Within this multidisciplinary project, you will examine the role of curiosity - the drive to learn new things - in early child development. You will study the cognitive and brain mechanisms underlying curiosity, whether children differ in how curious they are, and how learning environments can be created that foster exploration and curious behaviour in young children.

Two PhD candidates will examine the working mechanisms of curiosity and why some children are more intrinsically motivated to explore and learn new things than others (PhD positions 1&2). The PhD candidates will use a combined cognitive neuroscience and developmental approach and implement techniques such as fMRI, EEG, or eye-tracking. They will also study whether individual differences in curiosity impact young children's long-term cognitive development and academic performance.

The third PhD candidate will leverage knowledge of the role of curiosity in learning to investigate how optimal learning environments can be created for all children and develop a training programme for professionals working in childcare and early education (PhD position 3).

The experimental work will be conducted at the Baby and Child Research Centre (BRC) at Radboud University (Nijmegen, Netherlands). You will be supervised by Prof. Sabine Hunnius and Dr Marlene Meyer. You will be an active team member of the BabyBRAIN lab, a research group examining the developmental mechanisms and neurocognitive changes underlying early social and cognitive development. You will have the opportunity to gain experience in academic teaching (10% of your appointment).

PhD positions 1&2:

• You have an MSc in cognitive (neuroscience, developmental psychology, biomedical science, or a related field.
• You have a proven affinity with experimental psychology and/or mathematical modelling of behaviour and/or neuroscientific research with developing populations.
• Demonstrable experience with techniques for quantitative data analysis (e.g. Matlab or Python) is highly desirable.
• You are highly motivated to conduct interdisciplinary empirical research at the intersection of developmental psychology and cognitive science.
• You have good collaborative and communication skills.

PhD position 3:

• You have an MSc in developmental psychology, pedagogics, cognitive (neuro-)science or a related field.
• You have a proven affinity with developmental and/or pedagogical research.
• You are highly motivated to conduct interdisciplinary empirical research at the intersection of developmental psychology and cognitive science.
• You have good collaborative and communication skills.

Fixed-term contract: You will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years.

• Employment: 1,0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,395 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,061 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: you will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years.
• The intended start date is 1 September 2021.
• Radboud University offers a parental leave scheme and day care on campus.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Have a look at our excellent employment conditions. They include a good work-life balance (among other things because of the excellent leave arrangements), opportunities for development and a great pension scheme.
• You will be enrolled in the Donders Graduate School for Cognitive Neuroscience.

Radboud University

We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 22,000 students and 5,000 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

Faculty of Social Sciences

You will work in an interdisciplinary team of developmental scientists, cognitive psychologists, and neuroscientists at the Donders Institute (DI). The DI is a state-of-the art cognitive neuroscience institute with a multidisciplinary approach. It offers excellent research facilities, including the developmental research facilities of the Baby and Child Research Center, advanced neuroimaging, eye movement registration, and motion tracking labs. The DI was assessed as ‘excellent’ by an international evaluation committee in the last research evaluation, and was recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers as well as for young talents'. The DI is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. English is the lingua franca at the Institute. Strategically located in Europe, Radboud University is one of the leading academic communities in the Netherlands. A place with a personal touch, where top-flight research and education take place on a beautiful green campus, in modern buildings with state-of-the-art facilities.