Dear Colleague,

The Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCE-UC) Portugal invites applications from rising and aspiring leaders in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience and Cognitive Computational Neuroscience for 2 tenure-track positions at the Assistant Professor level. These positions are part of a transformative ERA Chair grant CogBooster from the European Union to FPCE-UC led by Dr. Alfonso Caramazza. The goal of CogBooster is to implement strong and international lines of research in Cognitive Science/Neuroscience, so as to contribute to the ongoing renewal of the Psychological and Brain Sciences in Portugal over the next decade. 

The project has recently led to the appointment of Jorge Almeida, Jason Fischer and Joana Carvalho as tenured Professors, and Alfonso Caramazza as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Coimbra.

Equal Employment Opportunity statement:

The University of Coimbra is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and has a Gender Equality Plan in place. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community at the University. We particularly encourage applications from women, and from under-represented groups in the University of Coimbra’s workforce and in the brain sciences.   

Positions:

We seek applicants with expertise in any area of Cognitive Science/Neuroscience and Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. The positions are tenure-track at the rank of Assistant Professor. The start date should be around September 1, 2025 (but potentially negotiable).

Qualifications:

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in a discipline relevant to Cognitive Science/Neuroscience and Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. Successful applicants should have an excellent record of research for their career level. To contribute to the mission of CogBooster and to the research and educational mission of FPCE-UC, they are expected to establish an active research program in any of the major cognitive areas, acquire external research funds, and contribute to teaching and mentoring.

The applicant will actively engage in research, teaching, and supervision in the field of the specific positions at FPCE-UC and its affiliated research center. Applicants may use different technical and methodological approaches to address their cognitive research questions, including, but not limited to, cognitive neuropsychological investigations, human neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, EEG, sEEG, etc), behavioral and cognitive approaches, and computational cognitive neuroscience.

Offer:

Positions are tenure-track and include social security and national pension plans, medical insurance, and all legally applicable benefits under Portuguese law. Salary depends on the level of appointment.

In addition to the legally required employment conditions described above, and as part of the ERA Chair initiative CogBooster, these positions come with a start-up package. This includes (subject to final discussion between the selected candidates and Dr. Alfonso Caramazza):

· Funding for 1 Post-Doctoral fellow at the Portuguese pay grade for 36 months;

· Funding for 1 Research Assistant/Doctoral student at the Portuguese pay grade for 36 months;

· Funding for 200 fMRI hours (or EEG hours, use of neurostimulation, etc.);

· Funding for attending and presenting at national and international conferences

· Funding for open access publications;

· Funding for Laboratory resources (e.g., Computers);

· Laboratory space shared with other laboratories at FPCE-UC;

· Institutional support for applying to major European and international grants (grant reviewing by experts, interview preparation, etc).

About Portugal, Coimbra, and FPCE-UC:

Portugal’s warm and pleasant climate, rich history and culture, beautiful landscapes and beaches, affordable cost of living, and quality but affordable medical and educational systems, makes it one of the most exciting countries to live in. Moreover, Portuguese culture is incredibly family-friendly, welcoming to foreigners (English is widely spoken), and the country is one of the five safest countries in the world. Finally, it features an incredible and diverse cuisine, great wine, and a pace of life commensurate with work-life balance.

The University of Coimbra is a 700-year-old University and is a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the liveliest university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountains. According to Numbeo-Cost of Living, 2300 euro in Coimbra (the net value approximate monthly salary of an Assistant Professor, 12 months plus a Summer and Christmas bonus is a total of 14 months) correspond to a local purchasing power of about 4300 euro in Paris, 4700 GBP in London (UK), 3050 euro in Rome, 4100 euro in Munich, 3600 euro in Brussels, approximately 5700 USD in Los Angeles, 6000 USD in Washington, or 6200 USD in Boston, 6200 CAD in Toronto, 19k CNY in Beijing or Shanghai, 11k reais in São Paulo, and 7600 AUD euro in Sydney.

The Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences has been consistently ranked as the, or one of the, best Psychology Departments in Portugal. In the last decade it has become the leading department in Portugal on Psychological research, holding, for instance, the only 2 ERC grants in Psychology in Portugal. FPCE-UC has laboratories for Cognitive Science and Cognitive Neuroscience research – the Proaction Lab (led by Jorge Almeida); The Dynamic Perception Lab (led by Jason Fischer), Joana Carvalho's Vision Science lab, and the Cognitive Neuropsychology group led by Alfonso Caramazza. We have access to two 3T MRI scanners, to tDCS and TMS with neuronavigation, to a 256 channel EEG, and to a fully functional behavioral lab.

Further information:

The official call will be available here at a later date (by the end of 2024, beginning of 2025), but please send an email to Dr. Jorge Almeida (jorgecbalmeida@gmail.com) if you want to be informed when the positions are open, and/or if you want to receive further information about the ERA Chair Project CogBooster. In the meanwhile, we strongly encourage potential applicants to contact Drs. Alfonso Caramazza (caram@wjh.harvard.edu) and Jorge Almeida (jorgecbalmeida@gmail.com). Please send us your CV, and a short cover letter describing your interest in the position (including the general field of research).