Summary
The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, located in Constance and Radolfzell, Germany, offers a unique opportunity for a PhD student to join the Communication and Collective Movement Group. This fully funded, four-year position focuses on the quantitative analysis of communication and coordination in animal groups, utilizing advanced tracking technology and computational modeling with large-scale datasets from social animals in the wild.
PhD Scholarship: Analysis of Communication and Coordination in Animal Groups at Max Planck Institute
Designation
PhD Student (m/f/d)
Table
| Scholarship Level | PhD |
| Funding | Fully funded (TVöD salary scale E-13, 65%) for 4 years |
| Location | Konstanz, Germany |
| Institute | Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior |
| Research Group | Communication and Collective Movement (CoCoMo) |
| Starting Date | Summer / Autumn 2027 (flexible) |
Research Area
This PhD project will involve designing and implementing quantitative analyses to answer questions about communication and collective behavior using large-scale datasets. Potential project directions include:
- Vocal drivers of collective transitions: Investigating how animal groups coordinate changes in activity state using movement, vocalization, and behavioral data.
- Social dynamics of sleep: Exploring sleep patterns and their social influences in wild animal groups using accelerometer data.
- Long-range signal cascades in animal populations: Searching for evidence of long-distance vocal cascades across different species using passive acoustic monitors.
- Propose your own question and analysis: Students are encouraged to bring their own creative ideas within the broad realm of communication and collective behavior, utilizing the extensive group tracking datasets.
The main study systems are meerkats, white-nosed coatis, and spotted hyenas, with access to high-resolution movement, acoustic, and behavioral tracking data.
Location
Konstanz, Germany
Eligibility/Qualification
- Master’s degree in any scientific discipline (e.g., biology, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering).
- Enthusiasm for tackling biological questions using quantitative approaches.
- Prior experience with programming (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB) and enthusiasm for challenging computational problems.
- High degree of independence and strong interpersonal skills.
- The working language is English; German language skills are not required.
Scholarship Description
The PhD student will join the Communication and Collective Movement (CoCoMo) research group, led by Dr. Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin, within the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies. The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz offer a thriving research community, including the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour. It is also planned for the student to join the International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution from lab to field (IMPRS-QBEE).
The position is full-time and fully funded for four years, with a salary according to the TVöD salary scale E-13 (65%). The Max Planck Society actively promotes gender and diversity equality and encourages applications from all backgrounds, including severely disabled persons.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their application through the online portal by the specified deadline. The application must include the following documents:
- Letter of motivation / research statement (2 pages):
- Describe your main research interests and their relation to the group’s research (½ page).
- Research proposal: Choose one of the potential project directions or propose your own. Describe 1-2 specific biological questions/hypotheses, the analytical approach(es) you would use, a mock figure of potential results, and an interpretation of findings (1-2 pages).
- Code example: An example of your written code with a brief explanation (can link to a public repository).
- AI Declaration: Indicate if AI was used in drafting the application and how.
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- 2 letters of reference
- A sample of your scientific writing (e.g., publication, manuscript, thesis, term paper).
- Official or unofficial academic transcripts (translated into English).
Questions about this position can be addressed to Dr. Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin at astrandburg@ab.mpg.de.
Last Date for Apply
November 22, 2026
Apply Link
