PhD Candidate in NeuroAI at Maastricht University, Netherlands

Summary

Maastricht University is seeking a curious and motivated PhD Candidate in NeuroAI for Auditory Neuroscience to join the AuditoRy Cognition in Humans and MachInEs (ARCHIE) lab, led by Prof. Elia Formisano. This position is part of NASCE (Natural Auditory SCEnes in Humans and Machines), an ERC Synergy project carried out in collaboration with the CNRS in Marseille. The researcher will bridge human neuroimaging (7T fMRI) and artificial neural networks to explore how the human brain represents and transforms complex acoustic information into meaningful sound percepts.

PhD Candidate in NeuroAI for Auditory Neuroscience at Maastricht University

Designation

• Position: PhD Candidate (Academic / Doctoral Researcher)
• Employment Type: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 38 hours/week)
• Contract Duration: 12 months initially, with extension for the remainder of the 4-year PhD upon positive evaluation

Key Information Table

Research Area

• Auditory Neuroscience & Cognitive Science
• Artificial Intelligence & NeuroAI / Deep Learning
• Computational Neuroimaging (Ultra-High-Field 7 Tesla fMRI)
• Multivariate & Representational Similarity Analysis

Location

• City: Maastricht, Netherlands
• Faculty: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), Maastricht University

Eligibility & Qualifications

Applicants are not expected to be experts in both AI and neuroimaging at the outset, but must have a solid foundation in at least one discipline and a strong motivation to cross-train in the other.

• Education: A Master’s degree in Cognitive/Computational Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Science with a strong quantitative focus, Data Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Core Experience:
  • For Neuroimaging profiles: Experience with neuroimaging acquisition, preprocessing, or analysis (fMRI preferred, but other modalities welcome).
  • For AI profiles: Practical background in implementing, training, and testing machine learning or deep learning models.
• Quantitative & Technical Skills:
  • Strong foundation in quantitative data analysis and statistics (multivariate/computational modelling experience is an advantage).
  • Good programming skills, preferably in Python.
  • Hands-on familiarity with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX) is an advantage.
• Language Proficiency: Strong English communication and writing skills (CEFR C1 level minimum).

Scholarship / Position Description

Under Dutch university employment, PhD candidates are hired as university staff members with full employee benefits, pension rights, and competitive salaries.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collect and analyze human functional neuroimaging data using ultra-high-field 7 Tesla fMRI.
• Develop, apply, and benchmark AI/NeuroAI models (such as deep neural networks) to model auditory processing.
• Compare representations learned by artificial networks with human brain activity and behavioral findings using multivariate analysis.
• Present research findings at international academic conferences and publish peer-reviewed papers.
• Foster reproducible and open science by producing well-documented code pipelines and dataset repositories.
• Contribute a small portion of time (up to 0.1 FTE) to academic teaching or student supervision.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the official Maastricht University vacancy portal:

1. Visit the Official Vacancy Page.
2. Click the “Apply now” button.
3. Prepare and upload the following documents:
   • A complete Curriculum Vitae (CV).
   • A Motivation Letter outlining your background, research interests, and learning objectives across the intersection of neuroimaging and NeuroAI.
   • Contact details for two academic referees.

Informal inquiries regarding the position may be directed to Prof. Elia Formisano via email at: e.formisano@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Last Date to Apply

• Deadline: 20 September 2026

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