Fully-Funded PhD Position in the Evolution Lab at University of Melbourne

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A fully-funded PhD position (~$30K p.a.) is available in the Evolution Lab at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences (https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/research/msps-research-groups/evo/lab). Supervised by Dr Khandis Blake, the PhD position commences in 2022. The living allowance is indexed annually and includes limited paid sick leave, maternity and parenting leave.

The PhD position is part of ARC DECRA Project 210100800,” Testing socioeconomic and motivational influences on self-objectification”. The PhD project will investigate the relationship between status-seeking, economic inequality, and beautification from an evolutionary framework. Specific research questions concern (1) the conditions under which beautification is an adaptive strategy to maximize social status, and (2) the relation between status threats, beautification and local value systems.

The ideal candidate will be assessed according to their knowledge of relevant subject matter, communication skills, and potential for research productivity.

Applications close 28th February. For more information, visit https://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/caw/en/job/907843/phd-stipend-psychology

Sign Up for the Evo Early Career Writing Group

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A virtual writing group is being organized by Stacey Makhanova for early career evolutionary psychologists and evolutionary scientists more broadly who want some external motivation to get writing done and an opportunity to network (and commiserate) with people in similar career stages. For this group, “early career” means assistant professors, post-docs, and graduate students at the dissertation stage.

 

If you are interested, see the Google Doc for details and to add your contact info to the email list:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MApDYnB5OErkXhgIhA05ataUlJHhY9B16ighMk2xO0A/edit

University of Michigan Flint Seeking Assistant Professor of Psychology

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The Department of Behavioral Sciences, within the College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Michigan – Flint (UM-Flint) invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in Applied Psychology to begin in Fall 2022. For this position, Applied Psychology refers to the application of theory, principles and techniques of psychology to solving real world issues or problems. Candidates may come from many subareas, including clinical psychology, community psychology, health psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and sports psychology, among others.

UM-Flint’s mission is built upon three pillars: excellence in teaching, learning and scholarship; student centeredness; and engaged citizenship. As an institution and community, we are  committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), in accordance with our DEI Strategic Action Plan. Consistent with our mission, the ideal candidate will be a teacher-scholar who can integrate these three pillars to provide the best learning opportunities for our students while working to improve the communities we serve and advancing UM-Flint’s commitment to DEI.  Responsibilities include teaching 18 credits per academic year (2-3 courses per semester), establishing an ongoing program of research, mentoring students in research, academic advising, and engaging in service activities that support the department, college, and university.

The position requires a PhD in psychology or closely related field, demonstrated excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level, preferably, in multiple modalities (in person, online), and a coherent program of research that lends itself to student involvement and the possibility of external funding, as evidenced by research productivity. ABDs with verification of substantial progress towards completion will be considered, but a doctoral degree is preferred at the time of appointment and required within one year of hire date. The ideal candidate will teach some combination of introductory psychology, core courses (e.g. Cognitive, Abnormal, etc.), and methods courses (e.g., Research Methods, Stats, etc.). Willingness to offer courses on the Flint campus and via distance education (e.g. at a regional satellite campus and/or online) are necessary.

Located in downtown Flint, many unique opportunities await new faculty members at The University of Michigan – Flint campus. We are experiencing a dynamic downtown revitalization rich with opportunities for service learning, research collaboration, and practice in applied psychology. The University also offers laboratory facilities and internal funding opportunities, along with potential collaboration opportunities with several regional colleges and universities. We are seeking candidates who are excited by the opportunities that the University offers and who wish to be part of this energy and growth. The University of Michigan –  Flint boasts an enrollment of over 6,000 graduate and undergraduate students, and sits on a beautiful 75-acre riverfront campus in downtown Flint, Michigan.

University of Michigan-Flint is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and staff and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

 

See full advert and info here

Peace Research Institute Oslo seeking Post-Doc for Adapted to War Project

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The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) invites applications for a 1.5-year, full-time Postdoc position within the project Adapted to War (AWAR), funded by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant).

The position provides an opportunity to work in a leading international research institute, located in Norway’s capital city, as part of an interdisciplinary project on human aggression.

Summary of AWAR

Have humans evolved psychological adaptations to coalitional aggression or small-scale war? This question has generated major scientific debate involving anthropologists, archaeologists, economists, primatologists, psychologists, and political scientists. If humans are adapted to war, then human psychology must be equipped with adaptations designed for the effective navigation of war: efficient, complex, and specialized (sensory, perceptual, cognitive, affective, and behavioral) mechanisms promoting planning, execution, and defense against coalitional attacks. AWAR focuses, specifically, on coalitional formidability assessment mechanisms, which likely helped ancestral humans to avoid costly fights. The project also explores contemporary implications of coalitional formidability assessment mechanisms: if they indeed exist, do they shape our attitudes and behavior today, particularly in the context of modern political violence (e.g., violent protests or civil conflicts)?

The Postdoc’s role in the team

The project’s core team will consist of Postdoc 1, Stefan Goetz (psychologist; expertise: evolutionary psychology), Postdoc 2 (psychologist/cognitive scientist; expected expertise: cognitive psychology experiments), and Principal Investigator (PI), Henrikas Bartusevičius (political scientist; expertise: the psychology of political violence).

This vacancy concerns Postdoc 2, whose key responsibilities will be as follows:

  • Collaborating with the research team in designing cognitive psychology experiments (online and/or lab) to probe the existence and design features of the theorized coalitional formidability assessment mechanism;
  • Contributing to conducting and analyzing the experiments;
  • Writing journal articles in collaboration with Postdoc 2 and PI.

Opportunities

The project provides an opportunity to contribute to a novel research program that combines psychology, political science, and evolutionary theory to understand basic psychological processes underpinning coalitional aggression and contemporary political violence. The project also provides an opportunity to contribute to the establishment and development of a pioneering political psychology lab/research group in Norway.

The project and the institute are committed to supporting the Postdoc’s career development. Therefore, the project includes funding (e.g., for conference travel and research stays at other research institutions) to help the successful candidate build new competences. The project also has an ambitious publication plan, targeting general science or multidisciplinary journals. The project includes a large budget for well-powered cross-cultural research, spanning lab and online experiments across 40 countries. The project also includes a budget for research assistance to support the research team.

The project will collaborate with other psychology and political psychology labs in Norway and Denmark, including the Politics and Evolution Lab (directed by Michael B. Petersen) at Aarhus University. The project thus offers opportunities to network and present research in interdisciplinary environments.

The project will also strive to create conditions for the Postdoc to complete ongoing research, initiate new research agendas, and apply for new research funding.

Work environment and conditions

PRIO has an international research staff of approximately 85 members in full and part-time positions, and in addition 15 in administrative and support functions. The working language at the institute is English. PRIO is an equal opportunity employer and values staff diversity.

The institute is located in spacious and attractive premises in central Oslo, Europe’s fastest-growing capital city. Employee benefits include access to the PRIO cabin in the mountains, a subsidized canteen, weekly physiotherapy exercise, weekly running group, discounted gym membership and various social events.

Postdoctoral scholars at PRIO formally hold the position of a Senior Researcher. The starting salary for a Senior Researcher at PRIO is NOK 689,600 (equivalent to 73 in the Norwegian State salary system). Employees are offered membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The candidate should have an interest in PRIO’s broader mission of conducting high-quality academic research on questions relevant to the promotion of a more peaceful world. For more information about PRIO’s research, see https://www.prio.org/

The position is for one and a half year. This is a full-time research position with no teaching requirements.

 

Full advert and info here

UCSB Seeking Assistant Professor of Advanced Quantitative Skills, Psychological and Brain Sciences

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The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Advanced Quantitative Skills at the level of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2022. The Department is looking for individuals trained in any area of psychological science that develop and/or apply advanced quantitative methods in domains that synergize with our existing strengths in Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Social Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Cognition, Perception, and Cognitive Neuroscience. This scholar would have expertise in one or more quantitative approaches including, but not limited to multilevel modeling, structural equation modeling, generalized and linear mixed models, actor-partner effects, Bayesian analyses, machine learning, computational modeling, causal inference, and/or big data analyses. The candidate would be expected to teach courses in their area of expertise as well as foundational undergraduate and graduate-level courses in statistics and advanced quantitative methods.

The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences conducts cutting-edge research in core areas of psychology including cognition and the perceptual sciences, developmental and evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and behavior, and social and cultural psychology. The department is in a period of growth, having hired 7 faculty across these areas in the past 5 years. The department’s commitment to interdisciplinary pursuits are reflected in expansive research and teaching collaborations with a variety of other disciplines. UCSB provides a dynamic intellectual environment that prizes academic rigor and creativity to generate discoveries with wide-ranging impact.

Responsibilities of faculty members generally include the development of an actively funded research program of the highest quality, teaching at graduate and/or undergraduate levels, recruitment, supervision, and mentorship of graduate students, and participation in university service and professional activities. The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at UCSB. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values.

 

For more information:

Apply now: https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02079/apply
View this position online: https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02079

PsychResearchList Resource for Students Seeking Internships, Grad School Info, and More!

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Dr. Meltem Yucel is kindly sharing and reminding members of the PsychResearchList website (https://www.psychresearchlist.com/). This website contains various lists for paid internships, virtual graduate school information sessions, post-bac jobs, resources for applying to graduate school, International Moral Psychology List, and much more. So far over 23,000 students and faculty from 113 countries have made use of these resources.

Here are several ways you can contribute to and benefit from this website:
– If your department is offering graduate school information sessions, you can easily add your department by filling out the info session form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe51Tsq33JvvSxaEtPOj3zyDxK0bV4zrscANa_BahjpqKxHzg/viewform

– If you’re offering a paid internship, you can easily add your internship by filling out the internship form:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoabq-AbXIZovEVeH4RyNXU_4KcqjWww-dStoW68n0P53P4g/viewform

– If you’re a faculty member/postdoc/grad student, please consider sharing this website with the psychology majors in your department.

Thank you for all your support!

 

MindCORE Seeking Postdoctoral Research Fellow for 2022

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MindCORE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

MindCORE seeks to recruit outstanding postdoctoral researchers for our Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars. Housed within the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, MindCORE (https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/) is an interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence and behavior.

 

Designed for individuals who have recently obtained a PhD degree in psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, computer science or other cognitive science discipline, the MindCORE Fellowship is a springboard for young researchers as they establish their own research program. Fellows are also encouraged to pursue collaborative research with faculty working across disciplines at Penn.

 

Benefits

Fellows receive a competitive salary, relocation allowance, health insurance, plus a modest research budget of $20,000. Fellows also benefit from access to the greater community of academics including visiting scholars plus leading research facilities equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation all on an urban campus in a vibrant city. Fellows are invited to join regular working group meetings within their field plus career development workshops aimed at young researchers, and will be provided with a mentoring committee. Funding is provided in one-year terms renewable for up to three years.

 

Eligibility & Application

We are accepting applications for 2022-2023 until January 10, 2022.

 

Applicants must have formally completed all requirements of the PhD degree and provide a copy of their diploma at the time of appointment (typically July 1, 2022 – Jan 15, 2023). Candidates must submit a research statement that identifies at least three MindCORE faculty (https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/people/faculty-and-associates/) at Penn with whom the applicant could potentially collaborate; along with a CV, and contact information for two referees. Complete applications should be submitted along with some basic information using a form available on the website: https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/post-doctoral-research-fellowship/.

 

Selection

All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee after January 10. Applications are judged on the following criteria:

Scientific excellence

Scientific match and interdisciplinarity

Career potential

 

MindCORE seeks to award ~2 post-doctoral Fellowships per year. Positions may start as early as July 1, 2022.

 

Questions? Contact pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu

Abertay University Seeking a Head of Division for Psychology and Forensic Sciences

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Abertay is a modern university with a global outlook, rooted in its local and national communities. We have made our mark with high quality, well-directed teaching and research, and a stimulating and enriching experience for our students.

The School of Applied Sciences delivers programmes and applied research in the areas of food and drink, the built and natural environment, forensic and biomedical sciences, mental health nursing, counselling, psychology, and sport and exercise. The School is looking to appoint a Head of Division for Psychology and Forensic Sciences.

Reporting to the Dean of School, you will provide academic leadership and management in the development and delivery of innovative, progressive, coherent academic programmes based on authoritative subject knowledge. You will also advise the Dean on teaching and learning, research and knowledge exchange, consultancy and continuing professional development opportunities.

You will be an excellent communicator with proven ability of working with others in a co-operative and collaborative capacity to motivate and lead teams to achieve their objectives.

If you believe you have the skills and experience for this exciting and challenging role, please submit your application through our online recruitment system, which can be found at https://www.abertay.ac.uk/discover/work-here/jobs/. Full advert here.

The Cultural Evolution Society Invites Applications for Research Funding

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The Cultural Evolution Society is running a funding scheme called Transforming the Field of Cultural Evolution and its Application to Global Human Futures, thanks to a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

 

The scheme aims to transform the important, yet underfunded, field of cultural evolution. How our cultures evolve (including how information is transmitted, how people make decisions, and the interaction of culture with our biology) is a pressing issue in a world in which our cultural activities are causing rapid, and drastic, social and physical changes.

