am seeking someone to work on questions related to collective decision-making and collective information processing in gregarious and social animals. This is a 2 year position starting January 1st, 2013. The ad is posted on the lab website.
Dr. Simon Garnier
Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Boyden Hall,Rutgers University, 195 University Avenue, Newark,NJ 07102,USA.
e-mail: simon.garnier@gmail.com
website: http://www.theswarmlab.com
Postdoctoral Position, University of Exeter, UK
To study bumblebee learning flights at the University of Exeter, UK. The project will involve 3d reconstructions of bee learning flights and will investigate the influence of visual and olfactory cues. A good grounding in matlab and behaviour work would be essential.
Volunteer field assistants needed: We are looking for field assistants to help monitor a colour-banded population of superb fairy-wrens near Melbourne, Australia for a study on animal personalities. Start date: September or October 2012. Time period: approx 4 months. Duties include regular censusing of colour-banded birds, searching for and monitoring nests, mist-netting,behavioural observations, video analysis, and data proofing. Working days are long, with early starts six days a week. Enthusiasm and a strong work ethic are a must. The study is based at Serendip Sanctuary, a small reserve on the outskirts of Melbourne. Qualifications: experience monitoring colour-banded birds, nest-searching, and mist-netting. Must also be early riser, physically fit, able to work in extreme weather conditions, and enjoy basic shared living conditions. Onsite accommodation in a house with shared dorm-style room is provided, but assistants cover travel to the site and their own food costs. The project will reimburse up to AUD$500/mo towards receipted food and travel expenses. For more information contact: Michelle Hall (hall.m@unimelb.edu.au) and Raoul Mulder (r.mulder@unimelb.edu.au). To apply, please email a letter outlining previous field research experience, and a resume including names and contact information for 3 referees.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
2012. August 19-25: International Congress of Entomology, Korea
2012. November 25-28: Australian Entomological Society and Australasian Arachnological Society Conference, Hobart, Tasmania
2013. July 28-August 1: 50th Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society, Boulder, Colorado, USA
2013. August 1-8: The Third International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Bäckaskog Castle, Sweden
2013. August 4-8: Behaviour 2013, Joint meeting:International Ethological Conference and the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Newcastle, UK
2014. July 13-18: IUSSI 2014 – International Union for the Study of Social Insects, Cairns, Australia.
2014. July 28 –August 2: 11th International Congress of Neuroethology, Sapporo, Japan
2014. July 31-August 5:International Society for Behavioural Ecology Conference, Hunter College, City University of New York.