Post-Doctoral Researcher

The Department of Cognitive Science and the Department of Economics at the Central European University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position for the duration of two years targeting the formation, revision and spread of beliefs and misbeliefs. The position is independent of, but topic-wise related to the Special Research Area (SFB) FWF interdisciplinary project on "Why do coherent belief systems tolerate incoherence? Belief update failures in society" and the Center for Belief Updating and Debiasing -DE-BIAS-at CEU.

The successful candidate will work closely with different members of the SFB project and the DE-BIAS Center, and importantly, will develop a novel research project central to the candidate's interests that is linked to the main questions of the project, but it is not predefined and will be complementary to the research conducted within the framework of the project. The candidate will perform theoretical and experimental work targeting the formation and spread of beliefs and misbeliefs guided by an interdisciplinary perspective primarily focusing on cognitive and economic aspects, and may also include other related perspectives. The candidate will be supervised by members of the SFB project, develop collaborative projects with different members of the De-BIAS Center, and will also be encouraged to establish connections with the Knowledge in Crisis Excellence cluster at CEU. The candidate will also be expected to contribute to developing and teaching a course on the formation, revision and spread of beliefs together with the project PIs.

The Special Research Area FWF project aims to uncover the mechanisms that underpin belief persistence and change, and identify emotional, social, developmental, linguistic and other factors that affect belief revision, and it is a collaboration between economists (Adam Szeidl, Marc Kaufmann) and cognitive scientists (Eva Wittenberg, Natalie Sebanz, Agnes Melinda Kovacs) at CEU and WU (Susann Fiedler).

The DE-BIAS Center at CEU fosters interdisciplinary research on belief update and update failures, both in the individual and in society, that is informed and tested by empirical evidence on the mechanisms of the human mind. The Center aims to integrate approaches from other social sciences and humanities, such as data science and philosophy.

Duties and Responsibilities

Develop an original research project targeting the formation, revision and spread of beliefs and misbeliefs in collaboration with the PIs of the SFB project guided by an interdisciplinary perspective primarily focusing on cognitive and economic aspects

• Design and perform experiments, analyze data, and disseminate findings through publications and conference presentations
• Develop collaborations with different members of the DE-Bias Center, as well as connections with the Knowledge in Crisis Excellence cluster at CEU
• Contribute to developing and teaching a course on the formation, revision and spread of beliefs together with the center PIs
• Possibly contribute to the preparation of a related grant submission
• Engage in dissemination activities towards the general public

Qualifications 

Completed or are close to obtaining a PhD in cognitive science, economics, or a related field.

• Expertise and research background relevant for the topic of belief formation and update is an advantage
•  Evidence of the capacity to perform high quality research
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and time management skills

What CEU Offers

We offer a competitive yearly gross salary of 69,062 EUR, including a pension plan and monthly Edenred meal vouchers. To read more about our benefits, visit our Employee Benefits page on our website

• You will be based at the research-intensive Central European University in Vienna, and benefit from participation in a vibrant academic environment
• CEU enrolls more than 1,400 students from over 100 countries and the language of instruction is English. The teaching staff consists of resident faculty from over 50 countries and prominent visiting scholars from around the world
• Inspiring working atmosphere as part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment
• You will work in a modern campus, easily accessible by public transportation, in Vienna which is one of the most livable cities in the world

How to Apply

To apply, please submit 

• a CV,
• a cover letter (max 1 page),
• a research statement (detailing how your previous research and most importantly how your future research plans are related to questions targeting the formation, revision and spread of beliefs and misbeliefs -maximum 3 pages) and
• the contact details of 2 references on our application portal.

CEU is an equal opportunity employer and values geographical and gender diversity, thus encouraging applications from women and/or other underrepresented groups. Since CEU strives to increase the share of women in professorial positions, given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female applicants. CEU recognizes that personal and family circumstances shape the trajectory of one's career and working patterns. As such, and in line with CEU's promotion of Equal Opportunities, we encourage applicants to detail periods of leave, part-time work or other such situations in their applications so that the Search Committee is able to assess an applicant's academic record fairly in the context of their circumstances. Any declaration of personal and family circumstances is voluntary and will be handled confidentially and only considered in so far as it impacts on the academic career of an applicant.

About CEU

One of the world's most international universities, a unique founding mission positions Central European University as both an acclaimed center for the study of economic, historical, social and political challenges, and a source of support for building open and democratic societies that respect human rights and human dignity. CEU is accredited in the United States and Austria, and offers English-language bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in the social sciences, the humanities, law, environmental sciences, management and public policy. CEU enrolls more than 1,400 students from over 100 countries, with faculty from over 50 countries.

In 2019, CEU relocated from Hungary to Austria as the Hungarian government revoked its ability to issue US-accredited degrees in the country. As a result, CEU offers all of its degree programs in Vienna, Austria; and retains a non-degree, research and civic engagement presence in Budapest, Hungary, through its CEU Democracy Institute, the Institute for Advanced Study, the CEU Summer University and The Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA), and its Hungarian language public educational programs and public lectures.

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