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Animal Welfare Research Internship - Summer 2025 The Detroit Zoological Society's Center for Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare and Ethics (CZAAWE) is accepting applications for an animal welfare research intern. This paid internship is funded through the Ron Kagan Endowment for Animal Welfare, which honors the former Executive Director/CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society who founded CZAAWE to advance zoo animal welfare science and policy. The aims of CZAAWE include assessing and improving the welfare of animals living in the care of humans, creating innovative behavioral husbandry programs, sharing best practices, and conducting research in two key areas: developing and validating novel tools for measuring animal welfare and examining the effects of management practices on welfare.
The CZAAWE animal welfare research internship is a paid internship opportunity. Interns are expected to commit to 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday) for 12 weeks between May 15 and September 15, totaling 480 hours of work. The start date can be flexible within the parameters listed above. The intern will be paid at a rate of $15/hour. For interns residing outside of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, or Wayne counties (i.e., the Detroit Metro area), onsite housing may be available at no additional cost to the applicant.
The animal welfare research intern will focus on the processes used by researchers in the field of animal welfare through active participation in ongoing studies including data collection, basic laboratory work, database management, data analysis, and the generation of reports. Although this internship focuses on research, CZAAWE encompasses many areas of animal welfare science such as husbandry, positive reinforcement training, welfare assessment, enrichment, and significant life event monitoring. Research interns will receive education in all areas of animal welfare science for a comprehensive and immersive experience.
Animal welfare research interns will be supervised by the Manager of Applied Animal Welfare Science and will have the opportunity for mentorship from various departmental staff including the Animal Welfare Programs Manager and the Senior Director of Animal Welfare and Research.
Responsibilities:

• Utilize observational research techniques with a variety of animal species for ongoing research and monitoring on zoo animal welfare.
• Assist with data entry for research and monitoring projects.
• Assist with literature searches and generation of reports.
• Support the CZAAWE Research Assistant in training volunteers on current projects and protocols.
• Gain experience processing biological samples through the on-site endocrinology lab.
• Conduct basic descriptive analyses of complete datasets.

Requirements:

• Applicants should have a background in zoology, biology, animal science, psychology, anthropology, or animal behavior. Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated experience with research in lab, field or captive settings.
• Applicants should be in the process of completing or have completed an undergraduate degree within the last two years and should not be currently enrolled in or have completed a graduate degree program.
• Coursework in research methods, biology, animal behavior, statistics or related fields
• GPA of 3.2/4.0 or higher
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Self-motivated and strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office products and good organizational skills
• Timeliness, initiative, and ability to adhere to a schedule
• Minimum commitment of 40 hours per week for 12 weeks totaling 480 hours of work
• Proof of a negative TB test on or before start date

To apply:
Please be sure to complete the online DZS application found at https://detroitzoo.org/careers/.
In addition to the online DZS application, you will need to submit a resume; a cover letter outlining your interest in the program, how it will contribute to your career goals, and the unique skills you would bring to this program; a copy of your transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable); and two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation may come from academic sources (advisors or professors), professional sources (current or previous employers), or community sources (religious leaders or community members). The supplemental materials should be submitted via email. Recommendation letters may be submitted by the applicant or emailed directly to us from the recommenders. Only complete application submissions will be considered, and CZAAWE staff are not responsible for ensuring applicants submit all materials. Offers of positions are contingent upon the applicant passing a background check. If you would need to take advantage of onsite housing, please indicate this somewhere in your application materials. This will not be used as a factor to evaluate candidates or their eligibility for the internship.
Please email supplementary application materials to czaw@dzs.org with “CZAAWE Internship” in the subject line.
All application materials are due by 5:00 pm EST on January 17, 2025. All applicants will be informed of a decision no later than April 4, 2025.