[CogSci] Job offer: PhD position in ‘The Communicative Brain’ group at MPI for Psycholinguistics

Lorenz, Carolin Carolin.Lorenz at mpi.nl
Thu Oct 1 07:53:23 PDT 2020


Job offer for PhD position

Doctoral supervisor: dr. Linda Drijvers<https://www.mpi.nl/people/drijvers-linda>
(Co-)Promotors: dr. Judith Holler<https://www.mpi.nl/people/holler-judith> & prof. dr. Peter Hagoort<https://www.mpi.nl/people/hagoort-peter>

We are looking for a full-time PhD candidate to join the newly-founded Minerva Fast Track Group ‘The Communicative Brain’, led by Linda Drijvers, at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. The Communicative Brain group is embedded in the Neurobiology of Language department<https://www.mpi.nl/department/neurobiology-language/4> of the MPI for Psycholinguistics.

Job description
The PhD project will investigate the neurobiological basis of multimodal language comprehension and production in interactive, face-to-face communication. Specifically, you will investigate whether and how oscillatory neural activity plays a mechanistic role in integrating auditory and visual signals within and between conversational partners, and whether behavioural and neural synchronization are important for (successful) communication. These questions will be addressed by using new cutting-edge techniques, including dual-EEG, MEG, rapid invisible frequency tagging, and detailed behavioural analyses of auditory and visual signals in interactive contexts.

What we expect from you

·         Candidates should have, or shortly expect to obtain, a high-quality (Research) Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g. (cognitive) neuroscience, experimental psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, artificial intelligence, computer science).

·         An interest in multimodal language processing; existing experience in this domain is an advantage

·         Experience in carrying out empirical research (e.g., experimental design, recruitment, participant testing, quantitative data analysis, report writing)

·         Experience in data analysis/programming in MATLAB and/or Python and/or R, programming with the experiment software Presentation/Psychtoolbox is an advantage.

·         An interest in EEG or MEG is expected, and candidates with prior experience in EEG/MEG are particularly encouraged to apply.

·         The ability to present ideas clearly, also to people from other disciplinary backgrounds; existing publications and conference/presentation experience is an advantage

·         A very good command of written and spoken English is a must; native (or near native) knowledge of Dutch is an advantage. If the candidate has no knowledge of Dutch, the candidate should be willing to learn Dutch as soon as possible.
What we have to offer
The PhD position is fully funded for 4 years (starting gross salary is €2,569 per month). The institute provides fully equipped research facilities, technical support, as well as a conference and travel budget. PhD students participate in the International Max Planck Research School for Language Sciences<https://www.mpi.nl/imprs>, which involves core and individually chosen coursework to complement the PhD research and training in soft skills such as writing and presentation. You are entitled to 30 holiday days per year (on the basis of fulltime employment), as well as Dutch and German institute holidays.

Work environment / employer
The MPI for Psycholinguistics<http://www.mpi.nl> in Nijmegen is the only research institute in the world entirely devoted to the study of language. Our goal is to understand how our minds and brains process language, how language interacts with other aspects of mind, and how we can learn languages of quite different types.
We are situated on the campus of the Radboud University, and have close collaborative links with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour<https://www.ru.nl/donders/> and the Centre for Language Studies<https://www.ru.nl/cls/> at Radboud University<http://www.ru.nl>. Cross-departmental projects and interdisciplinary work are strongly encouraged.

We are part of the Max Planck Society, an independent non-governmental association of German-funded research institutes dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunities employer. Applications from under-represented minorities, women, and people with disabilities are particularly encouraged.

Application process
Applications should include:

         i.            One-page statement of why you are interested in this post, why you consider yourself a good match for the post, and what your research interests are

       ii.            One-page summary of your MA/MSc dissertation

     iii.            CV including publication list

     iv.            Names and email addresses of up to three referees who would be willing to provide letters of recommendation
Electronic applications should be sent to Carolin Lorenz (carolin.lorenz at mpi.nl<mailto:carolin.lorenz at mpi.nl>). For questions and informal enquiries, contact Dr. Linda Drijvers (linda.drijvers at mpi.nl<mailto:linda.drijvers at mpi.nl>)
The deadline for applications is October 26, 2020 and Skype interviews will be held early November. The start date of this position is January 1st, 2021.

Link to online vacancy<https://www.mpi.nl/career-education/vacancies/vacancy/phd-position-group-communicative-brain>
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