at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu
- INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION
- Position: Postdoctoral researcher
- Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2 - PhD holders or equivalent who are not yet fully independent)
- Number of vacancies: 1
- Location: Spain > Donostia-San Sebastián
- Funding source: Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, (MICIU) and the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+).
- Research Field: Psychology > Cognition and Language / Linguistics
- Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Temporary, 2 years
- Job Status: Full-time
- Hours per week: 35
- Starting date: on or before September 1, 2027 (specific dates to be confirmed by the official AEI announcement)
- Internal application deadline at the BCBL: November 6*, 2025
- Application deadline at the AEI: from November 25 to December 17, 2025
The Spoken Language research group (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/research/research-groups/spoken-language) at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (San-Sebastián-Donostia, Spain) aims to sponsor a candidate for a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Fellowship, a competitive call for postdoctoral fellowships awarded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) and the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+) – see last year’s call here: https://www.aei.gob.es/convocatorias/buscador-convocatorias/ayudas-contratos-juan-cierva-2024.
The selected candidate will be invited to apply for a Juan de la Cierva Fellowship with the support of the PI and the BCBL admin team. If granted the fellowship, the candidate will have the opportunity to design and carry out their own postdoctoral research project, fitting within the group's research lines.
Project summary:
Our group studies how humans process the fundamental units of spoken language, focusing on speech sounds and words. For example, we investigate how words are decoded, how new words are learned, and how components of words (segments like consonants and vowels) are processed by listeners. We use behavioral, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological (EEG) paradigms, while our group also has access to state-of-the-art neuroimaging equipment (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/infrastructure-equipment).
On-going research lines include:
- Phoneme (speech sound) categorization
- Spoken word recognition
- Word learning
- Second language learning
- Bilingual language processing
Job description
- The successful candidate will receive training in psycholinguistic approaches to spoken language learning and processing. The position involves designing and implementing experimental studies that align with the research lines of the group, as well as preparing research papers under the supervision of the PI(s), with the goal of publishing in high-impact international journals. The candidate will be encouraged to present research findings at international conferences and to actively contribute to the collaborative and interdisciplinary environment of the lab. The Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL) offers a dynamic and stimulating research environment, with access to cutting-edge facilities and a wide range of techniques, including MEG and fMRI. More information about the BCBL can be found at https://www.bcbl.eu/en
- As a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Fellow, the selected candidate may also be appointed to teach within the BCBL Master in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/study-with-us/masters-cognitive-neuroscience-language), subject to further evaluation and approval by the department.
PI and research group:
The candidate will form part of the Spoken Language group under the direct supervision of Dr. Efthymia Kapnoula.
- CANDIDATE PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Eligibility (based on last year’s call, subject to change):
- PhD degree obtained between 01/01/2024 and 31/12/2025 for the general access shift and JDC-INIA-CCAA shift, extension due to: situations of temporary disability; maternity/paternity leave -1 year per child-; pregnancy sick; parental/family leave (“excedencia”) or reduction in working hours (“reducción de jornada”) for children/family care of at least 3 months in both cases; care-taking of dependent persons; or other sick-leave over 3 months, if any of these situations has happened between the PhD award date and application deadline. For those candidates who hold more than 1 PhD degree, the previous conditions apply to the 1st degree. Note: Please check art. 6.1 a) of the call text for more detailed information about the aforementioned situations.
- Mobility criteria: having taken the predoctoral training in some research organization different from the one the candidate will join with the grant. Note: Please check art. 6.1 b) for further information.
- To not have submitted an application for Ramón y Cajal 2025 Call (RyC 2025).
- Not having obtained a “Juan de la Cierva”, “Formación Postdoctoral”, “Juan de la Cierva-Formación” or “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” grants before.
- No restrictions regarding the nationality of the candidate.
Required skills:
- PhD in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistics, Speech Pathology, or neighboring areas, obtained within the eligibility period specified by the AEI for the Juan de la Cierva program
- Previous experimental experience in psycholinguistic research
- Experience with experimental design and data analysis, including use of relevant software (e.g., R, Python, Praat, OpenSesame, PsychoPy, MATLAB)
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
- Excellent time management skills
Desirable skills:
- Good publication record commensurate to the career stage
- Programming skills
- Previous experience with eye-tracking and/or EEG
- WORKING CONDITIONS
Salary:
- 30.000€ gross annual salary
- Additional 7.400€ are provided to cover the expenses directly related to the execution of their research activities.
Entitlements and other benefits: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl
Training opportunities and Career development plan:
Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes
(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision
(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public
(3) Network-wide training in theory and methods
(4) Complementary training courses
(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination
(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events
Postdoctoral researchers at the BCBL can acquire mentoring skills by co-supervising Master’s and PhD students. Additionally, there is the opportunity to gain teaching experience on the BCBL’s Master’s program in the cognitive neuroscience of language.
BCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, sociocultural background, nationality or impairments. We are proud to have in place both an LGTBIQ+ Plan and a Gender Equality Plan to actively promote inclusion and equal opportunities. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us.
- OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
Language policy
- The corporative language at the center is English
- Knowledge of Spanish and/or Basque will be an asset for this particular position, but it is not required
- The center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members
- The interview will be conducted entirely in English
- APPLICATION PROCESS
Submission of the application and documentation:
Interested candidates are invited to send their CV and a brief research statement describing their research interests and previous experience (if any), as well as contact data of 1-2 referees to Dr. Efthymia Kapnoula (e.kapnoula@bcbl.eu) by November 6*, 2025.
Timeline:
- Deadline for application: November 6*, 2025
- Interviews: November 3-11, 2025
- Final decision: November 12, 2025
- The selected candidate will be invited to apply for a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Fellowship. The BCBL admin team will support the selected candidate within the application process.
Contact details for enquiries:
For technical problems please contact: hr@bcbl.eu
For inquiries or questions related to the content of the position and/or information about the research group please contact: e.kapnoula@bcbl.eu
*Applications submitted by the official deadline will receive full consideration. Depending on the volume and progression of applications, we may continue to accept applications until Nov. 11th, though consideration of late applications cannot be guaranteed.
