Job Description

POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, SAXELAB, Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), to assume a position working under the primary mentorship of Professor Rebecca Saxe. Funded by the Patrick J McGovern foundation, possible research topics concern how people use theory of mind (i.e., recursive causal reasoning about minds) to influence other’s thoughts and feelings and/or to make inferences about punishment and other acts of social control. A specific area of interest is the cognitive processes by which individuals create, evaluate, sustain, and undermine legitimate power. The lab has expertise in, and access to, state-of-the-art functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral testing in infants, children and adults, and in cognitive computational modeling. The ideal candidate will develop a research direction that is complementary to ongoing projects.  This position will involve designing experiments, constructing materials, collecting and analyzing data, and writing scientific journal articles; mentoring undergraduate research assistants; presenting scientific research to technical and public audiences; and engaging in professional development activities, including grant writing and preparation for the academic job market. 

Will join the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. The core values of the Saxelab include a commitment to improving transparency, accessibility, and reliability of scientific research; recognizing and affirming the diversity of its community; and a commitment to taking action to increase inclusion, equity, belonging, and justice.  

REQUIRED:  Ph.D. awarded/expected between September 2019 and September 2023; scholarly expertise in a related topic area (multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary applications are welcome); project and data management skills, including open science practices; and demonstrated rigor in experimental design and data analysis.  Job #22170

The base salary is $65,000/year. There is also funding for research expenses and conference travel. The postdoc should expect to apply for their own funding as part of their training. 

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing their research interests and skills and how they fit with this position, a CV, contacts for two to three letters of reference (letters will be requested for finalists and do not need to be submitted until later), and a representative paper (preprints or drafts are okay). This may be uploaded as a single PDF on the MIT job site in the resume field.  Evaluation of applications will begin on December 19, 2022. 

The initial appointment will be for one year, beginning in the summer of 2023 (start date flexible) with extensions possible. 

12/2/22

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