Lecturer in Computational Cognition

conversationsEast; London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 70,000

Job description

About us

The Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) at UCL undertakes world-leading research and education in mind, behaviour, and language. It brings together researchers in a range of disciplines such as cognition, neuroscience, health, communication, and linguistics, to understand both basic and applied problems. We are consistently ranked in the top 10 centres for psychology in the world, both in teaching and research (e.g. 4th in the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024 and 5th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024). UCL is the top-ranked university in the UK for research power in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience according to the UK’s Research Excellence Framework 2021.

About the role

The Department of Experimental Psychology, within the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, wishes to appoint a new Lecturer in Computational Cognition. The successful applicant will join a dynamic and collaborative department that is focused on advancing understanding of the psychological and biological bases of behaviour, and using that knowledge to address pressing societal needs.

We are seeking an expert in computational approaches to cognition, who is to lead an independent research programme with substantial scientific impact. Alongside, the candidate will design and deliver master's-level lectures and contribute to undergraduate psychology education. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of and experience in applying computational methods to describe and predict various facets of human cognition and behaviour (e.g. perception, attention, memory, learning, decision-making). Within this broad remit, expertise in human or non-human models, development, human and artificial intelligence, or computational cognitive neuroscience, are also welcome. Importantly, they will be passionate about developing innovative, hands-on teaching experiences, and committed to designing imaginative, engaging assessments that evaluate the depth of student understanding.

Appointment will be at grade 8 level, which currently begins at an annual salary of £52,762 (including London Allowance).

The post holder should be able to start at the beginning of the next academic year, in September 2025.

Applications should include:

• Cover letter including research and teaching statements
• Full CV and publication list.
• The applicant should identify 3-5 most relevant/representative publications, including for each two to three sentences describing the discovery and why they believe it to be important and influential.
• Names and contact details of three referees

About you

The successful candidate will have a PhD in Psychology or a related discipline relevant to the post. They will have a deep understanding of computational approaches in cognition and be expected to develop, lead, and sustain research and scholarship of an international standard. They will have an outstanding record of high-quality publications and research-related activity commensurate with the stage of their academic career. They will be motivated to deliver an excellent student experience and have a track record of delivering appropriate teaching to a high quality, relative to opportunity.