Quality and function of affiliative actions in non-human primates

• Supervisors: Dr Alexander Mielke
• Studentship Funding:
• Name: SBBS Studentship
• Funder: School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at QMUL
• Application Deadline: 23:59PM on 25^th October 2024
• Expected Start Date: January 2025

Download this document for further details, eligibility criteria and how to apply. [PDF 95KB]

Project Overview

Applications are open for a 3-year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London.

This project will investigate how different cooperative and affiliative actions are used in non-human primates, whether we can detect qualitative differences in who uses them and when, and how these differences affect social outcomes in the short and long term.

To create more nuanced measures of sociality, we need to test whether we can discern different ‘types’ of common interactions like grooming based on qualitative measures (Mielke et al., 2024), and how these types and affiliative actions represent specific relationships, influence other interactions they are woven into (e.g., consolation), or how their strategic use influences wider aspects of individual success (e.g., social integration, rank attainment, access to resources).

This project aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the function of different cooperative and affiliative actions in primate social interactions?
2. Do short-term outcomes of interactions depend on the choice of affiliative action?
3. Are long-term outcomes (e.g., relationship formation, social integration, captive welfare) affected by cooperative and affiliative choices?

Research questions can be adapted based on PhD student interests and skills. As part of this PhD project, you would be mainly using observational and video data to answer the research questions; mathematical modelling approaches can also be accommodated. Depending on your interest, experience, and skills, the project can involve either existing datasets or include a (field or captive) data collection phase (please indicate your interests in the Personal Statement). 

Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.

Keywords: Primates; Cooperation; Sociality; Cognition; Behaviour

Research Environment

The Mielke Lab studies how non-human primates communicate and cooperate. We are using observational data (field observations, videos, camera traps) to understand the social decision processes underlying interactions, and how these stack up to form the network of social relationships that individuals are embedded in. This often involves developing new methods and statistical models that allow us to understand complex and sequential data. You can find out more here

The successful applicant will learn a diverse set of skills including observational data collection, behavioural data analysis, video coding, computational modelling and statistical modelling, coding (R, Python), and academic writing and presentation. The lab sets a strong focus on open science practices. 

Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website. 

Entry Requirements & Criteria

We are looking for candidates who have or are expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project, such as Animal Behaviour, Psychology, or Biology. Experience working with primates is desirable, especially if the candidate would conduct field observations. 

Experience in analysing behavioural or experimental data using R or Python would be highly advantageous. 

Find out more about our entry requirements here.

Funding

The studentship is funded by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). It will cover home tuition fees, and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 3 years at the UKRI rate (£21,237 in 2024/25). 

Please find out more about funding and eligibility via: Mielke_QMUL SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 95KB] 

Any further queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk 

How to Apply

Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by the stated deadline for consideration. 

Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.

Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Alexander Mielke at a.mielke@qmul.ac.uk

Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk.

Further details can be downloaded here: Mielke_QMUL SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 95KB] 

Apply Online