Doctoral student (75% E13 TV-L), Uni Münster, Human Memory and Neural Networks

45,000 students and 8,000 employees in teaching, research and administration, all working together to shape perspectives for the future – that is the University of Münster. Embedded in the vibrant atmosphere of Münster with its high standard of living, the University’s diverse research profile and attractive study programmes draw students and researchers throughout Germany and from around the world.

The Institute of Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology/Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Münster, Germany, is seeking to fill the position of a

Doctoral research associate
(Wissenschaftliche*r Mitarbeiter*in)
(salary level E 13 TV-L)

to commence on 1 November 2024 or later. We are offering a fixed-term, part-time position (75%) for three years (corresponding to the project’s duration) in the Experimental Psychology group (Prof Dr Niko Busch). 

We are looking for a dedicated and talented PhD student for an innovative research project that explores the intersection of computer vision and cognitive psychology. Why are some events still remembered after a long time, while others are quickly forgotten? Psychological research has shown that for simple stimuli, such as letters or numbers, the memorability of an event is determined by the extent to which its features are distinct from those of other events. In this international project, we will investigate whether the memorability of complex photographs is also determined by their distinctiveness. To this end, we will analyse photographs with deep neural network models to objectively quantify their features and analyse their distinctiveness from other images. In collaboration with our project partners at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, we will address long-standing questions in cognitive psychology, e.g. what makes an image memorable and how do representations in neural networks differ from those in human memory?

In our research unit, candidates also have the possibility to participate in other research areas of psychophysics, visual short-term and long-term memory and neuronal oscillations. Further information on topics, publications and members of our research unit can be found here: https://www.uni-muenster.de/PsyIFP/AEBusch/index.html

The extensive research profile, as well as our city’s atmosphere and quality of life make the University of Münster an attractive research location. There is an active interdisciplinary network of labs from cognitive science and the neurosciences, in particular the Otto Creutzfeld Centre (http://www.uni-muenster.de/OCCMuenster/).

Your tasks:

• The position is tied to the completion of a doctoral project.
• Conducting research in the externally funded project "Typicality in visual scene recognition: A comparison between neural networks and human memories"
• Development, implementation and analysis of the experiments
• Publication of the results and presentation at conferences
• Cooperation with the other members and support of the tasks of the working unit
• Supervision of student theses

Prerequisites:

• Degree in psychology (a German Diplom or master’s degree) or a similar subject 
• Interest in research in the cognitive neurosciences, especially in perception, learning, memory, machine learning or computer vision
• Programming skills, e.g. in Matlab or Python 
• Excellent command of English

Additional skills (preferable)

• Experience with relevant research techniques, such as psychophysics, EEG, eye tracking
• Knowledge of machine learning, computer vision and/or artificial intelligence
• Penchant and eagerness to learn new skills

Advantages for you:

• Participation in an exciting, international research project and collaboration with an international project team
• Collegial working atmosphere in our General Psychology unit and the opportunity to conduct your own research beyond the externally funded project. 
• State-of-the-art equipped laboratory for psychophysics, eye tracking, as well as stationary and mobile EEG. Further facilities for virtual reality, brain stimulation, MEG and fMRI are available at the Institute of Psychology and the University Hospital Münster.
• Opportunity to participate in the interdisciplinary graduate programme of the Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience: https://www.uni-muenster.de/OCCMuenster/phd/

The University of Münster strongly supports equal opportunity and diversity. We welcome all applicants regardless of sex, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or worldview, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to creating family-friendly working conditions. We actively encourage applications by women. Women with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered unless these are outweighed by reasons which necessitate the selection of another candidate.

If you have any questions, please contact Prof Niko Busch (niko.busch@uni-muenster.de)

In addition to a cover letter, applications should include a brief description of your research interests (max. one page), an academic CV, certificates and contact details of two potential references. Please send your application as a PDF by 19 August 2024 (later applications will be considered until the position is filled) to: 

Universität Münster
Arbeitseinheit Allgemeine Psychologie
Institut für Psychologie
Prof. Niko Busch
niko.busch@uni-muenster.de