About this role
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?
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 ([email protected])
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)
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+ & disabled people
Available documents
ACAD108408 - Senior Research Associate - Job Description .pdf Further Particulars_Faculty of Health & Life Sciences.pdf