Two Assistant Professor positions: Cognitive Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence (0.8 – 1.0 FTE)

As an Assistant Professor you will be employed in the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University. Depending on expertise and interest, one candidate will be accommodated in the chair of Prof. Stefan van der Stigchel (entitled “Cognitive Psychology”), and one in the chair of Prof. Henk Aarts (entitled “Social Cognition and Goal-directed Behaviour”).

Tasks
The position involves 60% on teaching activities and 40% on research time. The core tasks will include:

• contributing to the teaching mainly in aforementioned AI programmes by independently setting up courses (e.g. developing a bachelor level course on machine learning, affective computing, multi-agent learning) and student research projects;
• developing, carrying out and supervising research within the scope of the research programme. The candidate is preferably experienced in cognitive modelling of human perception and/or cognition;
• contributing to the acquisition of substantial external research funding for the benefit of the research programme.

We are looking for two candidates who have a profile that fits well with the programme of studying functional and social features of AI in human perception and cognition. Candidates should:

• hold a PhD degree in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Neuroscience, Experimental, Cognitive or Social Psychology, or a similar field;
• have an excellent research track record in application of, or methodological development in machine learning, computational modelling or related AI methods based on cognitive sciences;
• have experiences with, or interest in studying cognitive and social aspects of AI;
• have scientific creativity and productivity, as evident in recent publications in (international) peer-reviewed journals;
• have the ability - and preferably experience with - to acquire research funding;
• have an affinity with teaching along with proven and excellent teaching skills;
• have experience in co-developing and co-coordinating academic courses;
• be able to provide inspiring lectures, with an eye for the modernisation of teaching methods, and be able to apply personal research expertise to teaching, as evidenced by positive teaching assessments;
• hold a Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO) or is willing to acquire this qualification in the near future;
• be fluent in spoken and written English and willing to learn Dutch; fluency in Dutch will weigh positively to facilitate teaching and interacting with bachelor students;
• be effective and efficient, able to work within a team and think conceptually.

We offer a position (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) for five years in an international working environment, but following a positive evaluation, they are expected to become permanent. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between €3,637 and €5,656 (scale 11/12 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment.

Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). Here you'll find more information about working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.
 
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the leading faculties in Europe providing research and academic teaching in Cultural Anthropology, Educational Sciences, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Pedagogical Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology. Research and teaching activities are concentrated in five areas:

• Behaviour in Social Contexts;
• Child and Adolescent Studies;
• Cognitive and Clinical Psychology;
• Education and Learning;
• Methodology and Statistics.

More than 5,600 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes. The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has some 850 faculty and staff members, all providing their individual contribution to the training and education of young talent and to the research into and finding solutions for scientific and societal issues.

The department of Psychology in Utrecht takes part in the recently accredited research focus area Human Centered AI and the HUMAN-AI strategic alliance programme between UU, TU/e and UMC Utrecht. This research area has an interdisciplinary focus, combining perspectives on AI from philosophy, computer science, linguistics and psychology. Your job will be to develop a successful research line within the cognitive perspective of this area. In addition, you will be teaching the cognitive perspective on AI in the bachelor programme Artificial Intelligence (a Dutch taught programme) and the research master Artificial Intelligence (an English taught programme).

The Department of Psychology has excellent research facilities within a state-of-the-art lab environment, including eye-tracking, virtual reality, TMS, EEG, and MRI (3 & 7T). The research programme is part of the Helmholtz Institute of Utrecht University and the Interuniversity graduate school Kurt Lewin Institute.

The assistant professors will participate in a research programme that studies the cognitive and social aspects of AI. The programme is a collaboration initiative between two research groups in Psychology (chaired by Profs. Stefan van der Stigchel and Henk Aarts), and addresses scientific challenges that are at the heart of the interplay between human and machine autonomy by using cognitive modelling and behavioural studies.