PhD Position in Decision Neuroscience

RSM; Rotterdam; Hybrid; EUR 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Erasmus Center for Neuroeconomics at Erasmus University Rotterdam (RSM) invites strong applicants for a PhD position focusing on decision-making using neuroscience methods (fMRI/EEG). The PhD students define and execute their own projects with advisers, aiming for independence and an international research career.

Applicants typically hold a Master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, neuroeconomics, or data science and show creativity, self-direction, and a passion for scientific

Qualifications

• Cognitive neuroscience, psychology, neuroeconomics or data science background.
• Strong research motivation and independence.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct research projects under supervision.
• Analyze neuroimaging and behavioral data.
• Prepare papers and present findings at seminars and conferences.

Skills

MVPA

EEG/ERP

Python

Education

Master's degree

Tools

Python

MATLAB

R

Job description

The Erasmus Center for Neuroeconomics seeks a highly motivated PhD student looking to study decision-making using neuroscience methods (fMRI or EEG). Strong applicants typically have backgrounds in (cognitive) psychology, (cognitive) neuroscience, neuroeconomics, or data science, and are looking to pursue careers as world-class academic researchers. At our Center, students define and execute their own projects in consultation with their advisers, and thus need creativity, self-direction, and a passion for scientific research.

Keywords

Topic

The Erasmus Center for Neuroeconomics is hosted by the Marketing department at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), which ranks among the best in the world. Department members publish their research in top journals in marketing as well as related fields such as psychology and neuroscience. They deeply care about open science practices (e.g., data sharing and open-source software), and frequently host seminars to encourage knowledge exchange. The group is diverse (in terms of research interests and cultural background), collaborative, and collegial.

Our PhD program seeks to train the next generation of academics. We want our students to maximize their potential and become independent scholars. We expect students to become experts in and define a research agenda around a topic of their choosing. As such, PhD positions in our group are open. During their years of study, students define and execute their own projects. They do this in consultation with their advisers, but may also work with other faculty, including those at other institutes.

Within the department, researchers at the Center for Neuroeconomics work on a wide range of topics in decision neuroscience such as understanding persuasive communication, emotions and their impact on choice, dishonesty, charitable giving, consumer judgments and predicting population-level outcomes from neural data.

Projects of current PhDs in our Center focus on the role of story-telling and emotions in the persuasive appeal of advertising, how (false) information impacts on consumer judgment and decision-making, the persuasiveness of donation appeals, and the fundamental processes underlying neuroforecasting.

In addition to standard required course work, decision neuroscience students typically take courses in neuroscience, experimental design, advanced statistics such as multi-level models, programming, machine learning, and seminars in consumer behavior. Moreover, the department offers a workshop series that includes seminars on a variety of topics, content, skills, and method related. Examples are: How to publish successfully, how to prepare for the job market, how to manage your data and code. These workshops are hosted by internal and external faculty members, which enables students to get to know excellent researchers and establish their own (international) network.

Note: Applicants seeking to work at the intersection of neuroscience and another discipline (quantitative marketing and/or consumer behavior) should indicate this preference in their application and discuss their motivation for interdisciplinary research.

Approach

Experience with fMRI data acquisition and/or analysis is required for this position. Experience or interest in EEG data and more advanced fMRI analysis methods, such as multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA), representational similarity analysis (RSA), classification algorithms, prediction models, or multivariate approaches to fMRI and EEG data analyses is a definite plus. Experience with and affinity for programming, particularly in Python (or otherwise Matlab or R) is a must.

In addition to fMRI and EEG, we make use of eye-tracking, facial coding, hormone measurement/administration and behavioural measures in our research.

Students have access to world-class research facilities:

• Researchers have access to multiple MRI scanners at the Erasmus Medical Centre.
• The Erasmus Behavioral Lab provides facilities to conduct high-quality behavioural research, including sound-insulated cubicles, group labs, VR lab, video labs, and facilities for eye tracking, EEG/ERP, facial coding, and hormone-administration studies.
• High-performance computing is available to researchers via SURFSara (a Dutch consortium for scientific computing).

