About the Position

A position as Postdoctoral Fellow is available at the Department of Psychology with the research group of cognitive neuroscience.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

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This Postdoctoral position is a fixed term position of a duration of three years. Appointment to the positon of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. It is a prerequisite that the applicant be able to carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed-term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

Affiliation

The Department of Psychology at UiT has nearly 100 employees in total. The department is organized in ten research groups, covering all major fields of psychology. The Research Group of Cognitive Neuroscience consists of ten members (6 in permanent positions and 4 PhD candidates), and focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive functioning. While a basic-science approach is the basis of our work, we are also interested in the translation of basic findings into clinical applications (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, depression, ADHD). Our lab applies different neuroimaging and psychophysiological methods, among others, EEG, fMRI, tDCS, TMS, eye-movement recordings, startle-reflex and skin conductance measures. The research group is involved in projects across a large range of topics, such as the neural basis of mind wandering, value-based decision-making, pain perception, placebo effects and fear conditioning.

Responsibilities

The post-doc will work in the project “Improving attentional control with non-invasive brain stimulation in healthy adults and individuals with ADHD", which has the goal to develop a novel non-invasive brain stimulation method that can efficiently improve attentional control and cognitive performance in healthy adults and individuals diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We plan to delineate the neural characteristics of spontaneous attentional lapses in ADHD, and target brain networks underlying poor executive control using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

The candidate will be required to contribute to study preparation, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis (behavioural measures from clinical/neuropsychological tests and cognitive tasks, structural and functional MRI, delivering brain stimulation with tDCS and rTMS) and preparation of manuscripts. Because the project encompasses both experimental and clinical aspects, candidates from a wide variety of different backgrounds can be relevant for the position. This includes, but is not limited to, experimental psychologists, clinical psychologists experienced in clinical trials or neuroscientists. This project is situated in an ongoing collaboration with the Department of Psychology at University of Oslo and Helgeland Hospital in Mosjøen.

Contact

For further information about the position and UiT contact:

Associate professor Gábor Csifcsák

• phone: +47 91534675
• email: gabor.csifcsak@uit.no (academic questions)

Head of department Ingunn Skre

• phone: +47 7764 5446,
• email: ingunn.skre@uit.no (general and academic questions)

Head of office Trine Krane

• phone: +47 7764 5949
• email: trine.d.krane@uit.no (practical and administrative questions)

Qualifications

To be awarded the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow, a Norwegian doctorate degree is required, or a corresponding international doctorate degree which is recognised as being equal to the Norwegian doctorate degree.

We seek candidates who have a strong academic record and enthusiasm in conducting research involving psychiatric patients, neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation.

Experience with clinical and/or experimental work involving psychiatric/neurological patients will count in favour of the candidate, as well as having worked with structural/functional MRI data and/or with non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as any form of transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS/tACS/tRNS) or transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS/TBS). Good skills in programming (Matlab, Python or R) and statistical analysis are also desirable.

Applicants must be fluent in Norwegian and English in both spoken and written form.

Importance shall be attached to personal suitability and motivation for the position. Good communication skills, resourcefulness, flexibility and willingness to collaborate with members of the research team are required for this position.

During the assessment emphasis will be put on your potential for research, motivation and personal suitability for the position.

Application

Your application must include:

• Cover letter including a short description of interests and reasons for applying for the position
• CV containing a complete overview of education, experience, professional work and references
• Diplomas and transcripts from Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degrees
• List of academic works
• Up to 15 academic works. The doctoral thesis is here counted as one work.
• Description of the attached works, and a short description of other works to show breadth of output.
• Documentation of proficiency in the Norwegian and English language

Documentation has to be in English or a Scandinavian language. We only accept applications through Jobbnorge.

Proficiency in the English language can be documented in the following ways:

• Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• IELTS (International English Testing Service)
• Completed university degree in the field of English language or literature
• One year’s completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instruction.

If you have not studied at a Norwegian/Scandinavian upper secondary school, proficiency in the Norwegian language may be documented in the following ways:

• Passed exam in Norwegian as a second language at “VKII” level (3. year)
• Passed level 3 exam in Norwegian for international students at the universities
• Passed exam from one year’s university study in Norwegian language and society for international students
• The Bergen Test: test in Norwegian – higher level. Written test with a minimum of 450 points or a “Pass” (in new grade scale). Those who have Swedish or Danish as a first language and who fulfil the general university and college admission requirements in their native country do not need to take the test.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee’s mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants’ qualifications based on the application documents and the text of the announcement.

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall, among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position and motivations.

UiT is seeking to increase the proportion of women in its academic positions. If two or more applicants are found to be generally equally qualified, the university will prioritise a female over a male candidate.

We offer

• Working in an innovative, well-equipped and scientifically stimulating environment with dedicated colleagues
• An excellent national and international network including leading groups in the area of non-invasive brain stimulation
• Good career opportunities
• A large degree of independence in work
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund

More information about moving to Tromsø: uit.no/mobility

Working and payment conditions

Working hours will be set aside for research, research-related activities and research administration.

The successful candidate must also be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole. A detailed development plan will be prepared within three months after the appointment contract is signed. The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in shorter visits to our collaborators in Oslo and/or Mosjøen.

The appointment is for a period of 3 years. The remuneration for this position is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2% to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

Other information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: Welcome to UiT!

The objective of the appointment as a Postdoctoral Fellow is to qualify for work in senior academic positions, and no one may be appointed to more than one fixed term period at the same institution.

UiT’s HR policy objectives emphasises diversity, and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of gender, functional ability and national or ethnic background. UiT is an will make the necessary adaptations in order to facilitate for employees with reduced functional ability.

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act. You may request to not be registered on the public list of applicants, but the University may decide that your name will be made public. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication.

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