Senior Graduate Research Assistant- Effects of early vs. delayed cow-calf separation on cow and calf behaviour and affective state (Part Time, 22.2 hours per week, 0.60 FTE Fixed Term until June 30, 2026)

The University seeks a highly motivated research assistant in animal behaviour and welfare to support delivery of a multi-institutional dairy cow-calf rearing project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. This post is a part-time, 0.6 FTE, fixed term position.

The overarching goal of this international partnership project is to use a multi-dimensional approach to evaluate effects of early vs. delayed separation on cow and calf welfare. The appointee will contribute to the fulfillment of Objective 1 of the project, which focuses on the acute effects of cow-calf separation on time budgets and activity, stress behaviours and physiological outcomes.

The appointee will have a specific role in developing and refining ethograms, coding videos of cow and calf behaviour, behavioural data analysis, and manuscript preparation. Please note that the bulk of this work will be desk-based.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• The main responsibility of this appointee will centre around the coding of pre-collected video footage of cows and calves, using a software program such as BORIS (Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software).

The appointee will also be expected to:

• Familiarise themselves with the recent and relevant literature on dairy cow-calf rearing and separation, to aid in the development of ethograms and understanding of relevant behavioural outcomes
• Conduct inter- and intra-observer reliability tests throughout the process
• Visualise and analyse the resulting behavioural data
• If desired, participate in manuscript preparation

The successful candidate will ideally hold a Bachelor’s degree (2:1 or equivalent) or Master’s degree in a relevant field such as ethology, animal behaviour & welfare, or animal science (First-class honours)

For further information about the University or to see full job description, please click the ‘Apply’ button above. 

Application Procedure:

Please apply online via the Harper Adams e-Recruitment programme at http://jobs.harper-adams.ac.uk  submitting your CV and a personal statement outlining your suitability for the role. Your personal statement should clearly demonstrate how your skills, experience, and achievements meet the requirements outlined in the person specification. Applications without a personal statement may not be considered

Should you require any adjustments to complete your application for this role then please contact vacancies@harper-adams.ac.uk      

If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa in the UK, please follow this link https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration which contains further information about obtaining the right to work in the UK and details about eligibility for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa.