Animal Welfare Research Internship

Detroit Zoological Society • Royal Oak, MI

7d • $15 - $15 • Onsite

About The Position

The Detroit Zoological Society's Center for Zoo Animal Welfare (CZAW) is accepting applications for an animal welfare research intern. This paid internship is funded through the Ron Kagan Endowment for Animal Welfare, which honors the former Executive Director/CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society who founded CZAW. The purpose of CZAW is to advance and support the well-being of animals living in zoos and aquariums through scientific investigation and holistic behavior programs. Research efforts at CZAW center on developing new welfare indicators, with a focus on understudied taxa and investigating environmental and anthropogenic impacts. The CZAW animal welfare research internship is a paid internship opportunity. Interns are expected to commit to 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday) for 12 weeks between May 18 and September 18, totaling 480 hours of work. The start date can be flexible within the parameters listed above. The intern will be paid at a rate of $15/hour. For interns residing outside of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, or Wayne counties (i.e., the Detroit Metro area) – onsite housing may be available at no additional cost to the applicant. The animal welfare research intern will focus on the processes used by researchers in the field of animal welfare through active participation in ongoing studies including data collection, laboratory work, database management, data analysis, and the generation of reports. Although this internship focuses on research, CZAW encompasses many areas of animal welfare science such as positive reinforcement training, welfare assessment, enrichment, and significant life event monitoring. Research interns will receive education in all areas of animal welfare science for a comprehensive and immersive experience. Animal welfare research interns will be supervised by the Manager of Applied Animal Welfare Science and will have the opportunity for mentorship from various departmental staff including the Animal Welfare Programs Manager and the Senior Director of Animal Welfare and Research.

Requirements

• Applicants should have a background in zoology, biology, animal science, psychology, anthropology, or animal behavior.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated experience with research in lab, field, or captive settings.
• Applicants should be in the process of completing or have completed an undergraduate degree within the last two years and should not be currently enrolled in or have completed a graduate degree program.
• Transcripts should demonstrate coursework in research methods, biology, animal behavior, statistics, or related fields.
• GPA of 3.2/4.0 or higher
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Self-motivated and strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office products and good organizational skills
• Timeliness, initiative, and ability to adhere to a schedule
• Minimum commitment of 40 hours per week for 12 weeks totaling 480 hours of work
• Proof of a negative TB test on or before start date

Responsibilities

• Utilize observational research techniques with a variety of animal species for ongoing research and monitoring on captive animal welfare.
• Assist with data entry for research and monitoring projects.
• Assist with literature searches and generation of reports.
• Support the CZAW Research Assistant in training volunteers on current projects and protocols.
• Process biological samples through the on-site Endocrinology Lab under the supervision of the CZAW Lab Associate.
• Conduct basic descriptive analyses of complete datasets.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees