Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

The Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig, Germany, invites nominations, including self-nominations, for a Director who is expected to lead a research de­part­ment in the area of cognitive neuroscience. The future Director’s unique, innovative, and disruptive research programme should focus on understanding the neural bases of human cognitive functions, using state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience techniques such as modern neuroimaging methods. The specific research programme is open but should cover one of the key higher level cognitive domains.

Research at the institute revolves around studying human cognitive and socio-emotional abilities and their underlying neural mechanisms including memory, language, vision, somatosensory, and emotional processing, learning, and development. The successful candidate is expected to establish a ground-breaking, long-term research programme which would signifi­cantly shape the field of cognitive neuro­science.

The institute’s focus on the development of cutting-edge neuroscientific tools, particularly for neuroimaging and neuromod- ulation, alongside the exploitation of genetic, autonomic, and other bio­logical markers, provides us with a unique capability to advance our research in human cognitive brain sciences. The institute currently has four departments and ten indepen­dent research groups and hosts about 380 scientists and related staff, including about 100 doctoral researchers.

MPI CBS offers outstanding facilities for human cognitive neuroscience including five MRI scanners (four 3T, including a unique 3T Connectom type and one 7T scanner); whole-head MEG; EEG; TMS, behavioural and virtual-reality labs; and access to neurological patients through the Day Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, associated with MPI CBS, at the Leipzig University Hospital. The institute sits in the heart of Leipzig in central Germany and offers a welcoming, international, and vibrant atmo­sphere. The working language at the institute is English. With over 600,000 inhabitants, Leipzig is a thriving modern city with several major research institutions, and one of the most popular places for students, post­docs, and young families in Germany.

The institute is part of the Max Planck Society, an independent non-governmental association dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, and human sciences. The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of recruiting and employment. The Max Planck Society aims to increase the percentage of women among its scientific leadership, particularly at the director level. Therefore, we strongly – and particularly – encourage nominations of, and self-nominations from, qualified women.

We can offer childcare options through agreements with local family services / daycare centres, and there would be support available for finding a dual-career option if desired.

Please note that this call is part of the institute’s scouting procedure; its purpose is to identify possible candidates. The formal appointment procedure will follow. A selection of candidates will then be invited for a visit to the institute.

Nominations, including self-nominations, should include
1. The candidate’s name and current affiliation
2. A brief statement of support or motivation (200 words max.) specifying why you nominate the candidate
3. The candidate’s CV

Please send them to: managingdirector@cbs.mpg.de
(Professor Nikolaus Weiskopf as Managing Director, on behalf of the board of directors).

All nominations will be treated confidentially. This call will remain open until 30 April 2024.

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

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