Postdoctoral Researcher: Curiosity and Cognitive Development in Young Children

Employment

1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary

€ 3,974 - € 5,439

Required background

PhD

Organizational unit

Faculty of Social Sciences

Application deadline

23 January 2023

Apply now
Do you have a PhD in the field of developmental psychology or developmental cognitive (neuro)science? Are you interested in the early development and curiosity of younger children? And do you want to develop your knowledge further and work in an environment that contributes to research and science? Then you have a part to play as a postdoc on curiosity and cognitive development in young children at the Donders Institute.
As part of a multidisciplinary project, we are currently examining the role of curiosity - the drive to learn new things - for early child development. We are studying the cognitive and brain mechanisms underlying curiosity, whether children differ in their degree of curiosity, and how learning environments can be created that foster exploration and curious behaviour in young children.
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join the BabyBRAIN lab and conduct research on curiosity and learning in early development using behavioural, neuroscientific and modelling approaches. You will work closely with Prof. Sabine Hunnius and Dr Marlene Meyer and also be involved in the supervision of ongoing PhD projects.
Profile

• You hold a PhD in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience or developmental psychology.
• You have experience with experimental developmental psychology and mathematical modelling of behaviour.
• You have experience with techniques for quantitative data analysis (such as Matlab or Python) and computational modelling.
• You have a strong motivation to conduct interdisciplinary empirical research at the intersection of developmental psychology and cognitive science.
• You possess proven problem-solving skills and an ability to take a strong, positive and proactive approach to work.
• You possess excellent collaborative and communication skills.
• You are versatile, flexible and have the ability to work in a team as well as independently.

We are
You will work in an interdisciplinary team of developmental scientists, cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists at the Donders Institute . The Donders Institute is a state-of-the art cognitive neuroscience institute with a multidisciplinary approach. It offers excellent research facilities, including developmental research facilities, advanced neuroimaging, eye movement registration, and motion tracking labs. The Institute was assessed as 'excellent' by an international evaluation committee in the last research evaluation, and was recognised as a 'very stimulating environment for top researchers as well as for young talents'. The Donders Institute is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. Radboud University offers a parental leave scheme and day care on campus.
The Baby and Child Research Center (link is external) (BRC) at Radboud University is a leading cross-disciplinary research initiative on early development. We study children's social and cognitive development as well as their language acquisition and health during the first six years of life. BRC features state-of-the art facilities, such as eye-tracking, motion-tracking and neuroimaging techniques. BRC fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary and supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. You will be an integral member of the lively BRC community.

Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!
We offer

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of € 3,974 and a maximum of € 5,439 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 11 ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 1 year.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
Would you like more information?
For questions about the position, please contact Sabine Hunnius, Director Baby & Child Research Center, at [email protected] .
Practical information and applying
You can apply until 23 January 2023, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Sabine Hunnius. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV, listing relevant experience and the names and email addresses of two referees.

The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday 2 February. You would preferably begin employment on 1 April.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates.
Apply now Application deadline 23 January 2023

We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.

Prof. Hunnius, S. (Sabine)
Director Baby & Child Research Center
[email protected]

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• Work at Radboud University (i.e. have an employment contract with Radboud University).
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• Work as a temporary employee at, or have been seconded to, Radboud University.

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Last modified: 17 January 2023
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