Malte Elson

The University of Bern is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in forensic meta-science for the project “After the Flood: Near-Future Scenarios and Countermeasures of AI-Accelerated Research Fabrication.” The project is funded by UKRI’s Metascience funding scheme and is led by Principal Investigator Prof. Sebastian Deterding of Imperial College London. Working with PD Dr. Ian Hussey, the postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the development of a roadmap for methods and tools that formalise “science sleuthing” into structured Trustworthiness Assessments . The work is situated within the Department of Psychology of Digitalisation at the University of Bern, chaired by Prof. Malte Elson. The research will involve conducting cognitive task analyses with members of the science sleuth community, co-organising and running workshops, and analysing qualitative data to develop a taxonomy of sleuthing practices. The resulting roadmap will identify how expert checks for scientific error, fabrication, and research quality can be formalised into practical methods and tools. The successful researcher will join an English-speaking research group and collaborate closely with expert practitioners. The role offers opportunities to contribute to teaching in English and/or German, although teaching is not required. The position is based at the Institute of Psychology in Bern and is offered as an in-person or hybrid commuting role.

PhD or Postdoc Position in Meta-Science and RegCheck Development at the University of Bern . This opening is for a researcher to join the Psychology of Digitalisation group and help develop and validate RegCheck , software that compares study registrations with published papers to identify deviations from planned research. The project sits within the broader Synth initiative and is funded through the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) as part of META-REP. The role is available as either a PhD position or a postdoc position . The work can include evaluating RegCheck’s usability and real-world performance, running field studies with journals and editorial teams, developing extensions to the tool, contributing to open-source code and reproducible analysis pipelines, and preparing publications and conference presentations. There is also scope to collaborate on related projects and potentially co-supervise student projects. Preferred backgrounds include metascience , psychology , human-computer interaction , medicine , epidemiology , economics , research methods , and statistics . Applicants should have a Master’s degree or PhD, working knowledge of R , an understanding of large language models and/or experience using them programmatically, and a strong interest in open science , research integrity , and reproducible research. Strong English is required. The position is in-person, with flexible working hours. Funding and contract details: the PhD salary is approximately CHF 50,000 gross per year including the 13th month, with annual student fees of about CHF 200; the early postdoc salary is approximately CHF 91,000 gross per year including the 13th month. The postdoc contract is for 18 months ; the PhD contract starts at 18 months and can be extended up to 4 years total . Application deadline: 2026-07-31 . Interviews will be held in August, and the ideal start date is 2026-11-01 or by arrangement. How to apply: Email a motivation letter, CV, 2 references, and a sample of academic writing to [email protected] , with [email protected] and [email protected] in CC. Indicate clearly whether you are applying for the PhD or postdoc track.

University of Bern is hiring a PhD student in Meta-Science and Clinical Psychology within the Psychology of Digitalisation research group. The project, QUEST ("Quantifying effect size inflation in clinical psychology trials"), is an SNSF-funded meta-science PhD focused on how questionable measurement practices and questionable research practices may inflate estimates of psychotherapy efficacy across clinical psychology. The position is based in Bern, Switzerland, and is an in-person role with no remote option. The successful candidate will work with Ian Hussey and Malte Elson , alongside a postdoc colleague, in an international English-speaking research environment. The work combines meta-science , clinical psychology , research methods , statistics , and computational approaches such as multilevel meta-analysis , Confirmatory Factor Analysis , Monte Carlo simulations , and the use of large language models for psychological research. Research tasks include curating and harmonising clinical trial datasets for meta-analysis, conducting multilevel convergent validity and reliability meta-analyses, and designing/managing a large-scale online data collection study. The role also offers opportunities to develop skills in reproducible data pipelines, psychometric validity methods, and scientific writing, with teaching opportunities in English and/or German. Eligibility highlights: a Master's degree in Psychology, Research Methods, Statistics, or a related field; strong R skills; familiarity with advanced statistical methods; strong written and spoken English; and willingness to relocate or commute to Bern. The post explicitly encourages applications from women and candidates from underrepresented backgrounds in academia. Funding: the PhD is fully funded for 4 years at 100% FTE , with a gross salary of CHF 50,000 including the 13th month, plus pension contributions. Annual student fees are approximately CHF 200. Application window: applications are considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with full consideration by 2026-05-17 . To apply, send a motivation letter, academic CV, contact details for two references, and a sample of academic writing to [email protected] .