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Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
4 days ago
PhD Student (m/f/d) | Analysis of Communication and Coordination in Animal Groups Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Full funding for 4 years; TVöD salary scale E-13, 65%.
Deadline
Nov 22, 2026
Country
Germany
University
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
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About this position
The Communication and Collective Movement Group at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior is seeking a PhD student to join an interdisciplinary project on communication and coordination in animal groups. The research sits at the intersection of animal movement, vocal communication, collective behavior, and quantitative ecology, with a strong focus on understanding how individual decisions scale up to group-level patterns in wild social animals.
The student will work with rich existing datasets drawn from whole-group tracking of social animals in the wild, including high-resolution movement, behavioral, and acoustic records collected with tracking collars and passive acoustic monitoring. The project is designed around quantitative analysis of large, complex datasets, with scope to develop independent research questions and analytical approaches in collaboration with the supervisor and an international team of collaborators.
Possible research directions include studying how vocal signals influence collective transitions, how sleep dynamics vary across social groups, and whether long-distance calls can generate signal cascades across animal populations. The post also leaves room for a self-designed project in the broader area of communication and collective behavior, making use of the group’s existing study systems and data resources.
The position is embedded in a strong research environment at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz and Radolfzell, with links to the broader collective behavior and movement research community at the University of Konstanz and associated collaborative programs.
Funding details
Full funding for 4 years; TVöD salary scale E-13, 65%.
What's required
Applicants should have a Master's degree in any scientific discipline, including biology, physics, mathematics, computer science or engineering. A quantitative background and enthusiasm for addressing biological questions with quantitative approaches are expected. Prior programming experience (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB, etc.) and an enthusiasm for tackling challenging computational problems are essential. The applicant should be independent, proactive, and able to work well in an international interdisciplinary team. English is the working language; German language skills are not required.
How to apply
Apply through the online portal by the deadline. Include a letter of motivation/research statement, a code example, an AI declaration, a CV, two letters of reference, a sample of scientific writing, and academic transcripts translated into English.
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.