[CogSci] PhD position: development of curiosity

[Rakoczy, Hannes]

The Department of Developmental Psychology and the Research Training Group (RTG) 2906 "Curiosity" at the University of Göttingen offer a
full Ph.D. position in developmental cognitive science (all genders welcome)
beginning August 1st, 2026 (or later). The salary is in accordance with the German public service salary scale (75%, E13 TV-L) for up to three years.

The project
The present project is part of the Research Training Group 2906 "Curiosity" that investigates the cognitive, neural, and computational underpinnings of curiosity and its development. Detailed information can be found at https://www.uni-goettingen.de/rtg2906) (the PhD position pertains to Project A1 listed there).
The PhD position advertised here will explore the developmental interplay between curiosity, meta-cognition and social learning. Specifically, the PhD researcher will devise studies to test the hypothesis that curiosity-driven learning is boosted in social and collaborative learning contexts relative to individual exploration situations. Although the work will primarily focus on human ontogeny, there will be the opportunity to carry out comparative work with non-human primates.
Requirements

  *   Excellent degree in psychology or related cognitive science discipline
  *   Background in experimental, developmental and/or comparative psychological research
  *   Experience in experimental studies with children are strongly desirable
  *   Advanced statistical and analytical abilities (experience using R is a plus)
  *   Excellent English language skill
  *   Excellent German language skills are strongly desirable
Deadline for applications is Feb. 20, 2026.
Details about the application process can be found below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Hannes Rakoczy (hannes.rakoczy at psych.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:hannes.rakoczy at psych.uni-goettingen.de>).

With best wishes,
Hannes Rakoczy




How to apply:
Detailed information on the application process, the research project and the training programme are available on the RTG webpage (https://www.uni-goettingen.de/rtg2906). As part of the online application process you will be asked to upload a motivation letter and certified copies of your degree and language certificates. There will be a total of eleven open PhD positions in RTG 2906; in case you are applying for more than one position, please indicate this in your cover letter (n.b. applying for more than one position is in no way detrimental to your application). Please note that you must apply to each position separately. Please upload your application in one pdf file including the usual documents until 2/20/2026 on the application portal of the university using this link:
http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/76192.
If you have any questions about the application process, you can write to rtg2906 at uni-goettingen.de
For questions about the position, please contact Prof. Hannes Rakoczy (Hannes.Rakoczy at psych.uni-goettingen.de)
The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference.


--
Hannes Rakoczy
Department of Developmental Psychology
Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen
Waldweg 26, D-37073 Göttingen
tel. ++49 - (0)551 - 3929235
mail. hannes.rakoczy at psych.uni-goettingen.de
website. www.psych.uni-goettingen.de/en/development/team/rakoczy-hannes

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