Required profile

We seek candidates with the following qualities:

• Intellectual curiosity, eagerness to learn, and openness to criticism and other perspectives
• Strong commitment to methodological rigor and scientific integrity
• Strong motivation to pursue an international career as a leading scholar
• Excellent speaking and writing ability in fluent English, ideally with experience writing for a scientific audience
• Willingness and motivation to independently formulate research projects and carry them through to completion
• Excellent organisational skills
• Masters’ degree (preferably a Research Master´s or MPhil degree)
• Background in cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology, neuroeconomics, or similar
• A definite interest in applying knowledge of the brain to societal (business) practice
• Prior experience analysing fMRI data using techniques such as MVPA, as well as neural reliability (inter-subject correlations in neural activity), or prior experience with applying multivariate techniques with EEG are a definite plus

Required by ERIM

Expected output

You will generate research that can be published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals in neuroscience (Journal of Neuroscience, Neuron, Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Neuroimage), and marketing (Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing). The marketing group at RSM has a strong record publishing in these and other top journals in related fields, including Management, Psychology, and Economics. The final results of the PhD project are published in a PhD dissertation, and most chapters in marketing PhD dissertations at RSM find their way into top journals.

Cooperation

To strengthen your international research network and complement the time at RSM, students may receive funding for a 3- to 6-month research visit at a top international university. Past visits of PhD students from our department have included Stanford, Wharton, Harvard, Chicago, Colorado, Cornell, Columbia, and UCLA. At our Center we are well connected to international groups in consumer neuroscience and neuroeconomics.

Societal relevance

Students are encouraged to pursue topics that not only expand our knowledge of the brain, but also improve the practice of marketing and importantly, also improve consumer or societal well-being, aligning closely with the school’s mission to be a force for positive change in the world.

Scientific relevance

PhD research should be of the highest quality, carried out with scientific rigor and the utmost integrity. The department values openness and encourages students to embrace the principles and tools of open science (e.g., making code and data available to others and pre-registering experiments). The marketing group conducts research in our core field of marketing, as well as related disciplines such as management, psychology, judgement and decision making, neuroscience, economics, and statistics. Our diversity and interdisciplinarity make the department a lively, creative, and intellectually stimulating place to conduct research.

Please visit the website for the Center for Neuroeconomics for more information on current research projects and to check out the profiles of the researchers affiliated with the Center.

Genevsky, A. & Boksem, M.A.S. (2026) “Applications in Consumer Neuroscience: Decoding and Neuroforecasting” in Neuroeconomics: Core Topics and Current Directions, D. Smith, P. Lockwood, D. Fareri, Eds.(Springer Nature). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02925-6_34

Boksem, M.A.S., van Diepen, R.M., Eijlers, E., Boekel, W., & Smidts, A. (2025).Do EEG metrics derived from trailers predict the commercial success of movies? A systematic analysis of five independent datasets. Journal of Marketing Research, 62(4), 703-720. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437241309875

Genevsky, A., Yoon, C., Lin, T., Shaw, S., Knutson, B. (2025) The impact of affective congruence on charitable giving. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience,20(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaf086

Chan, H.-Y., Boksem, M.A.S., Venkratraman, V., Dietvorst, RC., Scholz, C., Vo, K., Falk, E. B., & Smidts, A. (2024). Neural signals of video advertisement liking: Insights into psychological processes and their temporal dynamics. Journal of Marketing Research, 61(5), 891-913. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437231194319

Van Brussel, L., Boksem, M.A.S., Dietvorst, R.C., & Smidts, A. (2024).Brain activity of professional investors signals future stock performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(16), e2307982121. Article e2307982121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2307982121

Speer, S.P.H., Keysers, C., Campdepadros Barrios, J. Teurlings, C.J.S., Smidts A., Boksem, M.A.S., Wager, T.D., Gazzola, V. (2023) A Multivariate Brain Signature for Reward. Neuroimage, 271, 119990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119990

Speer, S.P.H., Martinovici, A., Smidts, A., Boksem, M.A.S. (2023)The acute effects of stress on dishonesty are moderated by individual differences in moral default. Scientific Reports13, 3984. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31056-2

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfil their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Contact information

For questions regarding the PhD application and selection procedure, please check the Admissions or contact the PhD Doctoral Office via [e-mail] . If you have any questions about the project, please contact Dr. Mirjam Tuk ( [e-mail] ).

Note: In the Fall, we offer our PhD Virtual Open House Day. If you are interested in our PhD program and consider applying, we invite you to join us on November 30 from 9.30 am to 11.00 am CET OR on December 1 from 8.00 pm to 9.30 pm CET. In these info sessions we provide you with lots of information on our PhD program, department, and school. You will also get to know some of our faculty members and current PhD students, hear them talk about their research, and have the chance to ask questions.

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers.

RSM is an equal opportunity employer and explicitly encourages applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, and nationalities.