Fully funded 3-year PhD position at the University of Vienna (music cognition)

We are excited to announce a fully funded 3-year PhD position in the field of music cognition at the University of Vienna. This opportunity is part of a research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF grant P 36215-G, 2024-7). The project investigates the shared neural resources for structure-building in music and language, focusing on phrasal and harmonic syntax and their predictive processes. Additionally, it explores the cultural specificity vs. universality of tonal structures, and the integration of harmony and phonology in songs with lyrics. Methodologies employed will include structural and functional MRI, non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation, pupillometry, computational modelling, and behavioural testing.

We seek a highly motivated PhD candidate, with strong interest in interdisciplinary research and a focal interest in the brain bases of music perception. You – the successful candidate – will be co-supervised by Dr. Tudor Popescu and Prof. Tecumseh Fitch, with further collaborators within and outside Vienna. You will join the Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology and also be a member of the Vienna Doctoral School for Cognition, Behaviour, and Neuroscience, with PhD training courses, potential semesters abroad, and extensive support networks offered. The position entails no teaching obligations, but teaching opportunities will be available if desired.

You will be expected to participate in all stages of the research project, including creative input for study design, data collection, data analysis, and results dissemination. You will benefit from interactions with postgraduates, postdocs and PIs from various countries, with many journal clubs, seminars, and discussion groups available at the University of Vienna (e.g. Inst. of Musicology; Dept. of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology) and other institutions (e.g. Central European University; University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna). You will be provided with the necessary support to promote your career and will be immersed in the intellectually and socially stimulating interdisciplinary research environment of a university ranked within the world top 50 for Psychology, whilst living in an iconic world metropolis famed for its high quality of life.

Employment is based on standard personnel costs for FWF projects, namely € 2,684.10 per month (paid 14 times per year) before taxes, nominally at 30 hours/week, which covers social and health insurance.

=============================================

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

- A strong quantitative background, with a BSc and MSc degree in experimental psychology, cognitive (neuro)science, or a related field, e.g. natural/life/social/engineering/data science

- Experience collecting human behavioural and/or neuroimaging data

- Knowledge of data analysis in at least one of the stated neuroimaging modalities (MRI, neuromodulation, pupillometry)

- Solid programming skills and experience with data processing and statistical analysis (e.g. MATLAB, Python, or R)

- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with excellent time management skills.

DESIRABLE SKILLS:

- Knowledge of music theory and creation/manipulation of auditory stimuli

- Familiarity with computational models of melodic/harmonic expectation, e.g. IDyOM

- Some understanding of generative grammars/phonology

- Basic knowledge of German, for dealing with participants (discounted German courses available; N.B.: the official working language is English).

TO APPLY:

Please submit the documents below in a single docx/pdf file to tudor.popescu@univie.ac.at, no later than 25 September 2024, using "PhD application music cognition Vienna" as the email subject. Informal enquiries before application are welcome.

- CV, including education, research experience, any fellowships/awards, and any publications

- Statement of motivation, explaining how your skills and interests align with the project (max. 2 pages)

- Description of two possible studies you might do within the project's remit (max. 1 page)

- A sample of scientific writing as first-author (e.g., thesis, paper, scientific blog post)

- Grade transcripts from your master's and bachelor's degree

- Email addresses of two university teachers or work supervisors who can provide references, if needed.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an online interview in October, which will include a presentation of relevant prior work. Depending on the number of candidates, a second interview may be conducted shortly thereafter. The position is expected to start in November 2024.