Postdoctoral Researcher in Sensorimotor Neuroscience (0.8 - 1.0 FTE)

• Employment: 0.8 - 1.0 FTE
• Gross monthly salary: € 3,807 - € 5,211
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Required background: PhD
• Application deadline: 31 October 2021

We are looking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher with expertise in computational models of perception and action and an interest in probabilistic neurocomputing to participate in the NWO NWA ORC project 'Brain and AI for safe navigation' . The goal of this project is to advance our understanding of how humans are able to act in complex and uncertain circumstances, and how such knowledge can be applied to smooth our interaction with emerging autonomous vehicles. The whole project encompasses a broad spectrum of academic, industrial and societal partners and includes a large group of researchers. You will work on computational models (optimal control, Bayesian, neural nets) of multisensory integration and sensorimotor control under uncertainty and their real-world applicability in applications such as drones and other autonomous vehicles. You will work in close collaboration with the Machine Learning group (Prof. Bohte) at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, and the Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience group (Prof. Pennartz) at the University of Amsterdam. Some management, mentoring and teaching related tasks will also be part of your responsibilities.

Profile

• You have a PhD degree in a relevant field (e.g. sensorimotor neuroscience, artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience).
• You are expected to have a demonstrable interest and experience in bio-inspired modelling and probabilistic approaches to perception and action.
• Experience with behavioural and neurophysiological studies would be useful.
• Experience supervising students at various levels is advantageous.
• Good social, communication and organisational skills and a team player mentality are key.

We are

Strategically located in Europe, Radboud University is one of the leading academic communities in the Netherlands, a place with a personal touch, where top-flight education and research take place on a beautiful green campus, in modern buildings with state-of-art facilities. You will be embedded in the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC), part of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and one of the four centres of the interfaculty Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. 

Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and decision making, 3. Development and lifelong plasticity, and 4. Neural computation and neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as 'excellent' and recognised as a 'very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent'. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.

The postdoctoral research position will be embedded in the sensorimotor research group of Prof. Pieter Medendorp. The group's research focuses on the neural mechanisms of perceptual processing, motor control and sensorimotor integration, building on theory, methods, and findings in psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and related disciplines.

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

• Employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €3,807 and a maximum of €5,211 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.
• Temporary contract for initially 2 years, which, after a positive performance review, may be extended for an additional period of 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 29 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 Prof. Pieter Medendorp, Professor of Sensorimotor Neuroscience at +31 24 361 60 41 or [email protected] . Alternatively, you can contact Dr. Luke Miller, Assistant Professor of Sensorimotor Neuroscience at  [email protected] .

Practical information and applications
You can apply until 31 October 2021, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Prof. Pieter Medendorp. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• Letter of motivation.
• CV including the names and contact details of two referees. 

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