Kokolopori Fellowship
danielle da cruz
Kokolopori Bonobo Research One Year Fellowship:
Kokolopori, DRC:
Under the mentorship of Harvard PI 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 coordinator 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
to be proficient with email communication, MS Excel, and Word
good interpersonal and communication skills
experience working with an international team
comfortable to live and work 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
Expectations of conduct for Fellows: respectful to members of local communities and wildlife - honest and accountable communication with project management - no drug use (including alcohol) allowed in camp or during working hours - sexual and/or gender-based harassment of any type will not be tolerated - failure of any of these points will be grounds for immediate dismissal at your own expense
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)
Applications should be submitted by February 3rd, including a CV, letter of interest highlighting qualifications/experience, and the names and emails of three references to daniell...@fas.harvard.edu with ‘Field Fellowship’ in the subject line. Interviews will be conducted via zoom.
