FUNDED Ph.D. CANDIDATE POSITION – FUNDED PROJECT – RECURRENT NETWORK MODELS OF STATISTICAL LEARNING

at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu

1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION

Position: PhD student
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1- up to the point of PhD)
Number of vacancies: 1
Project: ReNeMos: Recurrent Network Models of Statistical Learning
Location: Spain > San Sebastian
Research Field: Neuroscience
Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Temporary: 4 years
Job Status: Full-time
Hours per week: 35
Starting date: January 2025 (flexible)
Application deadline: 15 November 2024

Information about the project:

Statistical learning (SL) is a crucial capacity supporting efficient cognition and action throughout the lifespan. SL is an organism’s ability to attune to coherent covariation in its environment (e.g., an infant learning sound patterns of a language, or visual patterns corresponding to objects). This project uses recurrent neural network modeling to investigate the types of computations that may support human SL. The modeling motivates EEG and MEG studies with human subjects. Together, the modeling and experiments will advance our understanding of the nature and computational basis for human SL.

Job description:

Collaborating on finalizing experimental designs, implementing them, and collecting data
Analysing EEG and MEG data
Writing research papers under the supervision of the PI, aiming to publish at top-tier journals
Dissemination of results at international scientific conferences

PI and research group:

Dr. James Magnuson will be the supervisor of this PhD project. Magnuson leads the Computational Neuroscience group at BCBL. Our group is developing novel computational approaches focused primarily on typical and atypical learning and language. Our general approach is to use modelling to motivate new hypotheses we then test with human subjects, in order to advance theoretical understanding.

2. CANDIDATES’ PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Required skills:

Good knowledge of cognitive science/neuroscience
Master’s (or equivalent) degree in Psychology, Computer Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistics, or a related field
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

Desirable skills:

Programming experience is highly desirable
Experience with neural networks is also highly desirable
Previous experience in participating in research projects (e.g., data collection, analysis)

3. WORKING CONDITIONS

Salary: 21,000€/year gross on average across the four years of the contract

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 opportunities 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

BCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support contact us.

4. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Language policy

The corporative language at the Center is English
The center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members
The interview will be conducted entirely in English

5. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submission of the application and documentation:

To submit your application, please follow this link: applying for “Ph.D. CANDIDATE POSITION – RECURRENT NETWORK MODELS OF STATISTICAL LEARNING” and attach the following documentation:

A curriculum vitae
A statement outlining research interests and motivation to apply for the position
Transcript of records for the completed master's and bachelor's degrees
Two letters of recommendation

Learn more about the BCBL’s OTM-R policy

Application process timetable: