Research internships 2023 

Are you Master’s student looking for a research internship in the area of computational modeling at the intersection of robotics and neuroscience?

This might be the right place for you!

About the position

In the context of my Junior Professor Chair investigating the affective and social determinants of intelligent behavior in brains and machines, I am looking to hire up to 2 MSc students to join my new team for a 6-month research internship starting in spring 2023.

Your tasks will include reviewing the literature, developing new models, running experiments, analyzing data, and writing a scientific report.

You can apply to one of the following topics (see details in the files below):

• Neural model of attentional priority maps (Belkaid_attention-priority.pdf)
• Modeling the role of dopamine and acetylcholine in uncertainty-seeking behaviors (Belkaid_neuromod-deci.pdf)

Salary and days off will be provided in accordance with French legislation.

The internship’s project will be part of larger projects and successful students could later be considered for a PhD position following their internship.

About the lab

The internship will be carried out in the NEURO (neurocybernetics) group at ETIS (UMR8051). ETIS is a joint lab between CY Cergy Paris Université, ENSEA and CNRS, and a prominent research unit in computer science and information technology in France.

NEURO is one of ETIS’s four multi-PI groups and is specialized in neurorobotics, computational neuroscience, and brain-inspired artificial intelligence. The group’s research areas include developmental learning, navigation, human-robot interaction, affective and social robotics, models of brain diseases, and more. NEURO has built a world-class reputation and has become a major actor in these research areas in France with multiple national and international collaborations.

About the PI

I am Marwen Belkaid. Since September 2022, I hold a Junior Professor Chair in Neuroscience and Robotics on the topic of “Bio-Inspired Modeling of Cognitive Functions and Adaptive Behavior”. This chair’s objective is to lead an interdisciplinary research team investigating the affective and social determinants of intelligent behavior in brains and machines. Visit the Research page to learn more.

I care about my mentees’ well-being and careers. I am committed to providing a healthy, friendly work environment in which you can hopefully learn and thrive. I value motivation and human/interpersonal qualities as much as technical/scientific skills.

About you

For this position, you should meet the following requirements:

• Enrollment in a Master’s program or equivalent in computer science, cognitive science, engineering, or related disciplines.
• Excellent programming skills
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Scientific curiosity and desire to work in an interdisciplinary project
• Intellectual rigor and proactive attitude

One or more of the following would be a plus:

• Previous experience in neurocomputational modeling
• Previous experience with artificial neural networks
• Previous experience using real robots
• Previous experience with statistical or model-based data analysis

About the application process

To apply, please send the following documents (in PDF) by email (marwen.belkaid@ensea.fr):

• CV (1 or 2 pages max)
• Motivation letter including a short description of your background, a statement of your research interests, motivation for this position, and why you think you would be a good fit (1 page)
• Academic transcripts for Undergraduate and Master’s degrees

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.

Applications will be reviewed as they come until the position is filled. Informal inquiries prior to full applications are welcome.

Please click here to learn more.