Have you ever watched birds at a backyard feeder and noticed how some approach boldly while others hesitate or solve problems in surprising ways? These individual differences in behavior and thinking are not random. They represent personality and cognition traits that can shape survival, reproduction, and how entire populations respond to human-driven environmental changes and disease pressures.
If you are passionate about animal behavior, cutting-edge field technology, and wildlife research that makes a real-world impact, a fully funded graduate position at Auburn University offers an outstanding opportunity to turn that curiosity into meaningful science.
The McCune Lab in Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment is recruiting a motivated MS or PhD student to investigate personality and cognition in wild birds of the southeastern United States. The successful candidate will help design and deploy automated “smart feeders” that collect high-resolution behavioral data across backyard and natural habitats. This work directly addresses how behavioral variation relates to human environmental change and avian disease prevalence.
Scholarship Summary
- Host Country: USA
- Host University: Auburn University
- Scholarship Type: MSC Scholarships/PhD Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: All Countries
- Scholarship Benefits: Full tuition fee, Living stipend, etc.
Why This Research Matters Now
Wildlife faces unprecedented pressures from urbanization, habitat alteration, and emerging diseases. Individual animals differ consistently in traits such as boldness, neophobia, exploration, and problem-solving ability. These personality differences can influence which birds thrive in changing landscapes, how diseases spread through populations, and how species adapt over generations.
Traditional field studies often rely on labor-intensive observations that limit sample sizes and repeatability. The McCune Lab is advancing the field by developing scalable, automated technology. Students will build and program feeder systems using microcontrollers, RFID or PIT tag readers, and custom software to record visits, interaction times, and cognitive performance in free-living birds.
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This approach combines behavioral ecology with engineering and data science, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary training that is increasingly valuable in modern wildlife research and conservation technology.
About the McCune Lab and Auburn University
Dr. Kelsey McCune leads a research program focused on individual differences in behavior, cognition, and physiology in wild animals, with a primary emphasis on birds. Her work examines heritable trait variation and how human-induced environmental changes alter selection pressures on survival and fitness. Previous research has explored social behavior, boldness, and learning in species such as Mexican jays using field-based methods.
The lab values rigorous science conducted in supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environments. Graduate students gain experience designing experiments, working across disciplines, mentoring undergraduates and interns, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting at conferences and for public outreach.
Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment provides strong infrastructure for graduate training in wildlife sciences. The MS and PhD programs emphasize original research, with coursework in research methods, seminars, and thesis or dissertation work. Students benefit from access to diverse southeastern ecosystems ranging from forests and wetlands to urban gradients, all within reach of the Auburn campus.
Learn more about the college’s graduate degrees here: https://cfwe.auburn.edu/graduate-study/graduate-degrees/
Project Responsibilities and Daily Work
The core of this position involves developing and deploying smart feeder technology while advancing fundamental questions in avian behavioral ecology. Specific responsibilities include:
- Conducting literature reviews and developing research questions around personality, cognition, environmental change, and disease
- Designing hardware and programming software for automated feeder apparatuses
- Managing field deployments across Auburn and surrounding sites, including backyard and natural area locations
- Collecting, organizing, and analyzing behavioral data, often using tools such as R
- Collaborating with researchers from other institutions and interdisciplinary backgrounds
- Supervising undergraduate assistants, field technicians, and interns
- Writing and publishing findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals
- Presenting results at scientific conferences and engaging in public outreach
- Meeting all Auburn University graduate program requirements and contributing to a welcoming lab culture
This is a hands-on role that blends time in the lab or workshop building and coding devices with significant fieldwork and data analysis. Students will develop a rare combination of skills in electronics, programming for biology, advanced behavioral data analysis, and field ecology.
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Who Should Apply: Minimum and Desired Qualifications
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree with GPA above 3.0 completed before starting the position
- Research experience in avian behavior, cognition, comparative psychology, or ecology
- Strong oral and written communication skills in English
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team
- Self-motivation, positive attitude, and strong critical thinking skills
- PhD applicants must have completed a master’s degree prior to beginning
Desired qualifications (highly competitive):
- Hands-on experience with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, RFID technology, microcontroller boards, or Arduino programming
- Proficiency in the R programming language for data analysis
- Experience analyzing PIT or RFID tag datasets
- Record of peer-reviewed publications or professional presentations
The position particularly suits candidates who enjoy building things, solving technical problems in the field, and applying quantitative skills to ecological questions. Prior experience with electronics or coding is advantageous but not strictly required if the candidate demonstrates strong potential and motivation to learn quickly.
Compensation, Benefits, and Timeline
The position offers a competitive stipend of $23,000 to $28,000 per year depending on degree track (MS or PhD) and experience, plus benefits and a full tuition waiver. This package provides excellent support, especially in Auburn’s affordable college-town environment.
The successful applicant will begin in Spring 2027 and is expected to arrive before the first day of classes on January 6, 2027. Note that GRE scores are not required for admission but may open doors to additional funding opportunities such as the Auburn Presidential Graduate Opportunity Program.
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How to Apply
Applications are submitted through a Google Form linked in the official posting. Prepare a single PDF file named “LastName_FirstName.pdf” containing:
- Statement of interest (maximum 2 pages, single-spaced, 12-point font) describing your relevant qualifications and research interests
- Current CV
- Unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended
- Contact information for three professional references
The application deadline is August 31, 2026, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is identified. Early submission is strongly encouraged.
View the full official posting and application portal here: https://jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id=116755
Competitive applicants will be invited for a virtual interview. The selected candidate will then apply formally to Auburn University’s graduate program for Spring 2027 admission.
Questions about the position or application process should be directed to Dr. Kelsey McCune at kbm0054@auburn.edu.
Additional details about the McCune Lab are available at: https://www.kelseymccune.com/
Tips for Submitting a Competitive Application
Tailor your two-page statement specifically to this project. Demonstrate that you understand the concepts of animal personality and behavioral syndromes and can articulate why automated technology represents an exciting advance for field studies. Connect your past research experience directly to the responsibilities listed. If you have any background in electronics, programming, or data analysis—even from hobbies or side projects—highlight it clearly.
Show enthusiasm for mentoring undergraduates and contributing to an inclusive lab environment. Because the work involves both technical development and ecological fieldwork, emphasize your adaptability and problem-solving mindset.
Strong applications stand out through clear writing, specific examples of prior research contributions, and a genuine fit with the lab’s focus on understanding how individual animals navigate human-altered environments.
Take the Next Step in Your Research Career
This graduate position offers far more than financial support. It provides the chance to develop rare, high-demand skills at the intersection of technology and behavioral ecology while contributing to research with direct relevance to wildlife conservation in a changing world.
Whether your long-term goals involve academia, government wildlife agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, or emerging fields in conservation technology, the training and publications from this role will position you strongly.
If you have the qualifications and the drive to explore how wild birds think, behave, and adapt, this opportunity at Auburn University deserves your serious consideration.
Apply early, prepare a thoughtful statement of interest, and reach out with questions. The deadline is August 31, 2026, with rolling review—positions like this move quickly.
Learn more and begin your application today through the official posting: https://jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id=116755
Your curiosity about bird minds could lead to the next chapter of impactful wildlife research.