Stellenangebot: Institut der Kognitionswissenschaften E 13 TV-L, 100%

The Institute of Cognitive Science (Professor Sebastian Musslick) of the University of Osnabrück invites applications for an open position as

Research Associate (m/f/d)
(Salary level E 13 TV-L, 100 %)

to be filled on a fixed-term basis until November 30, 2028, starting on August 1, 2026.

Description of Responsibilities:

The position involves active participation in research activities and interdisciplinary collaboration across laboratories at the Institute of Cognitive Science, including the laboratories of Professor Tim Kietzmann and Professor Pascal Nieters. The broader goal of the project is to study and develop bio-inspired AI systems that can adaptively structure their own learning through mechanisms such as task switching, replay, and selective visual information processing. A core focus of this position will be to develop computational models and mechanisms of cognitive effort and to investigate how effort costs can guide replay dynamics and self-directed learning in artificial agents.

Required Qualifications:

• A PhD or equivalent academic degree in Cognitive Science or a related field relevant for the project, to be completed by the time of employment
• Strong experience in the study and modeling of cognitive effort
• Strong experience with computational cognitive modeling, including neural network modeling and reinforcement learning
• Experience in neuroimaging and analysis (e.g., fMRI)
• An excellent command of the English language in written and spoken form

The position is available on a full-time or part-time basis.

Osnabrück University is a family-friendly university committed to helping working/studying parents and carers balance their family and working life.

Osnabrück University seeks to guarantee equality of opportunity for women and men and strives to correct any gender imbalance in its schools or departments.

If two candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to the candidate with disability status.

Applications with the usual documentation should be submitted by e-mail in a single PDF-file to Jun-Prof. Sebastian Musslick ( sebastian.musslick@uos.de) with a cc to office@ikw.uni-osnabrueck.de no later than 27.05.2026. Further information can be obtained from Jun-Prof. Sebastian Musslick ( sebastian.musslick@uos.de).