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Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences, humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.
The Donders Centre for Cognition is looking for a PhD candidate in Computational Cognitive Science to work on a meta-theoretical research project spanning cognitive science and artificial intelligence (AI). Are you excited to advance our scientific understanding of what a cognitive capacity is? Do you question the AI hype on the so-called human-like capacities of machines? Do you enjoy thinking deeply and critically? If so, this position may be for you.
In this PhD project, titled ’Cognitive capacities and machines: Why do calculators exist, if AGI cannot?’, you will adopt various theoretical and meta-theoretical methodologies (including literature review, conceptual engineering and formal analysis) to study and characterise: 1. What are cognitive capacities? 2. What kinds of cognitive capacities, if any, can exist in sociotechnical artefacts and/or is there always a human in the loop? 3. And which epistemologies provide a way out of the conundrum of hyperempiricism, such that we can have a sound and coherent science of cognitive capacities?
We are living in a time of AI hype. Many believe that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is around the corner, and that we already have systems with genuinely human-like cognitive capacities (van Rooij, Guest, et al., 2023). However, exactly what cognitive capacities are is never formally or coherently pinned down, leaving AI vulnerable to hype. Using conceptual, formal, historical, and meta-theoretic analyses, this project aims to build a protective belt.
A small part of the position (0.1FTE) will involve contributions to education, for example in the form of thesis supervision and teaching assistantships for courses (such as AI as a Science, Theoretical Modelling for Cognitive Science).
Other relevant work by the team:
You will conduct your research at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. The Donders Institute is a world-class interfaculty research institute that 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 control, 3. Plasticity and memory, 4. Neural computation and Neurotechnology. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as excellent and recognized as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary and supportive research environment with a diverse international staff.
Specifically, you will be embedded in the Computational Cognitive Science group at the Cognitive Science and AI department of the Donders Centre for Cognition. In this group we aim at advancing the theoretical foundations of computational explanations in cognitive science (i.e. the multidisciplinary study of cognition). By taking a meta-theoretical and meta-science perspective we also contribute to critical reflection on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques (computational modelling, in particular) in science and society. The Cognitive Science and AI department values diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the Computational Cognitive Science group aims towards decolonising our research practices.
Relevant websites:
You can apply no later than 22 May only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Olivia Guest. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.
The first interviews will take place on 13 June. You will preferably start your employment on 1 September.
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.
Type of employment | Temporary position |
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Contract type | Full-time/Part-time |
First day of employment | 01-09-2024 |
Salary | Promovendus |
Salary |
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Number of positions | 1 |
Full-time equivalent | 0,8 - 1,0 |
City | Nijmegen |
County | Gelderland |
Country | Netherlands |
Reference number | 24.028.24 |
Contact |
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Published | 18.Apr.2024 |
Last application date | 22.May.2024 11:59 PM CEST |