Job Description

The role

------------


A Senior Research Associate position is available in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol. Working across Africa, you will investigate the evolution of behavioural castes in the social insects ('queens' and 'workers'). You will run field experiments with social wasps in three African countries: Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa. You will join an international team of postdocs, PhD students, local field assistants, and combine a diverse range of techniques - including behavioural experiments in the field, CT scanning, and bioinformatics.



This position is funded by a NERC-NSF Pushing the Frontiers grant to Dr Patrick Kennedy (University of Bristol, UK) and Professor Dustin Rubenstein (Columbia University, USA).



Lab website: tinyurl.com/SocialStrategyLab

What will you be doing?

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You will work in Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa to understand how the evolution of castes is shaped by climate. You will conduct field sampling across environmental gradients, and analyse diverse datasets including transcriptomes, behavioural footage, and CT scans. We anticipate the Senior Research Associate being first author on resulting papers.

You should apply if

-----------------------


You are a biologist with good all-round skills. You should be confident travelling and conducting fieldwork across remote locations, and prepared to analyse diverse data strands.



The

essential

requirements are:



Experience conducting

overseas research fieldwork

Demonstrable capacity, enthusiasm, and commitment to spend at least

3 months a year in the field

. You must be prepared to

travel extensively

across three African countries (Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa)

Ability to

work as part of an international field team

and collaborate closely with partners from multiple international institutions

High practical

independence

Strong abilities to

trouble-shoot in the field

Confidence

driving

overseas, including 4X4 vehicles

Excellent

research

record

PhD

in a related field


The

desirable

requirements are:



Ability to speak

French

to a conversational level, as you will be working with Cameroonian colleagues and engaging with local communities and government officials

Prior experience working in an

African

context

Academic background in

behavioural ecology

Experience working in

challenging environments

Experience analysing

bioinformatics datasets

Do you need to have a background in evolutionary biology?

Applicants with outstanding fieldwork experience coming from disciplines outside evolution, ecology, or animal behaviour (e.g., anthropology, geography, population health, conservation biology) are welcome to apply, although experience with bioinformatics datasets is an advantage. You will be expected to develop a strong grasp of social evolution and behavioural ecology, including inclusive fitness theory.

Additional information

--------------------------

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Patrick Kennedy, Lecturer (

patrick.kennedy@bristol.ac.uk)

It is expected that this position will start as soon as possible from 1st March 2026

Contract type: Open ended (Fixed term funding until 31/05/2028)

Work pattern: Full-time

Grade: J

Salary: 43,482 - 50,253 per annum

Recruitment timeline:

This advert will close

at

23:59 UK time

on Sunday 11th January 2026

Shortlisting is expected to take place between the 12th-16th January 2026

Interviews will take place on Wednesday 28th January 2026

Our strategy and mission

----------------------------


We recently launched our strategy to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an

inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential.

We want

to attract, develop, and retain individuals

with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives - particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people - because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.


JOB NUMBER

ACAD108408

CONTRACT TYPE/WORK PATTERN

Open ended / Full time

POSTING END DATE

11 Jan 2026

FACULTY/DIVISION

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

SALARY

43,482 - 50,253 per annum