Max Planck Institute for Software Systems
5 days ago
Postdoctoral Researcher in NLP and Human Behavioral Evaluation for Long-Range Language Understanding Max Planck Institute for Software Systems in Germany
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Postdoctoral research position in the newly funded ERC Starting Grant project BrainAlign. The post is part of a team of three postdocs and two PhD students; no stipend or salary amount is stated in the post.
Country
Germany
University
Max Planck Institute for Software Systems

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About this position
Postdoctoral Researcher opening in Natural Language Processing, human behavioral evaluation, and long-range language understanding at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS) in Saarbrücken, Germany.
The position is part of the newly funded ERC Starting Grant project BrainAlign, led by Dr. Mariya Toneva and the Bridging AI and Neuroscience (BrAIN) group. The project aims to develop language models whose internal processing is aligned with the human brain, combining machine learning, NLP, and cognitive neuroscience to study whether brain alignment improves human-like understanding of language over long timescales.
The successful candidate will lead the human behavioral evaluation and long-range language understanding component of the project. Responsibilities include designing behavioral tasks for complete narratives and books, building a gamified online platform for large-scale reader studies, analyzing human behavioral data, and developing evaluation methods for brain-aligned language models. The role also involves collaboration with researchers working on the computational and neuroimaging sides of the project and publishing in leading venues in NLP, machine learning, and computational/cognitive neuroscience.
Applicants should have a PhD or expected PhD completion before the start date in NLP, computer science, cognitive science, psychology, psycholinguistics, or a related field. Strong NLP and/or language model evaluation experience is required. Experience with human behavioral experiments, experimental design, statistical analysis, crowdsourcing, and online behavioral data collection is highly desirable. Strong quantitative and programming skills, preferably in Python, are expected, along with excellent English and a strong publication record.
The position is based in Saarbrücken and offers an international, collaborative research environment with opportunities for conference travel and research collaborations. To apply, upload a CV with publication list, a summary of previous research, and a statement of interest, and provide contact details for up to three referees.
Funding details
Postdoctoral research position in the newly funded ERC Starting Grant project BrainAlign. The post is part of a team of three postdocs and two PhD students; no stipend or salary amount is stated in the post.
What's required
Applicants should have a PhD or expected PhD completion before the start date in natural language processing, computer science, cognitive science, psychology, psycholinguistics, or a related discipline. Strong experience with NLP and/or language model evaluation is required. Experience designing and analyzing human behavioral experiments is highly desirable. Strong quantitative and programming skills, preferably in Python, are expected, along with experience in experimental design, statistical analysis, or crowdsourcing/online behavioral data collection as a plus. Applicants should have a strong publication record relative to career stage, the ability to work independently and across disciplinary boundaries, and excellent written and spoken English.
How to apply
Prepare and upload a CV including a publication list, a summary of previous research, and a statement of interest. Also provide names and contact information for up to three possible referees. Apply through the postdoc program application tool; contact [email protected] if there are technical problems.
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