Rapid global change, including human disturbance and climate warming, poses mounting risks to wild animal populations. Successful parental care strategies may buffer against the negative consequences of global change. However, human disturbance and climate warming may disrupt parental behaviour, accentuate the costs of care and sexual conflict, interfere in parental cooperation and ultimately cause lethal and non-lethal damage to offspring. Yet we currently lack information on how global change may influence sex roles in care and parental cooperation, the physiological impacts on parents and offspring, and its consequences for the viability of populations.
Our project will examine how climate change and human disturbance shape parental strategies and its consequences for population productivity by utilising (1) large scale studies across multiple species exhibiting diverse patterns of parental care in varied climatic regions, (2) field experiments of climate and disturbance in natural populations, and (3) detailed studies within populations to determine how climate change and human disturbance may interact to shape parental care strategies and the consequences for population resilience and productivity.
We will achieve this by combining fieldwork, behavioural research, experimentation, population monitoring, movement tracking and molecular lab research across multiple populations of a diverse avian group (shorebirds). Shorebirds are an ideal group to investigate the impact of global change on parental care as they provide a wide variety of parental care systems, are globally distributed, reproduce in varying climatic environments and are facing threats globally due to climate variability and human encroachment.
WHO ARE WE
Our international team led by Dr Grant C. McDonald (UVMB, Hungary) in collaboration with Dr Mike Weston (Deakin University, Australia), Prof. Andrew McKechnie (University of Pretoria, South Africa), Prof. Tamás Székely (University of Bath, UK) and Dr András Kosztolányi (UVMB, Hungary) comprises diverse experience in reproductive strategies research, investigating the detailed evolutionary and social underpinnings of parental care strategies, the impacts of climate on behaviour and physiology, and the impact of human disturbance on avian populations both on local population and global scale.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
• Organising and conducting avian fieldwork at selected study locations (e.g. Africa, Asia and Europe) in association with collaborators for several months per year
• Conduct experiments and behavioural observations in the field
• Blood sample collection and cooperation with molecular laboratory collaborators
• Coordinate data collection by collaborating international research teams
• Statistical analyses of datasets to address within- and between-population questions
• Writing manuscripts targeted towards top-ranked journals in the field
• Support the supervision of students and research assistants
• Work in partnership with locally based conservation NGOs and participating institutions
• Communicate results at international conferences, to stakeholders and the public
• Support additional scientific activities that are important for the success of the project
WHAT WE ARE SEEKING
• PhD in life sciences (evolutionary biology, zoology or comparable field)
• Foundational knowledge in behavioural ecology, animal behaviour or evolutionary ecology
• Hands-on experience conducting international fieldwork with wild populations, preferably in birds
• Firm skills in data management and statistical analysis using R
• Track record of converting scientific research into peer review publications
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Ability to work independently and collaborate as part of international team
• Openness to live in different cultures during extensive fieldwork periods
• Strong project management and leadership skills
• Valid driving licence
WHAT WE OFFER
• A 3 year position based at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
• Fieldwork in multiple locations across the globe (e.g. Cabo Verde, Europe and Asia)
• Opportunities for networking and mentoring with international research teams
• Competitive local salary (including paid holiday, fieldwork per diem)
• English speaking research team
• Opportunity to contribute to conservation and collaborations with NGOs at the different field sites
• Opportunities to present research at national and international meetings
• Support to develop follow-up projects and independent research fellowship applications
HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates should contact Grant C. McDonald (
[email protected]). The application should include a max two pages cover letter, a CV with list of publications, and the name and contact details of at least two referees from research, academia or conservation. Please direct informal enquiries to
[email protected].
DEADLINE: Application deadline is 11 December 2026.
START DATE: Position is available from January 2027.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
> Engel, N., G. C. McDonald, B. K. Sandercock, R. Rice, R. Moreno, S. Ratão, and T. Székely. 2023. Long-term decline in nest survival of a ground-nesting shorebird on a tropical island. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 45:e02522.
> Halimubieke, N., K. [...] G. C. McDonald, Y. Liu, A. Kosztolányi, and T. Székely. 2020. Successful breeding predicts divorce in plovers. Sci. Rep. 10:15576.
> McDonald, G. C., Z. Barta, B. A. Caspers, T. Székely, and A. Kosztolányi. 2024. Sex roles in parental care in a species with precocial offspring and frequent brood desertion. Anim. Behav. 215:211–225.
> McDonald, G. C., I. C. Cuthill, T. Székely, and A. Kosztolányi. 2023. Remating opportunities and low costs underlie maternal desertion. Evolution 77:97–109.
> McDonald, G. C., N. Engel, S. S. Ratão, T. Székely, and A. Kosztolányi. 2020. The impact of social structure on breeding strategies in an island bird. Sci. Rep. 10:13872.
> McDonald, G. C., K. Tasman, N. Engel, T. Székely, and A. Kosztolányi. 2025. Inconsistent fear: repeatability in flight initiation distance and neophobic behaviour differs in a ground-nesting bird. Anim. Behav. 225:123224.
> Roast, M. J., G. C. McDonald, T. Székely, A. Kosztolányi, and I. Maggini. 2025. No detectable deployment impacts of solar-powered GPS devices for long-term use on a small shorebird. J. Avian Biol. 2025:e03508.
> Székely, T., M. C. Carmona-Isunza, N. Engel, N. Halimubieke, W. Jones, V. Kubelka, R. Rice, C. E. Tanner, Z. Tóth, J. O. Valdebenito, K. Wanders, and G. C. McDonald. 2024. The causes and implications of sex role diversity in shorebird breeding systems. Ibis 166:357–385.
