The University of Amsterdam is inviting applications for 2 PhD positions in cognitive neuroscience and computer vision in the 2020/21 academic year.
The PhD projects will involve working with computational models of vision, including deep neural networks, as well as collection and analysis of human neuroimaging data. The following are examples of research questions to be addressed in the PhD projects:
- How does the human brain extract information about action affordances, such as the presence of a navigable path, from visually presented images?
- What kind of representations are learned by deep neural networks trained on different types of scene processing tasks?
- How can we use deep networks and/or other computational models of vision to better understand the neural activation patterns that we measure in the human brain during perception?
You will be based at the Intelligent Sensory Information Systems Lab at the Institute of Informatics at the University of Amsterdam, working closely with the Department of Psychology for data collection and analysis. You will be working with a multidisciplinary team on the analysis of human behavioural (categorizations, decisions, reaction times) and neuroscience data recorded from human brains (EEG, fMRI, ECoG) using computational tools and models from machine learning and computer vision.
Your tasks will be to:
- run experiments that involve collecting behavioral and neuroimaging data from human participants;
- train and test deep network models of visual perception;
- develop and apply statistical analysis methods to compare computational models to human data;
- collaborate with other researchers within the lab and the institute;
- complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
- regularly present intermediate research results at international conferences and workshops, and publish them in proceedings and journals;
- assist in relevant teaching activities.
Worth of Award
- The salary will be €2,325 to €2,972 (scale P) gross per month, based on full-time employment (38 hours a week).
- These amounts are exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
- A favorable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.
Eligibility
- A Master’s degree in Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, Computational Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field;
- a strong interest in computational modelling of perceptual processes;
- a strong interest in, and preferably existing experience with, human neuroimaging data collection and analysis (e.g., fMRI or EEG);
- a strong interest in computer vision and machine learning;
- excellent programming skills, for example in Matlab, Python, or C/C++;
- solid mathematics foundations, especially statistics and linear algebra;
- a proactive and independent mindset;
- strong communication, presentation and writing skills and excellent command of English.
How to Apply
Applications should include:
- a motivation letter that motivates your choice for this position;
- a curriculum vitae, including your list of publications if applicable;
- a link to your Master’s thesis;
- a complete record of Bachelor and Master courses (including grades and explanation of grading system);
- a list of projects you have worked on (with brief descriptions of your contributions, max 2 pages);
- the names and contact addresses of at least two academic references (please do not include any recommendation letters).
Deadline: Application closes July 1, 2020.