Postdoctoral researcher in incidental language learning (Experimental Psychology) Ghent University in

Postdoctoral Researcher in Incidental Language Learning at Ghent University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology.

This position is part of the FWO-funded STATMIND project, Growing a Statistical Mind: The Interplay Between Emerging and Existing Linguistic Knowledge. The project investigates how previously acquired linguistic knowledge interacts with the incidental learning of new patterns, with a strong focus on psycholinguistics, cognitive science of learning and language, behavioral experiments, and EEG. The research environment is the BogaertsLab at Ghent University, and the team collaborates closely with Prof. Dr. Luca Rinaldi at the University of Pavia.

The role is research-intensive: synthesizing literature, designing learning experiments, collecting data from adults and children, analyzing data, writing scientific articles, presenting at conferences, and contributing to project meetings and team activities. There is also some supervision of Master’s and PhD students and limited teaching support.

Applicants should hold a thesis-based PhD in psychology, psycholinguistics, cognitive (neuro)science, or a related field, awarded within the last 6 years. A strong publication record, experience with quantitative research, experiment programming, statistical analysis, and scripting in R or Python/Matlab are important. Strong academic English and the ability to work independently and in teams are expected. Experience with statistical learning, EEG, and research with children is a plus.

The contract starts at the earliest on 1 November 2026 and runs for up to 2 years. Compensation follows salary scale PD1 to PD4. Ghent University also offers a range of staff benefits, including training opportunities, holiday leave, bicycle allowance, and eco vouchers. If conditions are met, a full-time scholarship agreement may be offered.

Applications must be submitted online by 17 August 2026, 23:59 Brussels time. Required documents include a CV, cover letter, diploma transcript (with translation if needed), and contact details of two referees.