Postdoc in Cognitive Science - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The project

This postdoc is based within the project Using mentalism magic to explore the future consequences of brain imaging technology. Recent advances in brain imaging and AI have made it possible to decode and predict various aspects of human mental processes directly from brain activity. This poses very difficult questions about the nature of human agency and selfhood, and raises ethical concerns about future developments of this technology. The strategic ambition of the postdoctoral project is to use insights from the field of mentalism performance magic to simulate the psychological experiences of such near future brain reading technology, thereby gaining a unique window into how we might react, cope and adapt to new realities of the mind.

Duties

The research will be conducted in close collaboration with Dr. Petter Johansson and Dr. Lars Hall, who lead the Choice Blindness lab at Lund University. The lab is well-known for the development of innovative research methodologies, especially in relation the study of self-knowledge and sense of agency in decision making. The postdoctoral project would be directly related to previous work of the lab. For more information, see:
www.lucs.lu.se/choice-blindness-group/.

In addition to running the research project, the postdoc is to participate in and contribute to the research environment by actively participating in research seminars and other ongoing research activities at the department. The postdoc will be expected to conduct the research primarily at the workplace in Lund. Teaching, supervision and other tasks related to teaching may be included within the scope of the position but at no more than 20% of the total number of working hours.

Qualifications

To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant must have obtained a PhD, or an equivalent international degree, no more than three years prior to the application deadline. If the degree is more than three years old, the applicant must submit a certificate of parental leave, leave due to illness etc. together with their application. The applicant is also required to have documented proficiency in English.

Assesment criteria and application

The assessment criteria include a sound ability to develop and conduct research of good quality, as well as teaching skills. In the appointment of a postdoc, major emphasis is placed on the applicant’s research ability. To enable the assessment of qualifications, applicants are to submit a plan of the research they intend to conduct within the scope of their appointment. Only applicants whose research plan and previous work could strengthen the research team and the project as a whole will be considered for the position of postdoc. Priority will be given to applicants with an academic background in the research area of the project, that is, the cross-section of performance magic and experimental psychology (broadly conceived).

The application must include the following:

• A signed complete CV and certified* copy of a doctoral degree.
• A list of publications (including ISBN and ISSN numbers).
• A signed research plan of no more than 1 500 words (excluding list of references) of the research project the applicant intends to conduct during the period of employment.

*with the signature, names and telephone numbers of two people who are not subject to a conflict of interest in relation to the applicant, and who can verify that the copy correspond to the original document.

The research plan is to contain the following:

• Project description (issue and summary).
• Theory and method.
• The applicant’s expertise and qualifications with regard to the project.
• Time plan and expected project results.

NB! The applicant is responsible for making sure that the application is complete, in accordance with the instructions above, as well as submitting the entire application to the University by the application deadline through the recruitment portal.

Conditions

The appointment is a fixed-term position for a maximum of two years and is full time in accordance with “Agreement on fixed-term employment as a postdoc” between labour market parties dated 4 September 2008 (Swedish Agency for Government Employers, OFRs, SACO-S and SEKO).