YOUNG RESEARCHERS LEIPZIG

Neurosciences Cognitive Research Linguistics

Job Code: PhD 14/22Job Offer from June 02, 2022

The Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig is a leading international research institute where cognitive abilities and brain processes in humans are studied using various scientific methods. The independent research group Language Cycles is currently recruiting for a PhD Student (m/f/d).

Our research group investigates how the electrophysiological profile of the human brain constrains our ability to understand language—and how this may have shaped human language as such, cross-linguistically. We directly link behavioral psycholinguistics, experimental neurolinguistics (i.e., M/EEG), corpus linguistics (i.e., treebanks), and computational linguistics (i.e., information-theoretic modeling).

MPI CBS is equipped with a 306-channels MEG system, several EEG systems, TMS, tDCS, two 3T MRI scanners, a 7T MRI scanner, and a SIEMENS Skyra Connectom high-field MRI scanner.

The successful candidate will investigate the role of temporal processing constraints in sentence processing, focusing on slow-frequency neural oscillations in the M/EEG and temporal receptive windows in BOLD fMRI. The student will benefit from the outstanding teaching portfolio of our International Max Planck Research School.

Candidates must hold a Master’s degree in linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, or psychology. The successful candidate will have solid programming skills (i.e., MATLAB®, FieldTrip, and EEGLAB), and in-depth experience with statistical software (i.e., R), including familiarity with mixed-effects modeling. The position demands eagerness, inter-disciplinary curiosity, and technical aptitude to conduct advanced electrophysiological and neuroimaging analyses.

Starting date is 1st September 2022 and the post is for a duration of 3 years. Remuneration is based on the pay scale of the Max Planck Society (i.e. TVöD E 13, 65%).

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. International applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. Furthermore, Max Planck Society strives for gender equity and welcomes applications from all backgrounds.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, contact information of two referees, academic certificates and a half-page project proposal relevant to this advertisement. Please submit your application via our online system at application portal (subject heading: “PhD 14/22”).

Closing date for application is 31st August, 2022.

Leipzig is a vibrant city that has been called “Germany’s new cultural hot spot” by the Guardian and listed as one of the 52 places to go in 2020 by the New York Times. It has a long-standing history of classical music, academic education, and—more recently—modern arts. With its many parks, forests, canals, and lakes, Leipzig is a perfect place for recreation, sports, and leisure time. It is located a one-hour train ride south of Berlin.

Should you have any questions, please contact Lars Meyer at lmeyer@cbs.mpg.de.

Leave a Reply