 

Through the scheme, the Cultural Evolution Society aims to tackle several issues:

  1. The ever-increasing obstacles to success that early career academics face – this will be redressed through funding, mentoring and training opportunities.
  2. Western-centrism, i.e. the tendency of research to focus far too much on the West and for only Western researchers to receive funding – researchers from countries outside of Northern America and Western Europe are especially encouraged to apply to this scheme.
  3. Disciplinary divides (for example between psychologists and anthropologists or physicists and historians) that hamper research progress.
  4. The gap between scientists and public policy makers – dedicated support is available to help communicate research activities to relevant contacts, in order to enable society as a whole to benefit from research in cultural evolution. Policy makers rarely draw on an explicit scientific theory of cultural change, and in contrast, the sciences often investigate what needs to be changed but invest less in how this may be achieved.

 

 

Research projects 

The funding competition will fund 16 Research Projects in four broad areas. There is more detail regarding these themes on the website but in summary:

1. Variation in creativity and imagination (both across cultures and between species) and the impact this has on the evolution of our technology, as well as art, music, language and religion. We may also understand the influence of cultural norms and different educational practices on creativity throughout the life-time.

 

2. Cultural influences on access to ‘reality’ (or our rationality). When we think of rational thought, we often consider processes based on an evaluation of objective facts rather than supernatural beliefs or emotions. However, recent theories in many diverse disciplines have focused on human ‘irrationality’ and how this may be ‘sensible’ as we live in a world of uncertainty where logic is not a perfect guide. Investigating how cultural beliefs influence our perceived realities and ability to imagine future ones, as well as investigations of how, or why, we transmit so-called ‘fake news’ are important avenues of research.

 

3.  The impact of globalization on cultures. We live in an ever more interdependent world, the current and future implications of which are ripe for investigation through a cultural evolutionary lens. For example, the effects of the hyper-availability of online information to enormous global audiences, and the novel features of digital information transmission, are only recently being investigated. Globalization also poses inherent risks, especially as we increasingly face cooperative dilemmas on an unprecedented global scale (e.g. climate change, pandemics). Likewise, it is also possible that the merging of humanity into a single “effective population” will erase cultural variation with negative impacts on knowledge diversity and our ability to adapt to new challenges.

 

4. Applying cultural evolution to enhance human futures. How cultural evolutionary insights can be used for positive change was identified as one of the ‘grand challenges’ in the field of cultural evolution. One key example is that an understanding of cultural transmission, and the various biases in when and whom individuals learn from, may be used to enhance the spread of desired behaviours. In principle, understanding of these processes could aid in the current Covid-19 health workers’ ‘war’ against misinformation. More generally, cultural evolution could inform ‘Behavioural Insights’ ‘or ‘nudge’ theories used by institutions globally in an attempt to improve public policy.

 

Applied Working Groups 

Alongside the funding of the research grants, there is also a competition to fund 5 Applied Working Groups. These will be designed by the applicants, to implement cultural evolution with real impact on, for example, policy (e.g. public health, education), politics, business, climate change, conservation and welfare. The workshops should include conversations between academics and relevant non-academics to disseminate cultural evolution insights to the general public and engage policy makers in using cultural evolution to help solve current and future real-world problems.

At the end of 2024, there will be a conference in Durham (UK), where the findings from all of the research projects and working groups will be presented to scientists, policy makers and the general public.

The application deadline is 5th January 2022, and there will be a pre-application workshop in early November 2021. Details of the scheme are available here, and you can also find out more on the following social media accounts:

 

https://twitter.com/CultEvolFunding

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cultural-evolution-funding

https://www.facebook.com/CultEvolFunding

 

For any questions, please email our grant manager Lorna Winship in the first instance: ces.transformationfund@durham.ac.uk.

Student and ECR Subsidies for EP Preconference at SPSP

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HBES is sponsoring registration subsidies for the Evolutionary Psychology Preconference at SPSP 2022! Limited subsidies are available to cover preconference registration costs for some students and early career researchers with financial hardships. Apply by Nov-15! For details and how to apply, see the preconference website: https://ep2022.mystrikingly.com

Questions? Reach out to one of the preconference organizers:  Will McAuliffe (williamhbmcauliffe@gmail.com); Juliana French (juliana.french@okstate.edu); Michael Barlev (MLBarlev@gmail.com)