Humans build internal models of themselves and their environment to understand the past and predict the future. These models are constantly evaluated and updated based on new, surprising input. In this ERC-funded research project, you will investigate how surprise is linked to our intrinsic drive to seek information, i.e. curiosity.

Curiosity is a basic element of our cognition, but its neural underpinnings and computational mechanisms are still poorly understood. While we understand some of the drivers that intrinsically motivate us to seek information, there are currently no convincing models of information seeking. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be part of a team that will address this question. Using a computational approach, you will build predictive models of human information-seeking behaviour, and test the behavioural and neural implications of these models.

• You have a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, Experimental Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
• You have an affinity with programming and you possess demonstrable experience with quantitative data analysis techniques (e.g. in Matlab or Python).
• You are highly motivated to conduct interdisciplinary empirical research in the field of computational cognitive neuroscience.
• You have good collaborative and communication skills.

Fixed-term contract: We will give you a temporary contract of 2 years.

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 2 years.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 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 Predictive Brain Lab is based at the Donders Institute of the Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands and headed by Prof. Floris de Lange. Its research mission is to find out how the brain makes sense of the world, using prior knowledge to form predictions about incoming signals. We strive to understand this process at the computational, algorithmic and implementational level. Therefore, we use a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on behavioral and neural mechanisms of prediction, and utilizing a combination of psychophysics, non-invasive human neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG/MEG), and computational and neural network modeling approaches. We represent many different nationalities and we come from diverse (personal and scientific) backgrounds. We promote a supportive and stimulating work environment, where we can have fun and carry out excellent scientific research.