Voluntary Research Internships

Opportunity Overview:

The Indicators and Assessments Unit at the Zoological Society of London is offering an excellent opportunity to gain experience with one of the UK’s leading conservation research organisations. The interns will contribute to a collaborative project to develop the Living Planet Index with WWF.

The Living Planet Index (LPI) enables conservationists and policy-makers to determine whether targets to reduce biodiversity loss, such as those set by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Millennium Development Goals, are being met. The LPI is a global biodiversity indicator based on population trends of vertebrate species, providing a broad scope for population analysis. Specific tasks of this internship include: collecting and entering population time series data into the LPI database; using mapping and statistical techniques to analyse patterns in population trends; and maintaining the Living Planet Index and Indicators and Assessments Unit websites with latest news and results.

Person Specification:

Candidates will ideally have an undergraduate degree or above in biology, zoology, ecology, conservation biology or a related subject. They should be IT proficient and have exceptional attention to detail, along with strong research, analytical and communication skills and an ability to work independently. Knowledge of GIS would be an advantage, although training is provided. Finally, potential volunteers must be eligible to work in the UK.

The volunteering opportunity is for six months, starting in August 2015. The role is ideally for five days a week, following normal office hours from 9am to 5pm and is based within ZSL’s IoZ department in Regent’s Park, London.

Please note that this is a voluntary position. However, lunch (up to £5) and travel expenses (equivalent to a monthly travel card within zones 1-6) will be reimbursed. 

In this role, the voluntary intern will benefit from:

• On the job training - provided for the software that we use – R and ArcGIS.
• Other learning opportunities are available through weekly research seminars, lab meetings and conservation talks, which voluntary interns are strongly encouraged to attend.

To Apply:

Applicants please send a completed ZSL Volunteer and Volunteer Intern Application Form and CV to Valentina Marconi (valentina.marconi@ioz.ac.uk). The application form can be located on the following link at the bottom of the advert (Link: https://www.zsl.org/voluntary-research-internships) We regret that we will only be able to contact applicants who have been selected for interview.

The closing date for applications is midnight Sunday 5^th July 2015.

You will be contacted by Wednesday 8^th July 2015 if you have been selected for an interview. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 15^th July 2015, with a start date of Monday 3^rd August 2015.

The Zoological Society of London is a charity registered in England and Wales: no. 208728.