Join the Straw Lab
The Straw Lab welcomes BSc and MSc students, and occasionally recruits HiWi student assistants, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and research staff to work on the computational neuroethology of insect vision and navigation at the University of Freiburg. Projects can combine quantitative animal behavior, neuroscience, computational modeling, machine learning, electronics, computer vision, and open-source scientific software.
Current opportunities
PhD or Postdoctoral Position (m/f/d) in Honey Bee Visual Navigation
One position is available to investigate the neural and computational mechanisms underlying visual navigation in honey bees. It will be filled under whichever of two profiles fits the strongest candidate:
- PhD student — reinforcement learning and computational modeling of honey bee visual navigation, including environmental reconstruction of bee habitat and a mushroom-body-inspired learning architecture.
- Postdoctoral researcher — in vivo two-photon imaging of visual-navigation circuits in bees behaving in visual virtual reality.
Both profiles are genuinely open. Apply under a single profile; applications must be written in English and submitted through the University of Freiburg portal. German language skills are not required for the position.
Full advertisement and application
Questions about the position or the application process are welcome by email to Andrew Straw, but the application itself must go through the portal.
Further funded positions will be listed on this page when available.
Postdoctoral researchers and research staff
Enquiries about external fellowship sponsorship are welcome when the proposed research closely fits the lab's work. A useful first message explains the scientific question, the intended fellowship or funding route, and why the Straw Lab is a suitable host.
BSc and MSc students and HiWi assistants
Students at the University of Freiburg may enquire about thesis projects and student-assistant work. Please include your degree program, relevant coursework or experience, the kind of project you are seeking, and your preferred timing.
How to enquire
If your experience and research interests fit the lab's work, email Andrew Straw with a concise introduction, your research interests, and a CV or link to your work. Please indicate whether you are asking about a student project, fellowship sponsorship, research visit, future funded position, or collaboration.
Before writing, see our research themes, recent publications and research outputs, open-source software, and the people in the lab.
For joint scientific projects rather than a position or visit, see the lab's current collaboration interests.
The lab is part of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany. Postal address and other contact details are on the contact page.