Assistant Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience

• You have a doctoral degree (PhD) in cognitive neuroscience, AI, or a related discipline;

• A methodological focus on EEG and/or eye tracking is a plus, but experience with computational methods (e.g., LLMs) and/or fMRI is also valued;

• You are enthusiastic about research, as shown in high-quality research output;

• You have a demonstrated ability, or the potential, to acquire external funding for your research. You are expected to build up and coordinate a research team and supervise PhD candidates;

• You are able to contribute to our teaching efforts in the area of cognitive neuroscience/psychology/AI, both at the bachelor and at the research master level;

• You have a university teaching qualification (BKO) or the willingness to complete the BKO training during your appointment;

• You are a team player, both at the level of the section and at the level of the faculty. This means that you are willing to contribute to the goals of the section and the faculty, for example, as a member of research and teaching committees, and to set up collaborative research projects;

• You are committed to the principles of open science;

• You can communicate fluently in English and preferably also Dutch. If the latter is not the case, you are willing to learn Dutch. Courses are currently taught in English.

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer:

• a salary of minimum € 4.925,00 (Scale 11) and maximum € 7.573,00 (Scale 12) gross per month, on a full-time basis. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.

• a position for at least 0.8 fte. Your employment contract will initially last 18 months. This can be converted into a permanent contract depending on performance in light of criteria formulated at the start of the contract.

We also offer attractive fringe benefits and regulations:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.

• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus

• solid pension scheme (ABP)

• contribution to commuting expenses

The Cognitive Psychology section is part of the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology in the Faculty of Behavioral & Movement Sciences. The section's research programme has a strong commitment to theory development, and innovative research aimed at understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, working memory and language. We use innovative theoretical approaches and methodologies from cognitive psychology and neuroscience. 

The Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology provides a vibrant climate with high quality teaching and research staff and PhD-students who are supported by excellent facilities for teaching and research (e.g., a good number of EEG, eye tracking and VR labs for experimental research). The section is affiliated with the Spinoza Neuroimaging center, which houses a 3T and 7T MRI scanner. The section is also part of the Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam.

Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit has a world-class reputation in terms of research and teaching, as indicated by international rankings, research assessments, high-quality publications, high standards for teaching and mentoring, and frequent visits by international scientists.

Research and teaching have a strong international and interdisciplinary focus covering central themes in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and closely related fields. We participate in the international Bachelor Psychology and the popular Research Master Cognitive Neuropsychology. We furthermore contribute to Bachelor and Research Master Programs in Artificial Intelligence.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences

Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better.

Are you interested in joining Behavioural and Movement Sciences? You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We offer you all the space you need for personal development. Together with your 630 colleagues, you will take care of about 4,200 students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity

Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.