PhD candidate DP on the neurocognitive foundation of individual variability in language development

Project description

This PhD position is embedded in the NWO Vidi–funded research project “The Neurocognitive and Affective Foundation of Individual Variability in Language Development”, led by Dr. Eleonore Smalle (PI and daily supervisor)

Language is fundamental to communication, learning, and social interaction, shaping cognitive development across the lifespan. While children typically acquire language with remarkable ease, language learning becomes more challenging in adulthood, and substantial individual differences exist at all ages. Some children experience delays in first-language development, whereas some adults excel at acquiring multiple languages later in life. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms underlying these differences—and their long-term consequences—remain one of the most persistent open questions in the cognitive sciences.

The NWO Vidi–funded project aims to address this gap by developing and testing a new neurocognitive theory of spoken language learning that integrates cognitive, sensorimotor, and affective mechanisms. Moving beyond traditional accounts that focus primarily on higher-level cognition, the project investigates how individual differences in executive functions, speech–motor synchrony, and intrinsic reward responses to speech jointly shape early language-learning processes, such as implicit pattern detection during speech listening.

The PhD candidate will test the hypothesis that late-developing, top-down cognitive abilities—particularly executive functions—can interfere with early-developing, implicit learning mechanisms that support the extraction of regularities and rules from spoken input (statistical learning). The project examines whether such cognitive constraints affect individuals differently across key stages of language development, including phonological and semantic learning.

The candidate will design and conduct experiments investigating how cognitive load and individual differences in executive functioning influence implicit learning of speech patterns. Using a combination of behavioral paradigms and neurophysiological methods (e.g., EEG, cognitive-load manipulations, and, where relevant, brain stimulation), the candidate will contribute to a broader effort to determine when and how higher-cognitive systems act as a bottleneck on early learning processes in the brain.

The PhD candidate will work closely with the PI and a postdoctoral researcher across multiple studies within the project. While the primary focus of the PhD is on investigating neurocognitive mechanisms, the position offers opportunities to engage in complementary work on sensorimotor and affective mechanisms of language learning, overall contributing to the development of an integrated theory that explains individual variation in language acquisition across development.

Job description 

The PhD candidate will be appointed within the Department of Developmental Psychology at Tilburg University and will become an active member of this department. The Department investigates development across the entire lifespan, focusing on individual differences in cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Research in the department examines e.g., how development and life-course transitions interact with environmental, social, and biological factors. The department has strong expertise in typical and atypical development, including psychopathology, personality, cognitive aging, and developmental disorders.

The candidate will work within the research program described above. The main task is to develop, coordinate, and carry out an independent PhD project, culminating in a doctoral dissertation. The candidate is expected to publish research findings in peer-reviewed international journals and to actively contribute to open science practices.

Responsibilities are:

• Planning and conducting large-scale cross-sectional data collections
• Independently performing appropriate statistical and computational data analyses
• Actively participating in the project team and engaging with the Department of Developmental Psychology, including attendance at departmental meetings and participation in collaborative discussions
• Writing scientific publications for international peer-reviewed journals
• Presenting research at national and international scientific conferences and disseminating findings to non-academic audiences, including policymakers and educational professionals
• Contributing to teaching and supervision activities (e.g., supervising bachelor’s theses and research working groups), with a maximum teaching load of 0.2 FTE. Teaching duties will be assigned in consultation with the Chair of the Department

Job requirements and qualifications of the candidate

We are seeking a highly motivated, curious, enthusiastic, proactive, and result-driven PhD student. Applicants should hold a relevant MSc degree, preferably a research master in fields such as experimental or developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, or a related field.

Essential requirements:

• Strong interest in conducting high-quality experimental research on language development across the lifespan, including children, students, adults, and older adults
• Willingness to spend substantial time on in-lab data collection, including working with human participants and coordinating experimental sessions
• Interest in (learning to use) non-invasive brain stimulation and/or electrophysiological methods (EEG)
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to plan, coordinate, and execute a multi-year research project
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, and a clear willingness to work in a team
• High proficiency in English, enabling effective communication with participants, collaborators, and for scientific writing
• Interest in contributing to the department’s educational activities, including supervising bachelor’s theses and research working groups

Desirable qualifications:

• Good knowledge of modern statistical analysis methods and experience with relevant software packages (e.g. SPSS, R, MATLAB)
• Initial experience with conducting psychological experiments, including familiarity with experimental design, data collection, and ethical procedures
• Initial experience with data analysis, demonstrating the ability to handle and analyse research data using appropriate statistical techniques
• Proficiency in Dutch and or the willingness to learn the language
• Experience with non-invasive brain stimulation, EEG, and/or eye-tracking is an advantage, but not required

The PhD candidate is employed by Tilburg University, which is among the top Dutch employers and has an excellent policy concerning terms of employment. The appointments are intended to lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. For this position we offer you:

• A position based on 1 FTE (40 hours per week).
• A salary of €3,059 gross per month in the first year, up to €3,881 gross per month in the fourth year for full-time employment, based on UFO job profile PhD Candidate and salary scale PR. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant education and work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position following Article 2.3 paragraph 8 under b of the CLA DU. You will initially receive a temporary contract for 12 months to assess your suitability. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract of 36 months.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Budget for participation to academic conferences and trainings.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax-free allowance of 30% of their taxable wages, we apply for this compensation for you;
• A pension with ABP; the largest Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research, or a language course at our Language Center.
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities.
• A vibrant campus in green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport.

Please visit working at Tilburg University for more information about our terms of employment.

Tilburg University and the Department of Developmental Psychology

Tilburg University is a modern, specialized university. The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB) has an inspiring working environment that challenges its employees to realize their ambitions; involvement and cooperation are essential to achieve this.

Tilburg University offers a bachelor’s and several master’s programs in psychology, including the research master “Individual Differences and Assessment” and “Social and Behavioral Sciences”, and a bachelor’s and master’s program in HR Studies.

For more information about the Department of Developmental Psychology, please visit: https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about/schools/socialsciences/organization/departments/developmental-psychology

Application and information concerning the vacancy

Applicants should send their CV, grade list, and a cover letter including a description of the motivation (a sample paper and/or the MSc or BSc thesis are optional) only by the link mentioned below.

The closing date for applications is April 23, 2026. The interviews will take place in the week of May 4, per video call if needed. Starting date is October 1st, 2026 (December 1st, 2026 by the latest).

The PhD student will be supervised by Dr. Eleonore Smalle (PI and daily supervisor), together with Dr. Alexandra Hering and Prof. Yvonne Brehmer as co-supervisors. Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from: Dr. Eleonore Smalle (Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental Psychology e.h.m.smalle@tilburguniversity.edu)

The selection committee consists of:

Dr. Iris van der Wulp (postdoctoral researcher working on the project)

Dr. Eleonore Smalle (PI)

Dr. Alexandra Hering (co-supervisor)

Prof. Yvonne Brehmer (co-supervisor)