PhD Opportunity in Manakin Social Behavior, using Bioinformatics and/or Machine Learning

The DuVal Lab at Florida State University invites applications for a fully funded PhD position to study cooperative behavior in lance-tailed manakins. This opportunity is ideal for a motivated, conceptually driven student ready to design and lead an independent research project within the scope of our long-term research program.

About the Research
Lance-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) are small Neotropical birds known for their unique cooperative courtship displays. Males form long-term male-male alliances of a dominant alpha male and a subordinate beta partner, and display together to attract females (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V9FZSDmR1U). Only the alpha male has the opportunity to mate, and just over half of alphas serve as betas before becoming alpha-status males, but a large proportion of alphas skip the beta step and move directly to alpha status. These differences in social trajectory are accompanied by other life history differences: males that take the beta route become alpha later and live longer lives, but are not more successful at siring chicks across their lifetimes than males that move directly to alpha status. Females visit multiple male pairs before choosing a mate, and revisit the same males repeatedly before laying up to 2 eggs in a nesting bout. Females raise offspring with no paternal assistance. These birds are long-lived (up to 20 years), and females’ mating decisions are influenced by their prior mate choices. Our existing 26-year dataset encompasses behavioral, genetic, and morphological records of >3,000 individuals, along with genomic resources and a decade of video archives. The successful applicant may explore questions that build on prior work in this study system using bioinformatics on whole-genome sequences or machine learning tools for video and behavioral analysis.

Advising Philosophy
This position is designed for an independent researcher. Dr. Emily DuVal will mentor the successful applicant as a collaborator and intellectual partner, providing guidance in critical thinking, research design, and professional development.

Program Details

• Funding: $26,820/year TA stipend, full tuition waiver, and health insurance.
• Eligibility: TA funding is available for U.S. citizens and citizens of Central and South America.
• Research: Will utilize extensive existing datasets. Limited fieldwork in Panama is encouraged but not required.
• Training: Participate in lab meetings, grant writing, and mentoring of undergraduate researchers.
• Preferred Skills: Proficiency in SQL and Python is helpful but not required. Creativity, critical thinking, professionalism, and strong writing skills are essential.
• Start date: August 2025

Why FSU?
The Department of Biological Science fosters interdisciplinary research across Ecology & Evolution, Neuroscience, and Cell & Molecular Biology, and encourages collaborations with the Department of Scientific Computing that would support development of bioinformatic and machine learning approaches to behavioral variation. Graduate students benefit from a collaborative academic culture, weekly discussion groups and seminars, and regular departmental social events. Tallahassee offers a rich cultural experience, abundant natural areas, and a favorable cost of living.

How to Apply
Submit your CV, a statement of research interest and experience, and contact information for three references to Dr. Emily DuVal (ehduval@bio.fsu.edu) by January 15, 2025. Highly promising applicants will be invited to submit a full application to the department. Supplemental funding opportunities are available for some applicants; early application is encouraged.

Explore our lab and publications:
https://www.bio.fsu.edu/duval/index.html
https://www.bio.fsu.edu/duval/Publications.html

For more about the department and E&E group:
https://www.bio.fsu.edu/
https://www.bio.fsu.edu/ee/index.php

For more about living in Tallahassee:
https://www.bio.fsu.edu/ee/environs.php?area=living