PhD Position: Visual Perception and Decision-Making

1. Introduction

This PhD position is available in Prof. Janneke Jehee's lab at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. You will work on studies of visual perception and decision-making. Research methods include computational modelling, brain imaging (fMRI), machine learning, behavioural methods, and other techniques.

2. Job description

Virtually everything we sense, think and do is uncertain. For instance, when driving a car, you often need to determine how close you are to the car in front of you. It is nearly impossible to estimate this distance with absolute certainty – but it is possible to guess and even to assess the uncertainty associated with that guess. Accordingly, we reduce speed when driving in bad weather because we are less certain about our estimates of the distance to surrounding traffic. But what makes us feel less certain in these conditions? What brain mechanisms underlie this ability? And is there something we could do to improve our estimates?

This project will address these and related questions regarding the neural basis of visual perception and decision-making. It is part of a larger project on visual information processing in the brain, conducted in collaboration with Dr Sam Ling’s research lab at Boston University, USA. You won’t have any teaching load in this position.

Please see this website for more information on the lab’s research questions, style and approach, and this website for more information about Dr Sam Ling’s lab.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate. 

3. Profile

• You have a Master's degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Mathematics, or another related field.
• You have prior experience in cognitive neuroscience (strongly preferable).
• You have prior experience with computer programming or other quantitative experience (highly preferable).
• It would be advantageous if you have experience with visual psychophysics, fMRI, computational modelling, and data analysis.

4. We are

The Donders Institute in Nijmegen, Netherlands, is a friendly, collaborative research environment, and home to many outstanding researchers from all over the world. The internationally renowned institute currently hosts more than 600 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers from more than 45 countries, offering a stimulating, multidisciplinary and highly international research environment. Facilities include high-field 3T and 7T research-dedicated MRI scanners, a 275-channel MEG system, several (MR-compatible) EEG systems and eye trackers, fully equipped behavioural labs, and high-performance computational facilities. English is the lingua franca at the Donders Institute.

Please see this website for more information on the lab.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).  
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,707 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Janneke Jehee. Please include a letter of motivation summarising your research experience and interests, your CV, your academic transcripts, and contact information for three references.

There will be several rounds of interviews. Interview dates will be determined in consultation with shortlisted candidates. Applicants will have been shortlisted by Friday 16 May. The start date is flexible.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.