Postdoctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

ABOUT ECOBIRD
The Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition, and Behaviour of Birds (EcoBird) at Ghent University (https://ecobird.ugent.be) is dedicated to advancing our understanding of avian life by integrating ecology, cognition, and behavioural biology. Our work spans species, scales, and settings — from wild gull colonies and aviary experiments to theoretical and applied conservation research. Through strong collaborations with academic and non-academic partners, EcoBird aims to combine fundamental insights into animal cognition and behaviour with conservation and management challenges.

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

ABOUT THE MANYBIRDS PROJECT
The ManyBirds Project (https://themanybirds.com; @themanybirds.bsky.social) is a Big-Team Open Science initiative investigating the evolution of avian cognition and behaviour through large-scale, multi-site collaboration. It promotes accessibility, transparency, replicability and inclusivity by connecting researchers across countries, institutions and settings (labs, zoos, field sites) to broaden species, sample and researcher representation. ManyBirds is coordinated by a Core Leadership Team and individual Study Leadership Teams. The first ManyBirds study, recently published (ManyBirds Project et al., 2025), provided the first large-scale comparative data on neophobia across bird species. The second study is currently in the planning phase.

YOUR TASKS

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join an international project on innovation and problem solving in birds. This two-year position, funded through UGent’s international mobility scheme, offers a unique opportunity to combine project coordination, data integration, and hands-on behavioural research within the vibrant EcoBird research centre at Ghent University. The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing our understanding of avian cognition in a truly collaborative and global research network.

The postholder will play a central role in two closely linked initiatives:
(1) contributing to a new ECoBird project, in collaboration with the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), on innovation, cognition, and invasiveness in birds.
(2) joining the ManyBirds Study 2 Leadership Team and contributing to coordinating a large-scale ManyBirds study on avian innovation and problem solving, with international research partners.
This dual role offers a unique opportunity to bridge large-scale collaborative open science, animal cognition, and applied behavioural ecology.

Key responsibilities include:

• Conducting and coordinating data collection at the EcoBird site (Ghent University), including pilot work.
• Liaising with international collaborators and contributing to coordinating communication among participating sites and related ManyBirds Project administration.
• Supporting the research design and implementation of shared protocols and data management pipelines.
• Overseeing and harmonising data collection across sites to ensure comparability and reproducibility.
• Co-managing data storage, analysis, and collaborative writing processes.
• Actively promoting open science practices, including preregistration, transparent data workflows, and reproducible analyses.

While there will be limited scope to develop fully independent research lines at the outset, the position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to both a high-profile international research initiative and an applied interdisciplinary project with non-academic partners.

Pending the successful renewal of ECoBird’s programme funding, the two-year position may be extended and evolve into a more senior postdoctoral role. In that capacity, the successful candidate would take on a broader role within EcoBird and have the opportunity to develop new research lines that complement and expand the team’s existing expertise (for an overview, see https://ecobird.ugent.be).

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold (or are close to obtaining) a PhD in behavioural ecology, animal cognition, psychology, or a related field.
• You hold a doctoral degree or a diploma or certificate recognized as equivalent by law or in application of the guidelines of the European Union or a bilateral agreement.
• In exceptional circumstances and based on detailed scientific justification, researchers who do not hold such a degree may also be considered, provided they have demonstrated exceptional scientific merit.
• Exceptional scientific merit is defined as having excelled in scientific research and publications at a level at least equivalent to a doctoral degree.
• The grant can only be awarded within the framework of international scientific mobility. This is the case if:
  
  • the researcher has resided abroad for at least 24 months out of the 3 years prior to the start date of the postdoctoral fellowship and has not worked or studied in Belgium during that period. However, short-term stays in Belgium are allowed during 24 months, such as holidays, participation in conferences or a short stay to prepare for the period as a postdoctoral researcher
  • the researcher is funded by the Marie- Sklodovska-Curie Action (MSCA) and thus meets the associated mobility conditions.
  • Only for postdoctoral researchers in international mobility.
•  You have strong organisational, administrative and communication skills, with proven experience in multi-partner or open science collaborations.
•  You have experience with behavioural data collection and statistical analysis (R required).
•  You have demonstrated capacity to see research through from inception to publication.
• Prior experience working with animals is essential; experience with birds and a FELASA or equivalent certificate are considered an advantage.
• Experience with reproducible workflows and collaborative platforms (e.g. GitHub, OSF, R Markdown, or similar) is a plus.
• You are fluent in English (spoken and written) and enjoy working in an international, interdisciplinary environment.

The position is open to EU and international candidates; however, the selected candidate will be required to take up residence in Belgium upon starting the position.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time postdoctoral fellowship for an initial period of two years, with the possibility of extension depending on performance and available funding taking into account the masimum period of 36 months..
• In deviation the above, an EEA national, who has previously received a postdoctoral grant in the 12 months prior to an MSCA grant, can exceed the maximum term of 36 months under this MSCA grant provided that the entire term does not exceed 48 months.
• The contract can start as soon as January 2026 (depending on availability).
• The grant amount is equal to the net salary of a doctoral assistant (AAP 5) with the same level of education and seniority and based on the same family situation as the doctoral assistant. The supervisor may deviate from this and assign a higher level based on acquired experience, professional career and demonstrated competences. The grant amount will not be revised in the current year except in case of indexation. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Send your cv, a copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), a copy of your motivation letter (max. 2 pages), and contact details of two referees to Prof. Frederick Verbruggen – frederick.verbruggen@ugent.be
The review of applications will begin on Friday, 28 November, and will continue until a suitable candidate has been identified. Early applications are encouraged; the first interviews are anticipated to take place in early to mid-December.
For informal enquiries, please contact Prof. Verbruggen (frederick.verbruggen@ugent.be).