[ACT-R-users] PhD student position in Modeling Adaptive Decision Making and Cognition at the University of Lausanne

Mon Dec 12 08:16:43 EST 2011

Apologizes for cross-postings.

Dear Madam, Dear Sir: Is there a possibility that you could forward this job ad on to interested students and/or distribute it at your faculty? Thank you very much. Sincerely, Julian Marewski

Doctoral Student Position in Adaptive Decision

Making and Cognition

The Modeling Adaptive Cognition Research Group at the Faculty for Business and Economics at the University of

Lausanne seeks applicants for a doctoral student position. The position (60%) is to begin February 1st, 2012, or on

another starting date to be mutually agreed upon. The position has a maximum funding duration of 5 years. The work

location is the University of Lausanne, Lausanne Dorigny, Switzerland. Successful candidates will receive a Ph.D.

from the University of Lausanne. The gross salary ranges from about 35,000 Swiss Francs to about 43,800 Swiss

Francs per year.

Job description

We seek applicants to work on an interdisciplinary research program on modeling adaptive decision making

processes and cognition in real-world domains. Current and past researchers working on this program have had

backgrounds in psychology, cognitive science, economics, mathematics, biology, physics, and computer science to

name but a few.

We provide excellent resources, including a fully-equipped laboratory for conducting experiments and computer

simulations, generous travel support for conferences, an excellent international research network, and most

importantly, the time to think.

The position is heavily-research oriented, preparing for a career in academia. We expect Ph.D. candidates to

publish their research in top-tier journals. There are no teaching obligations. We are an international research group.

Our working language is English.

Research on Adaptive Decision Making Processes and Cognition

Research on adaptive decision making processes and cognition addresses a key question: How do humans and

other animals make decisions under uncertainty, that is, when time and information are limited and the future is

unknown? In experiments, computer simulations, and mathematical analyses, we study both (i) how people (e.g.,

managers, politicians, consumers, doctors) make such decisions, and (ii) how they ought to make these decisions in

order to behave adaptively. In doing so, we build detailed computational models of how decision processes are

adapted to the structure of the environment, as well as how the decision processes interplay with other cognitive

processes, such as memory or time perception. Building such models helps us to address basic research questions

as well as to tackle a wide range of problems in the applied world. For instance, past areas of research include

modeling how people select from a repertoire of decision strategies, how people make inductive inferences, how

memory is nestled into to the structure of the environment, how to predict memory retrieval using internet search

engines such as Google, how to forecast the outcomes of political elections, how to predict consumer choice, how to

help doctors make better diagnoses, or how to foster moral decision making in organizations, to name but a few.

Requirements

Applicants should be interested in modeling decision and/or other cognitive processes. A university degree in

psychology, business, economics, mathematics, computer sciences, physics, biology, or in a related discipline as

well as good English skills are required. Already existing modeling or programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, R, LISP,

ACT-R) are helpful but not required.

Application materials and deadline

The application deadline is January 9th, 2012, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Application materials include a cover letter describing research interests, a curriculum vitae, university transcripts,

and up to two letters of recommendation. Please submit your materials via email to julian.marewski at unil.ch.

Working at the University of Lausanne

The Modeling Adaptive Cognition Research Group is located at the Department of Organizational Behavior of the

Faculty for Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne. The department provides a stimulating

interdisciplinary research environment. We publish in top-tier journals in different disciplines, including Science,

Psychological Review, and the American Economic Review.

Located at Lake Geneva and surrounded by the Jura Mountains and the French Alps, Lausanne is a beautiful and

cosmopolitan spot to live and work. The Lake Geneva region enjoys a Mediterranean microclimate.

More information about the position can be inquired from the responsible professor, Julian Marewski

(julian.marewski at unil.ch). Information about the Modeling Adaptive Cognition Research Group is available at

http://www.modeling-adaptive-cognition.org/ . Information about the Department of Organizational Behavior can be

found at http://www.hec.unil.ch/hec/recherche/unite?set_language=en&unite_id=239&cl=en. Information about Julian

Marewski can be found at http://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/en/staff/julian-marewski and at

http://www.hec.unil.ch/people/jmarewski&vue=contact&set_language=en&cl=en .

Disclaimer: This is not an official job ad of the University of Lausanne

----------------------------------------

Assistant Professor 

Department of Organizational Behavior

Professeur assistant en prétitularisation conditionnelle 

Département de comportement organisationnel 

Université de Lausanne/University of Lausanne

Quartier UNIL-Dorigny

Bâtiment Internef

Bureau/Office 601

1015 Lausanne

Switzerland

Julian.Marewski at unil.ch

Tél: 0041.(0)21.692.33.81

Web: http://www.hec.unil.ch/people/jmarewski&vue=contact&set_language=en&cl=en  and http://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/en/staff/julian-marewski

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