Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences – Department of Psychology
Publication date: 29 January 2019
Level of education: PhD
Salary indication: €3,637 to €4,978 gross per month
Closing date: 1 March 2019
Hours: 38 hours per week
Vacancy number: 19-059

The Department of Psychology is part of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences (FMG), which is the largest educational and research institution in the social sciences in the Netherlands. We are seeking 1 or 2 Postdoctoral Research Associates for a project on Reinforcement Learning and Implicit Bias. These postdoctoral positions are part of a multi-site project based in the Social Psychology programme group at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

Job description

• As postdoctoral researcher you will examine the psychological and neural processes through which implicit bias is learned, expressed and transmitted, using a combination of behavioral, neuro imaging, and computational approaches.
• You will conduct your research under the supervision of Dr David Amodio at the UvA and will engage with his research group as part of Dr Amodio’s NWO-funded VICI project, How do prejudices become implicit? A social cognitive neuroscience account. The postdoctoral positions are part of a multi-site project, conducted at the UvA and New York University. The postdoctoral researcher(s) for this position will be based in New York City, in Dr. Amodio’s laboratory at New York University. The Amsterdam- and New York-based teams meet regularly via teleconference and you will have opportunities to visit Amsterdam for direct meetings and collaborations with the Amsterdam team.
• The postdoctoral researcher(s) will join Dr. Amodio’s vibrant and dynamic research group, working closely with him and his team and participating in weekly lab meetings. You will be part of the Social Psychology program within the NYU Department of Psychology and participate in activities such as weekly brown bags and colloquia, with further opportunities to attend seminars and interact with affiliated groups such as the Center for Neural Science, Center for Data Science, Center for Social and Political Behavior and many others. As postdoctoral researcher(s) you will also interact closely with counterparts at the Department of Social Psychology at the UvA, with further opportunities to interact with other programs and organizations at the UvA (e.g., the Amsterdam Brain & Cognition Centre).
• This position includes allowances for research expenses, including computer and recording materials, participant costs, experimental materials and travel and subsistence costs towards project-specific travel, including conferences.

Profile

You:

• Have or are about to finish a PhD in Psychology or related discipline, with a focus on social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and/or computer science;
• Have an interest in social cognition and prejudice from a neuroscience and/or computational modeling perspective;
• Have excellent written and spoken English skills and you have a strong interest in pursuing a scientific career;
• Also have strong research project management skills and the ability to manage workload and resources to meet deadlines;
• Are willing and able to travel internationally (costs will be covered by the project grant).

You have experience:

• conducting research in psychology and/or cognitive neuroscience,
• designing and programming experiments (e.g., using Matlab, Python, E-Prime or Inquisit),
• recruiting participants;
• running experimental sessions, collection and analysis of data (e.g., SPSS or R)
• and in the writing of manuscripts and/or grants.
• Experience with computational modeling, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and/or neuroimaging is preferred.

Please note: you must be a citizen of a member state of the European Union to be eligible for this position.

Further information

Informal inquiries can be directed to:

Dr David Amodio (please quote 'Inquiry Postdoc Position Implicit Bias' in the subject line)
A summary of the research proposal can be made available for interested candidates.

Appointment

The position concerns a temporary appointment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of 3 years. The initial appointment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended.

Your full-time gross monthly salary will range from €3,637 to €4,978 (salary scale 11), depending on your number of years of relevant experience. Your annual salary will be supplemented with 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable.

Job application

The UvA is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We value a spirit of enquiry and endurance, provide the space to keep asking questions and cherish a diverse atmosphere of curiosity and creativity.

Does this profile sound like you? If so, we are eager to receive:

• your CV;
• a letter of motivation (max. 500 words)
• the names and email of three potential references.
• As this appointment is to work on an already specified project, there is no need to provide a complete research proposal. However, you should include in your motivation letter a research statement that specifies how your interests, skills, and experience to date is relevant to the project.
• You can apply online by clicking the link below. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2019. #LI-DNP