PhD position in Computational Neuroscience [C4] (all genders welcome)

At the University of Göttingen -Public Law Foundation-, Graduiertenkolleg 2906 Neugier, there is a position as

PhD position in Computational Neuroscience [C4] (all genders welcome)
Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L/100%

to be filled. Starting date is 8/1/2024. The position is limited to 7/31/2027.

As part of a new research network that has been established at the Georg-August-University of Göttingen - Research Training Group (RTG) 2906 Curiosity - we advertise here a PhD position for an initial period of three years, with a very strong possibility of extension for a further year. The project is expected to commence on August 1st, 2024. 

Across thirteen projects, scientists in RTG 2906 will investigate the neuropsychological, biological and computational underpinnings of curiosity. The network comprises a highly interdisciplinary consortium of psychologists, biologists as well as systems and computational neuroscientists who will work together to answer three broad research questions: (A) When are we curious? (B) Why are we curious? and (C) How are we curious? The PhD position advertised here will investigate how planning towards reaching a certain goal influences curiosity-driven exploration. The PhD researcher will theoretically and experimentally explore (i) how overt and covert biases associated with different potential path options influence exploration in a planning problem, and (ii) how prior experience in one planning problem may influence exploration behavior in a second related problem. The PhD researcher will initially focus on how agents approach simple planning problems, however, there is the potential to work up to studies that employ more complex planning structures (e.g., structures with multiple branches that differ in terms of cost and complexity). 

Your profile:

• M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience or a related field (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics)
• Experience conducting experimental studies with human participants is not essential but would be beneficial
• Computer programming skills (Python and/or C++) and good statistical as well as analytical skills
• Proficient in written and spoken English; German language skills are not necessary

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• A highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, team-oriented research environment 
• Close supervision by an interdisciplinary Thesis Advisory Committee
• Enrolment in a training programme comprising compulsory and elective courses suited to individual needs and careers goals, as well as regular retreats and summer schools 
• Ample funding for participation at conferences and for external laboratory visits

RTG 2906 is based in Göttingen, a university town with 28,000 students across all disciplines. The Göttingen Campus has its overarching research foci in living networks, sustainability, and dynamics of change, and includes four Max-Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center, the Campus Institute for Data Science, and the Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks. The thirteen doctoral projects are spread across these Göttingen Campus institutes.

How to apply:

Detailed information on the application process, the research project and the training programme are available on the RTG webpage (https://www.uni-goettingen.de/rtg2906 ). As part of the online application process, you will be asked to upload a motivation letter and certified copies of your degree and language certificates. There are thirteen open PhD positions in RTG 2906; in case you are applying for more than one position, please indicate this in your cover letter (n.b. applying for more than one position is in no way detrimental to your application).
• For questions about the position, please contact Prof. Florentin Wörgötter ([email protected] )
• If you have any questions about the application process, you can write to [email protected]

The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant.

Please upload your application in one pdf file including the usual documents until 1/15/2024 on the application portal of the university using this link: http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/74261 . For more information get in touch with Nivedita Mani directly via E-Mail: [email protected], Tel. +49-551-39-23617 .

Please note:
With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Information General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)