Inaugural winner of the Sebastían Ramírez Amaya Award for Fieldwork in Primatology

We are delighted to announce that Eric Ndayishimiye has been awarded our inaugural Sebastían Ramírez Amaya Award for Fieldwork in Primatology. Eric’s PhD research at Nottingham Trent University focuses on the physiological response to social stressors and the fitness consequences in adult male mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei).

In 2022, the International Primatological Society created an award in memory of Colombian primatologist Sebastían Ramírez Amaya. Sebastian was trained as a biologist at Los Andes University in Colombia, and after graduation conducted fieldwork on spider monkeys in Colombia and chimpanzees in Tanzania. His interest in the evolution of non-human primates’ social and mating systems eventually brought him to pursue his PhD in evolutionary anthropology, studying the social relationships and reproduction of male and female chimpanzees at the Ngogo study site in Kibale National Park, Uganda.

Sebastían was acutely aware of the challenges faced by young scholars from developing countries in pursuing primatological fieldwork. In honour of Sebastian and his passion for primate research and conservation, this grant is open to graduate students who seek support for conducting fieldwork on primates in their natural habitats. By primarily targeting scholars from developing countries, this award aims to encourage young researchers in primatology to pursue their professional dreams and contribute to primate research and conservation.