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Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

PhD Student in Oceanic Collective Intelligence, Whale Foraging and Collective Behavior Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Computer Science

Funding

Full-time, fully funded PhD position for 4 years. Salary follows TVöD E-13 at 65%.

Deadline

Nov 15, 2026

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Country

Germany

University

Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

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Keywords

Computer Science
Evolutionary Biology
Environmental Science
Biology
Oceanography
Collective Behavior
Acoustic Sensing
Statistics
Physics

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About this position

PhD Student (m/f/d) | Oceanic Collective Intelligence at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (sites in Konstanz and Radolfzell, Germany).

This fully funded PhD project sits in the Collective Ecology Group and the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, with collaboration across the International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (IMPRS-QBEE), the University of Konstanz, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and Cascadia Research Collective.

The project focuses on oceanic collective intelligence, social foraging, and collective behavior in two predator-prey systems: blue whales and krill, and sperm whales and deep-sea prey. The research uses bio-logging, echosounders, and passive acoustic sensing (seafloor hydrophones) to study how predators produce and use social information while foraging in the pelagic ocean.

The successful candidate will develop computational approaches to analyze and integrate complex datasets, with opportunities to collect additional data in the California Current Ecosystem. The post is ideal for applicants interested in ecology and evolutionary biology, oceanography, quantitative biology, animal behavior, and data-driven marine science.

Eligibility highlights: an M.Sc. in the natural sciences or mathematics; independence; programming experience in R/Python/MATLAB; scientific writing; ecological fieldwork experience preferred; English is the working language and German is not required.

Funding: full-time, fully funded for 4 years, with TVöD E-13 (65%) salary scale.

Deadline: 2026-11-15. Apply via the online portal and include a motivation/research statement, CV, references, transcripts, and a writing sample.

Funding details

Full-time, fully funded PhD position for 4 years. Salary follows TVöD E-13 at 65%.

What's required

Applicants must have completed an M.Sc. in the natural sciences (e.g., ecology and evolutionary biology, oceanography, physics, or another related field) or mathematics. Strong independence is expected. Prior experience with programming (R, Python, MATLAB, etc.), scientific writing, and ecological fieldwork is desirable. Interest in international, interdisciplinary collaboration and science communication is valued. English is the working language; German is not required.

How to apply

Apply through the online portal by 2026-11-15. Submit a 2-page motivation/research statement, CV, contact information for 2-3 references, academic transcripts for BSc and MSc, and a sample of scientific writing.

More information can be found here

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