Ph.D. CANDIDATE POSITION – ERC ADVANCED GRANT PROJECT - CORTICAL RHYTHMS (AT RISK)

European Commission; España; Presencial; EUR 21.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

The European Commission is seeking a PhD researcher for a project on speech processing and reading development at the BCBL. This position involves designing studies, analyzing EEG data, and contributing to publications in cognitive neuroscience. Candidates should have a Master's degree and strong analytical skills.

Servicios

Professional development opportunities

Access to a Personal Career Development Plan

Training courses and networking

Formación

• Experience with EEG signal analyses.
• Previous participation in research projects.
• Knowledge of Spanish is a plus.

Responsabilidades

• Design and implement longitudinal studies in children.
• Analyze EEG data during speech processing.
• Write research papers and present findings.

Conocimientos

Electrophysiological data analysis

Experiment programming

Statistical analysis

Excellent communication skills

Educación

Master's degree in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or Linguistics

Descripción del empleo

BCBL BASQUE CENTER ON COGNITION BRAIN AND LANGUAGE

Organisation/Company BCBL BASQUE CENTER ON COGNITION BRAIN AND LANGUAGE Research Field Neurosciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Spain Application Deadline 30 Jun 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number 101140427 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Information about the project:

Speech processing and reading are essential unique human abilities underpinning social, educational, and professional advancement. However early biomarkers of speech processing deficits that have been documented in reading disabilities such as Developmental Dyslexia (DD) have yet to be identified. Here, we will explore whether the cortical tracking of speech (CTS) - the temporal alignment between fluctuations in the speech signal and fluctuations in electrical brain activity – can predict later reading deficits in DD. Cutting edge neuroimaging tools, carefully designed tasks, and longitudinal designs will be used to record CTS. Specifically, we will investigate whether CTS at an early age in speech processing and reading development (preschool years) can help detect early DD risks by predicting the children who will be diagnosed with DD later on (Grade 2 of primary school).

This project represents a radically new scientific approach that will break new ground by investigating CTS and will allow us to

(1) establish causal relationships between CTS and speech processing and reading skills

(2) use this novel approach to detect, diagnose and remediate DD.

• Designing and implementing longitudinal studies in young children with and without familiar risk of DD
• Analysing electrophysiological recordings and EEG data during speech processing
• Writing research papers under the supervision of the PI, aiming to publish at top-tier journals
• Dissemination of results at international scientific conferences
• Good knowledge of the field of cognitive neuroscience and/or linguistics, experimental psychology
• Master’s (or equivalent) degree in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistics, and/or other relevant areas
• Experience with EEG signal analyses
• Strong background in experiment programming and statistical analyses
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

Specific Requirements

• Previous experience in participating in research projects (e.g., data collection, analysis) is desired
• Experience with research projects in children
• Knowledge of Spanish (or willingness to learn) is a plus

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

Salary:21,000€/year gross on average across the four years of the contract

Training opportunities and Career development plan:

Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes

(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision

(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public

(3) Network-wide training in theory and methods

(4) Complementary training courses

(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination

(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events

BCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support contact us.

Selection process

Submission of the application and documentation:

To submit your application, please follow this link : applying for “Ph.D. Position - ERC - CORTICAL RHYTHMS (AT RISK) 2 ” and attach the following documentation:

• A statement outlining research interests and motivation to apply for the position
• Transcript of records for the master and bachelor degrees
• Two letters of recommendation

Additional comments

Application process timetable:

• Evaluation by committee: 1/07/2025 – 15/07/2025

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain & Language Country Spain State/Province Gipuzkoa City Donostia-San Sebastian Postal Code 20009 Street Paseo Mikeletegi 69 Geofield