Do you have a strong interest in the cognitive neuroscience of somatosensory perception? As a PhD candidate, you aim to understand the neuroscience of gargalesis (tickle) perception in humans. Join our world-class interfaculty research centre which fosters a collaborative, multi-disciplinary and supportive research environment with a diverse international staff.

The overall goal of the project is to understand the neuroscience of gargalesis (tickle) perception in humans. By combining haptics, psychophysics, neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and statistical modelling, the project will test specific hypotheses regarding the perceptual and neural characterisation of gargalesis sensations.

You will be involved in designing behavioural and fMRI experiments including psychophysical, physiological and behavioural recordings. You will also be involved in the collection and, most notably, analysis of psychophysical, physiological, behavioural and fMRI data.

You will be embedded in the research group of Konstantina Kilteni at the Donders Institute’s Centre for Cognition. You will be expected to have the background knowledge, skills and motivation that will allow you to fully utilise and learn from the rich research environment that the Donders Institute provides (including its intellectual and technical infrastructure).

You are motivated to develop into an independent scholar and scientist of the brain mechanisms of human somatosensation, who will be ready to acquire the skills required for conducting all phases of research, including literature review, conceptual and experimental design, coordination of study logistics, data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation and publication. You will also be expected to be a team player, working closely with multiple research group leaders, postdoctoral fellows, PhD candidates, research assistants, and Research Master’s students.

• You should hold, or be about to obtain, a Research Master’s degree in the field of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, biomedical sciences, or a related field.
• You have skills and documented experience in collecting and analysing psychophysical, physiological and behavioural data.
• You have experience with, or are interested in, collecting and analysing fMRI data, including the use of MVPA methods.
• You have experience with, or are interested in, statistical modelling.
• You have a passion for research on the interface between neuroimaging, psychology, and cognitive science. You are curious, ambitious, and are able to work independently.
• You have strong communication and coordination skills.
• You are fluent in spoken and written English at an academic level. Proficiency in Dutch is not required for this position.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,541 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,247 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).
• 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.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and control, 3. Plasticity and memory, 4. Neural computation and neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as 'excellent' and recognised as a 'very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent'. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.

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