RA CANDIDATE POSITION – NEURAL IMPLEMENTATION

at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu

1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION

• Position: Research Assistant
• Researcher Profile: RA
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Project: Neural implementation of predictive sharpening in the auditory pathway
• Location:  Spain > Donostia-San Sebastián
• Research Field: Neuroscience > Computational neuroscience
• Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Temporary: 1 year
• Job Status: Part-time
• Hours per week: 17,5
• Starting date: Flexible; from1^st January 2026 onwards
• Application deadline: 12^th of October 2025

Information about the project: 

To perceive we need to interpret the meaning of the signals that arrive in our eyes and our ears. Previous research has shown that the brain uses its previous knowledge about the world to power up this interpretation. This knowledge is, for instance, used to select the correct interpretative model (e.g., the language of a conversation and accent of the speaker are used to know how to map sounds into phonemes) or to reduce the space of possible objects (e.g., to exclude interpretations that involve words in other languages). This project aims to understand how neural circuits in the auditory brain use relevant information extracted from previous knowledge to correctly interpret the meaning of incoming sounds. The results will help us understand how our subjective believes help up and bias us during perception.

Job description: 

The successful candidate will use non-linear dynamical systems to model the mapping between sensory inputs and interpreted perceptual objects. Specifically, we will study how probabilistic predictions derived from previous knowledge are used to speed up and bias the interpretation of sounds. The results will be used to reproduce available behavioural and neuroimaging data (e.g., https://www.jneurosci.org/content/44/1/e2219222023).

PI and research group: 

The Lab for Perceptual Inference is a recently established interdisciplinary research group at the BCBL in San Sebastian, Spain. The group combines tools from Machine Learning, Computational Neuroscience, and state-of-the-art Human Neuroimaging to explain how our expectations and subjective priors shape our experience of reality.

2. CANDIDATE PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Required skills:

• A master degree in computer science, machine learning, physics, mathematics or a quantitative discipline. Candidates with a background in cognitive sciences or experimental psychology will be considered if they have demonstrable experience in mathematical modelling.
• Strong programming skills (python preferred)
• Fluent knowledge of English
• Good communication skills and ability to collaborate in interdisciplinary environments
• Keen interest in Neuroscience research

Desirable skills:

• Experience with Pytorch or other packages supporting automatic differentiation
• Previous experience simulating and analysing non-linear dynamic systems
• Experience writing scientific reports and/or scientific papers

 

3. WORKING CONDITIONS

Salary: 9.600 €/year gross 

Entitlements and other benefits: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl

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. 

 

4. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Language policy

• The corporative language at the center is English but the national language will be an asset for this particular position
• The center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members
• The interview will be conducted entirely in English

 

5. APPLICATION PROCESS

Submission of the application and documentation:

To submit your application, please follow this link: applying for “ RA Neural implementation” and attach the following documentation:

• A curriculum vitae
• 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 (submitted by the referees no later than the application deadline)

Learn more about the BCBL’s OTM-R policy

Application process timeline:

1. Deadline for application: 12^th of October 2025 (23:59 AoE)
2. Evaluation by committee: 26^th of October 2025
3. Interviews: 3^rd - 7^th November 2025
4. Final decision: 21^st November 2025
5. Feedback to all applicants: 21^st November 2025
6. Work contract start date: Flexible; from 1^st January 2026 onwards

Contact details for enquiries:  

For technical problems with the calls platform please contact: hr@bcbl.eu

For inquiries or questions related to the content of the position and/or information about the project and the research group please contact: a.tabas@bcbl.eu