PhD and Postdoc Positions in Computational Neuroscience, AI, and Cognitive Science at Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University in Singapore

The Deep NeuroCognition Lab at the College of Computing and Data Science, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, led by Nanyang Assistant Professor Mengmi Zhang, is recruiting for part-time PhD positions (combined with full-time Research Engineer roles) and postdoctoral positions for the August 2026 intake. The lab focuses on multidisciplinary research at the intersection of computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science, with projects involving human behavioral experiments, computational modeling of cognitive functions (such as visual attention, eye movements, perception, memory, and multi-agent decision making), and advanced AI techniques.

PhD candidates will join a vibrant research environment and are expected to have strong backgrounds in AI, machine learning, or related fields, with at least one publication in top-tier conferences (e.g., ICLR, CVPR, ICCV, AAAI, ICML, NeurIPS, TPAMI, IJCV, IJCAI, ECCV, EMNLP). Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English (TOEFL above 100 or IELTS above 6.5 for non-native speakers) and GRE (Q+V=319, AW=3.5). Familiarity with key technical concepts such as reinforcement learning, deep learning, vision transformers, and related topics is required. Postdoctoral applicants should have at least three first-author publications in leading conferences and experience in cognitive science, psychology, computer vision, or reinforcement learning.

Funding for part-time PhD students is provided through a full-time Research Engineer position with a monthly salary of 6000 SGD, supported by the PI's grant. Tuition fees are not subsidized and must be paid annually. Full-time PhD students may be eligible for a range of scholarships, including A*STAR, SINGA, Google, Meta, Microsoft, IBM, and the Nanyang President's Graduate Scholarship, with varying stipends and tuition coverage. Some scholarships require a 3-year service commitment in Singapore after graduation, which can be bought out by paying the tuition fee (~70,000 SGD). Department scholarships offer stipends without a service commitment. Postdoctoral positions are also available, with funding details provided upon inquiry.

Interested applicants should carefully review the selection criteria on the lab website and ensure they meet all requirements before applying. To apply, email your CV and research statement directly to Prof. Mengmi Zhang. For PhD positions, do not apply through the central NTU pool, as applications are PI-based. The lab also welcomes self-funded exchange PhD students and offers opportunities for exceptional candidates to participate in exchange programs or industry-funded projects.

For more information, visit the lab's website or contact Prof. Mengmi Zhang via LinkedIn or the provided links.