Assistant professor position in cognitive neuroscience

Amsterdam        ·        Full time

The section Cognitive Psychology of the Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is looking for an Assistant Professor in the field of (computational) cognitive neuroscience.

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 1

Job Description

Candidates should be pursuing a theory-driven experimental research program that contributes to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying human cognition, and that connects to the main research interests in our section. We are especially interested in candidates who have strong training in fMRI and computational approaches to understanding neural processing and cognition, who will thrive in a collaborative academic environment, and are dedicated to high-quality teaching. This vacancy is open to every candidate, but in the event of equal suitability, we prefer a female candidate.

As Assistant Professor, you are expected to contribute to research, teaching, and administration.

Requirements

• ​​​You have a doctoral degree (PhD) in cognitive neuroscience, AI or a related discipline;
• You have ample expertise in brain imaging (specifically fMRI) and preferably also in computational modeling (e.g., deep neural networks);
• You are enthusiastic about research, as shown in high-quality research output;
• You have the ability to acquire external funding for your research and are expected to build up and coordinate a research team and supervise PhD candidates;
• You are able to contribute to our teaching efforts in the area of cognitive neuroscience/psychology/AI, both at the bachelor and at the research master level;
• You have a university teaching qualification (BKO) or the willingness to complete the BKO training during your appointment;
• You are a team player, both at the level of the section and at the level of the faculty. This means that you are willing to contribute to the goals of the section and the faculty, for example, as a member of research and teaching committees, and to set up collaborative research projects;
• You are committed to the principles of open science;
• You can communicate fluently in English. Courses are taught in English.

What Are We Offering?

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €3,974 (scale 11) and a maximum €6,181 (scale 12), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for 1 FTE.

The appointment will be initially for 12 months. Contingent upon positive evaluation, the job will then be converted to a tenured (i.e. permanent) position.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
• discounts on collective insurances (healthcare- and car insurance)

About Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 30,000 students. We employ over 5,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity

We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences

The Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences focuses on the broad domain of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society, from healthy aging to e-health, from juvenile crime to dealing with depression, from training for top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We are unique in that we combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education.

Working at Behavioural and Movement Sciences means working in an ambitious organization that is characterized by an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. Our faculty offers tremendous scope for personal development. We employ more than 600 staff members, and we are home to around 3,400 students.

About the department, institute, project

The Cognitive Psychology section (https://vu.nl/en/research/more-about/cognitive-psychology) is part of the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology in the Faculty of Behavioral & Movement Sciences. The section’s research program has a strong commitment to theory development, and innovative research aimed at understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, and working memory. We use innovating theoretical approaches and methodologies from cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

The Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology provides a vibrant climate with high quality teaching and research staff and PhD-students who are supported by excellent facilities for teaching and research (e.g., multiple EEG, eye tracking and VR labs for experimental research, expertise in statistics and methodology). The section is part of the Spinoza Neuroimaging center (https://www.spinozacentre.nl/), which houses a 3T and 7T MRI scanner. The section is also part of the Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (https://ibba.institute).
Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit has a world-class reputation in terms of research and teaching, as indicated by international rankings, research assessments, high quality publications, high standards for teaching and mentoring, and frequent visits by international scientists.

Research and teaching have a strong international and interdisciplinary focus covering central themes in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and closely related fields.

We participate in the international Bachelor Psychology and the popular Research Master Cognitive Neuropsychology. We furthermore contribute to Bachelor and Research Master Programs in Artificial Intelligence.

Application

Are you interested in this position? Please apply following the application procedure and upload a single PDF that includes (1) a motivation letter, and (2) your curriculum vitae (which lists two references that we can contact). The motivation letter should outline (a) your research background and ambitions, (b) your experience with and approach to teaching, and (c) your complementary and supplementary fit – and motivation to work – with our group. Materials must be submitted 10/11/2022.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions

If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:
Name: Prof. Dr. Heleen Slagter
E-mail: h.a.slagter@vu.nl

No agencies

Please click here to apply.