NYU Wildlife Inclusive Local Development Lab, Wild Animal Welfare Program, Environmental Studies, Arts & Science

Supervisor: Dr. Mal Graham in the Dept. of Environmental Studies

The NYU Wildlife Inclusive Local Development (WILD) Lab is seeking 2-3 Part-Time Assistant Research Scientists to contribute to multiple research projects focused on urban wild animal welfare. The WILD Lab is an applied research and outreach initiative dedicated to advancing the welfare of wild animals in urban environments. Our work aims to understand how urban infrastructure, land use, and development practices affect the lived experiences of wild animals in cities—and how local governments and communities can respond.

New York City is home to millions of humans—and countless wild animals. Its unique infrastructure and ecology make it a perfect laboratory for studying the effects of local development practices on wild animals. Using NYC's buildings and urban spaces as a case study, the WILD Lab conducts rigorous, impact-oriented scientific and policy research to understand and improve the welfare of wild animals locally.

Through place-based research and engagement with stakeholders from multiple sectors, we aim to identify and build support for interventions that have the potential to provide benefits to all New Yorkers. By generating new knowledge, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and engaging diverse stakeholders, the WILD Lab seeks to catalyze positive change and create more equitable and sustainable cities for all stakeholders, including nonhuman animals.

Responsibilities: 

Part-Time Assistant Research Scientists will have the opportunity to contribute to one or more ongoing projects relevant to urban wild animal welfare, including:

• Bird-window collision research: contributing to a living literature review, pilot video documentation of sublethal collisions, and NYC-wide mortality estimation using existing monitoring data

• Rodent fertility control analysis: surveying and evaluating methods across urban, agricultural, household, and conservation contexts

• Behavioral time budget studies: analyzing nest cam footage and direct observations to quantify positive and negative welfare states in urban versus non-urban birds and insects

• Conservation messaging research: comparing welfare-focused, environmental, and conservation messaging approaches for motivating wild animal stewardship behaviors

• Disease treatment optimization: conducting literature reviews to identify interventions that maximize welfare benefits while minimizing negative ecological externalities

• Wild animal welfare field assessment: interviewing experts and synthesizing literature to report on the current state of wild animal welfare research

Applicants should select 1-3 projects they would like to focus on before applying.

Position expectations:

The start date is on or around January 20, 2026 with the ability to start sooner. The hourly pay range for this position is $20-$30/hour. The expectation of this position is 5-10 hours per week for 16 weeks.

• Assist with data collection and management tasks, including collision monitoring, video analysis, and database maintenance

• Help with systematic literature searches and organize references

• Support field observations, data entry, and organization

• Contribute to administrative tasks supporting ongoing research projects:

• Conduct comprehensive literature reviews and synthesis

• Code and analyze qualitative and quantitative data

• Conduct expert interviews and synthesize findings

• Write sections of academic papers under supervision

• Support manuscript preparation for publication

In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the hourly pay range for this position is $20-$30/hour. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) the specific grant funding and the terms of the research grant when extending an offer.

Required qualifications

• Must be based in the NYC area and able to meet in person

• Strong organizational and time management skills

• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines

• Proficiency with GSuite (Google Docs, Sheets, Drive)

• Interest in animal welfare, urban ecology, or conservation

• Bachelor's degree

Preferred Qualifications/Skills

• Coursework in ecology, wildlife biology, animal behavior, or related fields

• Familiarity with systematic literature review methods

• Experience reading and analyzing academic literature

• Experience with academic writing

Application Instructions

• Your CV

• A short statement (800 words max) describing: (1) your interest in urban wild animal welfare, (2) which project(s) interest you most and why, and (3) your relevant experience with research, writing, or data management

Selected candidates will be invited to complete a brief screen-recorded task relevant to their project interests (e.g., coding video footage, extracting data from literature, or developing interview questions) and an interview.

Contact Audrey Becker (audrey.lynn.becker@nyu.edu) with any questions.

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NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

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