New Postdoc Position within the HUMAN-AI Alliance Program

The department of Psychology at Utrecht University has an opening for a Post-doctoral (2-years + 1 year optional) position: Psychology and Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work with Dr. Ruud Hortensius, Dr. Baptist Liefooghe and Prof. Henk Aarts (GOALLAB) on a research line detailing the psychological implications of human-centered artificial intelligence. The main focus of the research undertaken by the postdoctoral researcher will be on the social and cognitive aspects of the interaction between human and AI (e.g., when do you trust an AI system?), long-term engagement (e.g., how does AI change our capacity for decision making over the long run), and group dynamics (e.g., how is collective decision-making affected by AI?).

Background

The postdoctoral researcher will be working with Dr. Ruud Hortensius, Dr. Baptist Liefooghe and Prof. Henk Aarts as part of a collaborative project that seeks to address the psychological impact of human-centered AI across human life. This project takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines lab-based and public experiments using behaviour and neuroimaging techniques with diverse populations (from children to adults, experts and non-experts) using large-scale and crowd-based data collection methods.

This project is hosted in the department of Psychology at Utrecht University and is part of the Human-Centered AI focus area of Utrecht University as well as the HUMAN-AI strategic alliance programme between UU, TU/e and UMC Utrecht. The research area of the project has an interdisciplinary focus, combining perspectives on AI from philosophy, computer science, linguistics and psychology and brings together together researchers from the TU/e, UU & UMC combining specialized expertise in engineering and design in technology with high-class expertise in social, behavioral, cognitive, information and computing sciences, ethics, healthcare and public health.

Profile:

We seek a postdoctoral researcher with advanced expertise in experimental psychology and/or cognitive and social neuroscience with a strong interest in human-centered artificial intelligence. The candidate should have adopted open science practices (e.g., preregistration, data sharing, pre-prints) and extensive experience with coding (e.g., python and/or R). The successful candidate has a proactive, independent, and collaborative work attitude, pursues exciting new questions using techniques and approaches from within and outside their research fields, and is eager to go beyond the status quo.

Main tasks:

The candidate will spend most of their time on research, and some time will be devoted topic-related educational activities and coordination work within the HUMAN-AI strategic alliance programme.

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the research program as follows:

• Developing and carrying out research within the scope of the research programme
• Publish and present the research from the research programme via traditional (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations) and less-traditional ways (e.g., public engagement, social media)
• Collaborate with scientific staff within and across partner sites
• Contribute to grant writing efforts for funding (national and European)
• Contribute to teaching in related progammes at the BSc and/or MSc level
• Contribute to building sustainable relationships with stakeholder networks and industry collaboration

Qualifications

• Have or close to the completion of a a PhD in one of the following fields; experimental or social psychology; cognitive or social neuroscience
• Interest in human-centered AI and the implications thereof for human psychology
• Extensive experience in the design, coding and analysis of innovative behavioural and/or neuroimaging experiments
• Advanced statistical expertise, such as experience in implementing linear mixed effects and/or computational models, combined with strong coding skills (Python and/or R)
• Experience with writing, publishing, and presenting scientific papers
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Strong professional and communication skills
• Adoption of open science practices (e.g., preregistration, data sharing, pre-prints)
• Preferred: Active involvement in large-scale collaborations (e.g., Psychological Science Accelarator, Multi-lab research) and/or citizen science

Conditions of employment

• Starting date is January 2022
• A full-time temporary appointment for a period of 2 years with an optional 3th year.
• A gross monthly salary according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities, including a yearly holiday and an end-of-year allowance.
• Excellent employment conditions (including excellent sport facilities and child care).

Information and application

For more information and informal applications contact dr. Ruud Hortensius, (r.hortensius@uu.nl) or dr. Baptist Liefooghe (b.liefooghe@uu.nl) before November 9^th.