Applications are now closed.

We have openings for 2 postdoc and 2 PhD positions to work on an exciting new project called “How visual actions shape active vision (VIS-Á-VIS)”. It is a five-year project funded through an ERC Consolidator Grant, awarded to Martin by the European Research Council. The project will start in September 2020, but we will continue to fill positions until 2021. Postdoc positions are 2+2 years (initial contract + possible extension); PhD positions are 3+1 years. The official announcements can be found here (in German):

• PhD position (reference number: DR/104/20)
• Postdoctoral position (reference number: DR/105/20)

The goal of this project is to find out if and how the active visual system learns and exploits lawful relations between visual actions (eye head and body movements) and their sensory consequences, to give rise to the seamless continuity that defines perception and action in behaving agents. The project thus challenges the long-standing idea that the immediate sensory consequences of visual actions — the rapid retinal motion imposed by our own movements — are a nuisance to visual processing. We propose instead that these sensory consequences support core functions in active vision. We will use and further develop innovative technology for precise stimulus control in active vision (high-speed stimulus projections contingent on eye and body motion tracking signals), and combine these tools with robust psychophysical protocols.

The lab is well equipped with a range of high-end eye trackers, an NDI motion tracker, several high-speed stimulus projection systems (running at 1440 Hz), a 92-channel EEG system, etc. Although not the focus of this project, fMRI studies can be proposed to the Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, which houses 2 research-only 3T MRI machines.

We are well connected in Berlin. Martin is a PI at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain (graduate school), the Einstein Center for Neurosciences, the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN), and the research cluster Science of Intelligence (with colleagues in computer vision, robotics, control theory). PhD students in the lab can apply to join the graduate programs at Mind and Brain or the BCCN.

We are looking for highly motivated candidates that have a background in cognitive science, experimental psychology, visual or motor neuroscience, or related fields. Applications from candidates from computational neuroscience and computer vision will also be considered. At any rate, a strong interest in vision science and/or (oculo)motor control must become evident (e.g., through relevant thesis topics, publications, or experience in visual psychophysics, eye and motion tracking). Experience with Matlab or Python for experimental control and Matlab, Python, or R for data analysis is required at the postdoc level and desirable at the PhD level. Excellent English writing skills are a strong advantage. Note that knowledge of German is explicitly not required for any of these positions.

How to apply
To apply, please send a letter that motivates your application for this particular project (rather than a generic letter of motivation), your CV (including a publication list), as well as relevant certificates (PhD) as a single pdf to: martin.rolfs@hu-berlin.de.

The letter must include the reference number for the position you are applying for (PhD position: DR/104/20; Postdoctoral position: DR/105/20)

Deadline for the application:
06. August 2020