Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:
We want to investigate whether pet dogs can mentally represent "pretend" objects. This ability to think beyond the here-and-now was long considered uniquely human, though a recent study suggests at least one language-trained bonobo may share it. 
The successful applicant will get to test dogs in a behavioural experiment at the Clever Dog Lab, in which an experimenter pretends to hide and move an imaginary reward and we record which container the dog chooses. The main responsibilities during the internship will include: recruiting the dogs' caregivers, for example through our database and social media; testing dogs; scoring videos of the experiment; reading the scientific literature on the topic; and documenting progress. 

Required Skills and Knowledge:
Interpersonal skills (to recruit and interact with dogs’ caregivers).
Previous certified experience with dog training is preferred but not required.

Additional Information:
The main expected outcomes of an internship can be a Master's or Diploma thesis. Internships can be carried out also in fulfilment of other university obligations or as volunteering. If this sounds interesting to you, and you have at least 4 months to dedicate to your internship, we are looking forward to hearing from you.

Duration of the thesis:
01.09.2026 to  31.12.2026

Language of the Thesis:
Englisch

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:
Messerli Research Institute, Clever Dog Lab

Contact Person for the Thesis/Topic:
Andrea Sommese, PhD (andrea.sommese@vetmeduni.ac.at)

Feedback from students requested by:
As soon as possible

Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:

With a behavioural experiment, we want to investigate whether pet dogs show surprise when presented with a “magic trick” in which an object seems to appear or disappear magically.The successful applicant will get to test approximately 15 dogs in a behavioural experiment at the Clever Dog Lab. The main responsibilities during the internship will include: recruiting the dogs’ caregivers, for example through our database and social media; testing dogs in the behavioural experiment; scoring videos of the experiment; reading the scientific literature on the topic; writing experimental protocols and documenting progress.          The main expected outcomes of an internship can be a Master’s or Diploma thesis. Internships can be carried out also in fulfilment of other university obligations or as volunteering. If this sounds interesting to you, and you have at least 4 months to dedicate to your internship, we are looking forward to hearing from you.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

Interpersonal skills (to recruit and interact with dogs’ caregivers).
Previous certified experience with dog training is preferred but not required.

Duration of the thesis:
Summer 2026 – Winter 2027

Language of the Thesis:
Englisch

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:
Messerli Research Institute, Clever Dog Lab

Contact Person for the Thesis/Topic:

Gabriella Smith, PhD (Gabriella.Smith@vetmeduni.ac.at); 

Lucrezia Lonardo, PhD (lucrezia.lonardo@vetmeduni.ac.at).

Feedback from students requested by:
As soon as possible (no later than end of September)

Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:
We want to investigate whether pet dogs can mentally represent "pretend" objects. This ability to think beyond the here-and-now was long considered uniquely human, though a recent study suggests at least one language-trained bonobo may share it. 
The successful applicant will get to test dogs in a behavioural experiment at the Clever Dog Lab, in which an experimenter pretends to hide and move an imaginary reward and we record which container the dog chooses. The main responsibilities during the internship will include: recruiting the dogs' caregivers, for example through our database and social media; testing dogs; scoring videos of the experiment; reading the scientific literature on the topic; and documenting progress. 

Required Skills and Knowledge:
Interpersonal skills (to recruit and interact with dogs’ caregivers).
Previous certified experience with dog training is preferred but not required.

Additional Information:
The main expected outcomes of an internship can be a Master's or Diploma thesis. Internships can be carried out also in fulfilment of other university obligations or as volunteering. If this sounds interesting to you, and you have at least 4 months to dedicate to your internship, we are looking forward to hearing from you.

Duration of the thesis:
01.09.2026 to  31.12.2026

Language of the Thesis:
Englisch

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:
Messerli Research Institute, Clever Dog Lab

Contact Person for the Thesis/Topic:
Andrea Sommese, PhD (andrea.sommese@vetmeduni.ac.at)

Feedback from students requested by:
As soon as possible

Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:

With a behavioural experiment, we want to investigate whether pet dogs show surprise when presented with a “magic trick” in which an object seems to appear or disappear magically.The successful applicant will get to test approximately 15 dogs in a behavioural experiment at the Clever Dog Lab. The main responsibilities during the internship will include: recruiting the dogs’ caregivers, for example through our database and social media; testing dogs in the behavioural experiment; scoring videos of the experiment; reading the scientific literature on the topic; writing experimental protocols and documenting progress.          The main expected outcomes of an internship can be a Master’s or Diploma thesis. Internships can be carried out also in fulfilment of other university obligations or as volunteering. If this sounds interesting to you, and you have at least 4 months to dedicate to your internship, we are looking forward to hearing from you.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

Interpersonal skills (to recruit and interact with dogs’ caregivers).
Previous certified experience with dog training is preferred but not required.

Duration of the thesis:
Summer 2026 – Winter 2027

Language of the Thesis:
Englisch

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:
Messerli Research Institute, Clever Dog Lab

Contact Person for the Thesis/Topic:

Gabriella Smith, PhD (Gabriella.Smith@vetmeduni.ac.at); 

Lucrezia Lonardo, PhD (lucrezia.lonardo@vetmeduni.ac.at).

Feedback from students requested by:
As soon as possible (no later than end of September)

Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:

Topics include:
    •    The role of deleterious mutations for adaptation and maintenance of variation.
    •    Long-term adaptation of local Drosophila populations.
    •    The evolution of ageing.
    •    Inference of selection signatures from time-series data.
    •    Studying the genotype-phenotype map.
    •    Stabilising selection during polygenic adaptation.
    •    Evolution of regulatory networks.

Required Skills and Knowledge:
Over the past years, Vienna has developed into one of the leading centres of population genetics. The Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics has been founded to provide a training opportunity for PhD students to build on this excellent on-site expertise.

We invite applications from highly motivated and outstanding students with a love for evolutionary research and a background in one of the following disciplines: evolutionary genetics, functional genetics, theoretical or experimental population genetics, bioinformatics, mathematics, statistics.
 

Additional Information:
Only complete applications (application form, CV, motivation letter, university certificates, indication of the two preferred topics in a single pdf) received by 14 May 2025 will be considered. Two letters of recommendation need to be sent directly by the referees.

PhD students will receive a monthly salary based on currently € 2.464,80 before tax according to the regulations of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

All information about the about available topics, the training program and the application procedure can be found at www.popgen-vienna.at

Planned duration of the thesis project:
01.07.2025 to 01.09.2028

Language of the Thesis:
English

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:
Inst. für Populationsgenetik

Contact Person for the Thesis:

Mag. Elisabeth Wagner-Weigerstorfer PhD
elisabeth.wagner-weigerstorfer@vetmeduni.ac.at
Coordinator, Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics
Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien

T +43 1 25077 4302

Interested candidates may reply until: 
14.05.2025