Research Assistant

Field Projects International has limited openings in three field research training programs in the Peruvian Amazon:

The longest-running research project, Primate Behavior & Movement Ecology, evaluates 11 primate species to observe diet, movement, dispersal, and reproductive biology - with special focus on two species of tamarin. Research assistants will become adept at conducting behavioral follows of several target groups (with and without radio telemetry technology), collecting biological samples, and learn to maintain a grid of UHF radio nodes distributed at regular intervals in the forest to record animal movement and survival year-round.

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Assist a wildlife veterinary research team safely collecting samples from a wide array of vertebrate taxa (birds, bats, nonhuman primates, other small mammals, and herpetofauna) with the aim of improving molecular reference data for the region, as well as to study ecological links throughout the community via parasites and pathogens. Participants learn safe capture and release techniques along with best practices for sample and data collection.

Additional skills include field sampling for environmental DNA, sample biobanking under field conditions, species identification through morphometry, handheld GPS navigation, and much more.

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Work alongside an active conservation genomics research team to generate and analyze genetic data that informs wildlife conservation and management. Participants assist with biological sample processing, DNA extraction, PCR, and library preparation in a BSL-2 laboratory, while learning how genomic data are used to study population structure, connectivity, biodiversity, and evolutionary history. Research assistants gain hands-on experience with lab workflows, data management, and the integration of field and molecular data to address real-world conservation questions.

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2026 Start Dates: May 24, June 14, or July 5
Minimum Commitment: 5 weeks
Location: Los Amigos Biological Station, Peru
Final date to receive applications: March 31, 2026
Program Fee: $2,450 for 5 weeks; $490 each additional week (Fee includes food and lodging at the field station, training and use of field equipment. Fee does not include transportation to the field station).
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Ready to apply? CV + 2 references required: -application

All questions can be directed to Kassidy K León at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).