Jiayan Zhao
3 months ago
This position has expired. You can find similar positions from the section below or browse our positions listing pages.
PhD in Immersive Virtual Reality and Spatial Cognition at Wageningen University & Research Wageningen University & Research in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Fully funded PhD position with a tailored course program. Gross salary starts at €3,059 per month in the first year and rises to €3,881 per month in the fourth year, based on a full-time 38-hour week. Temporary contract for 18 months, extendable for the project duration if performance is good.
Deadline
Expired
Country
Netherlands
University
Wageningen University & Research
How do I apply for this?
Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.
Suggested positions
Keywords
About this position
Wageningen University & Research is recruiting a fully funded PhD candidate for a project at the intersection of immersive virtual reality, spatial cognition, and geo-information science.
The project, embedded in the Laboratory for Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing (GRS) and the WU-GIScience&RS environment, investigates how people learn, update, and use spatial knowledge in state-dependent environments—situations where the meaning or outcome of a spatial relation depends on hidden or changing conditions. The research focuses on how people understand, navigate, and communicate complex spatial environments, and how immersive VR, movement data, interaction logs, and eye-tracking can be used to study these processes.
Research themes include spatial learning, navigation, environmental perception and behavior, predictive and adaptive spatial reasoning, and knowledge transfer across virtual-virtual and virtual-real contexts. The successful candidate will develop VR-based experimental tasks, analyze behavioral patterns, and explore when state-dependent spatial representations generalize beyond the learned environment.
Supervision is by Jiayan Zhao (Assistant Professor), with co-supervision by Sytze de Bruin and Arnold Bregt at Wageningen University & Research. The post is suitable for candidates with an MSc or equivalent in cognitive science, environmental psychology, human-computer interaction, geo-information science, or a related field, plus experience in experimental research and immersive virtual environments such as Unity. Strong quantitative analysis skills in R and/or Python and excellent English (C1) are expected.
Funding includes a fully funded PhD position with a tailored course program. The salary is listed as €3,059 per month in year 1, rising to €3,881 per month in year 4, on a full-time 38-hour contract. The appointment is initially for 18 months and may be extended for the project duration if performance is good.
Application deadline: 2026-08-07. Apply via the vacancy page on the WUR website using the apply button. Submit a CV (max 2 pages) and motivation letter (max 1 page), with a total maximum of 3 pages. Applications must be submitted through the website only.
Funding details
Fully funded PhD position with a tailored course program. Gross salary starts at €3,059 per month in the first year and rises to €3,881 per month in the fourth year, based on a full-time 38-hour week. Temporary contract for 18 months, extendable for the project duration if performance is good.
What's required
A completed or soon-to-be-completed MSc or equivalent degree in cognitive science, environmental psychology, human-computer interaction, geo-information science, or a related field; background or strong interest in spatial cognition, including spatial learning, navigation, and environmental perception and behavior; hands-on experience designing and using immersive virtual environments and software such as Unity; experience conducting empirical research including experimental design, instrument selection, recruitment, participant testing, and report writing; quantitative data analysis and visualization skills with R and/or Python; interest in behavioral data such as movement trajectories, interaction logs, task performance, and eye-tracking data; excellent written and spoken English at C1 level; motivation, curiosity, creativity, and willingness to work in an interdisciplinary research team.
Ask ApplyKite AI
Professors
How do I apply for this?
Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.