Full professor ‘Advanced Research Methods for Cognitive Science’

Context
The position of full professor in Advanced Research Methods for Cognitive Science will be realized in the Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence (DCA) at Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD). The department currently consists of 114 staff members and PhDs and is expected to grow further in the coming years. TSHD is tasked with further development of digital sciences in connection to humanities and social sciences, as well as integrating technological advances in research and education. The newly established chair will play an important role in focusing on understanding, evaluating, and developing the use of AI in Cognitive Science research. DCA’s unique integration of cognitive research with computational approaches and the different perspectives on research methods within TSHD provide an excellent scientific embedding and relevance for the chair.

Description of the position
Within DCA, research activities are organized into four research units: (1) Deep Learning for Perception, (2) Human–Technology Interaction, (3) Computational Linguistics and Psycholinguistics, (4) Computational Modeling of Brain and Behavior, and (5) Data Science, Safety and Security. The chair has a relation of mutual benefit with all research units: they can draw on the methodological expertise of the chair, while the chair can draw from their technical expertise.

Collaboration takes the form of joint supervision of research assistants, BA and MA thesis projects, PhD students and postdocs on the themes mentioned above, as well as interdisciplinary grant acquisition. The group members conduct their research work in the newly established labs in the Spoorzone (MindLabs), in collaboration with other educational and industry partners, such as the KPN responsible AI lab at JADS.

The chair’s attention to research methods in Cognitive Science offers natural opportunities of collaboration with other departments within TSHD, and more broadly with the other schools. Within TSHD, the chair collaborates with researchers in the department of communication and Cognition who perform experimental research on a wide range of topics such as language, communication, and usability.

Within Tilburg University, there are clear connections between the chair’s focus on AI research methods and research taking place at TSB and TiSEM. The chair will collaborate with researchers in departments and institutes that strongly rely on experimental research, such as the departments of Cognitive Neuropsychology and Social Psychology. The chair’s focus on AI methods complements the expertise on statistical methods, psychometrics, and data science in the Department of Methodology and Statistics (TSB). The chair will collaborate with researchers in TiLT (TLS) on the regulation and societal impact of AI methods in scientific research. Within the Tilburg AI Special Interest Group on TAISIG, the chair mainly connects to the focus on Data, Algorithmic, and Methodological aspects of AI, but also to the focus on Ethical, Legal, and Social aspects.

At a national and international level, the chair ensures that researchers at DCA are members of consortia with groups focusing on research in relevant domains. Specifically, the chair is a part of a strong network of researchers exploring the topic of AI methods in Cognitive Science research. 

Activities
DCA offers three undergraduate and graduate programs: (1) BSc Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence, (2) MSc Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence, and (3) MSc in Data Science & Society with four specializations in Health, Governance, Business and Media (including a premaster’s program). Next to that, in line with the Strategic plan of Tilburg University 2022-2027 and the Strategic plan of TSHD 2022-2027, the department established a university-wide Minor in Artificial Intelligence. The new chair will be involved in teaching courses, supervising theses, coaching colleagues, and supporting educational developments in these programs. Themes closely related to the chair’s research and teaching are Research Methods for Humanities and Cognitive Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Scientific Data Processing, and Responsible AI.

What are we looking for?

The chair holder:

• Provides substantive leadership for research projects on the topic of AI research methods  for cognitive science and humanities;
• Publishes in national and international high impact scientific journals;
• Supervises doctoral students in their research;
• Teaches undergraduate and graduate students;
• Develops and manages research and educational collaborations within own university;
• Develops and manages national and international research collaborations;
• In collaboration with others acquires external funding for research projects and coaches junior staff members in funding acquisition.

The candidate:

• Holds a PhD on a topic relevant to the field within a discipline relevant to the field;
• Has in-depth knowledge of AI research methods and techniques, as well as in-depth knowledge of their application to cognitive science and humanities;
• Has experience in conducting and publishing scientific research in the field of cognitive science and AI;
• Has experience in translating scientific knowledge into practice and vice versa;
• Has experience in multidisciplinary collaboration both within the scientific community, at the interface of science and practice, and within public-private partnerships;
• Has experience in supervising PhD students;
• Has substantial experience with setting up, accrediting and managing bachelor and master’s programs;
• Has management experience as academic director, a research unit leader, and/or as a head of department;
• Has excellent communication and social skills;
• Has proven didactic qualities and experience in teaching and information transfer;
• Has access to an appropriate (inter)national network;
• Has experience in successfully acquiring research contracts and grants.

What we offer

The candidate will be appointed as an full professor at Tilburg University. Tilburg University of-fers excellent employment conditions with attention to flexibility and (personal) development. We make clear agreements about career paths and offer all kinds of facilities and arrangements to maintain an optimal balance between work and private life. The university actively pursues a poli-cy for inclusive and interdisciplinary teams in which diverse talents are recognized and valued. The regulations and employment conditions of Tilburg University apply to remuneration and oth-er employment conditions, in accordance with the university job classification as Professor 2.

The gross salary varies between €6.963 and €10.138 and per month (full-time) based on Pro-fessor scale 2 of the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. University employees are entitled to a holiday allowance of 8%, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% of the gross annual in-come, and 41 days of holiday per year (based on full-time employment). We reimburse the full costs for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, public transport or transport with a fully elec-tric car.

Research and education at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) has a unique focus on humans in the context of the globalizing digital society, on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, on their impact on communication, culture and society, and on moral and existential challenges that arise. The School of Humanities and Digital Sciences consists of four departments: Communication and Cognition, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Culture Studies and Philosophy; several research institutes and a faculty office. Also the University College Tilburg is part of the School. Each year around 275 students commence a Bachelor or (Pre) Master Program. The School has approximately 2000 students and 250 employees.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences