FIELD SCHOOLS
Primate Field Study Opportunities
The Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute (CHCI) is currently taking applications for our 10 week Summer Apprentice Program. Graduates, undergraduates, and post-graduates from various academic backgrounds (e.g. Anthropology, Biology, Psychology, Linguistics, Philosophy, etc.) are encouraged to apply. This program is open to students from all universities and post-graduates.
The research at CHCI involves a group of four chimpanzees who use the signs of American Sign Language (ASL). Three of the four, Washoe, Tatu, and Dar, were part of the cross-fostering research that began with Drs. R.A. & B.T. Gardner. Each chimpanzee was raised in an enriched environment in which his or her human family members used only ASL, much like the environment in which a deaf human child grows up. The fourth chimpanzee, Loulis, was adopted by Washoe in 1978 and learned his signs from other chimpanzees as a focus of research done by the co-directors of CHCI, Dr. Roger and Deborah Fouts. Currently, the chimpanzees reside at the CHCI on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA in a large state-of-the-art facility.
Apprentices are at the institute daily, cleaning enclosures, preparing meals and enrichment, making observations of the chimpanzees, and participating in one or more research projects. The first week is intensive training in laboratory jobs and chimpanzee behaviors. The philosophy of CHCI is that the needs of the chimpanzees come first. Apprentices are trained in humane care and research techniques. After several weeks each apprentice becomes more autonomous and has responsibilities in the research project.
The program fee is $1800 and there is a non-refundable $25 application processing fee. This does not include housing and transportation. Inexpensive housing is available on campus. A course in ASL is highly recommended but not required. For more information on the program and the application please see our web page at or contact Dr. Mary Lee Jensvold, CHCI, CWU, Ellensburg, WA 98926 summerapprentice@hotmail.com.
International Directory of Primatology Field Study Locations
The Balinese Macaque Project in Bali, Indonesia
Belize Field School in Primatology
The Bocas del Toro Biological Station in Panama.
Instructor: Dr. François Larose
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H4, Canada, Phone: (780) 433-7594
La Suerte Biological Field Station And Ometepe Biological Field Station
University of Toronto at Scarborough course
Research on the Social Behaviour of Non-Human Primates I
El Zota Biological Field Station
Contact: Dr. Jill D. Pruetz, Department of Anthropology, 324 Curtiss Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, (515) 294-5150
Summer Field School at Buena Vista, Peru
Contact: Dr. R. Benfer Jr.
Department of Anthropology, 107 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211.
American Anthropological Association (AAA)
- this link leads to the careers section of the AAA website
-resources include listings of positions, current job opportunities for anthropologists, the Anthropology Newsletter Placement advertisements
- this site posts jobs and resumes for all disciplines of anthropology
- this site belongs to Context-Based Research Group The company has hired biological anthropologists with ethnographic research experience in the past. The key skills are interviewing, participant observation, and strong writing ability.