PhD Candidate Statistics & Data Science (100%)

The Faculty of Psychology is one of seven faculties of the oldest university in Switzerland. With our core focus on Society & Choice and Health & Interventions, we are successful both nationally and internationally in our research and study programs.

In the newly established research group “Statistics & Data Science” (https://psychologie.unibas.ch/en/fakultaet/abteilungen/statistics-and-data-science/), we develop and evaluate statistical models and analysis methods in psychology. Our research focuses on psychometric models (e.g., Item Response Theory models), machine learning methods (e.g., Random Forests, Neural Networks, and interpretation techniques), and multilevel models (e.g., analysis methods for hierarchical and longitudinal data).

Your assignments

• Developing and evaluating statistical models and analysis methods in psychology, including their implementation in the open-source software R.
• Presenting research findings in academic journals, at national and international conferences, as well as within the Graduate School of Psychology.
• Moderate teaching activities and supervision of bachelor and master theses.

Your profile

• Completed master’s degree in psychology or a closely related field.
• Interest in research in the field of method development and evaluation, ideally with some prior experience, e.g., conducting simulation studies.
• Knowledge of statistical procedures in the research group’s focus areas, as well as programming skills or willingness to acquire them.
• Teaching experience, e.g., through the support of statistical study groups or statistics tutorials, is advantageous.
• Very good oral and written English skills; knowledge of German is advantageous.

We offer you

• Opportunity to pursue a PhD at the Faculty of Psychology and to participate in the educational program of the Graduate School of Psychology.
• Involvement in the research group’s projects as well as national and international collaboration opportunities.
• Employment conditions according to university guidelines for doctoral candidates.
• The position is initially limited to 1 year, with the option of extension for an additional 3 years.

Application / Contact

We value diversity in our team and are committed to fostering an inclusive work environment. Therefore, we encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

We look forward to receiving your application documents:

• One-page cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Relevant certificates
• Example of an academic work, e.g., master’s thesis, seminar paper.

Please submit these documents via the online portal; applications through other channels will not be considered. The review of applications will begin on January 13, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled.

For further information, please contact us via email at mirka.henninger@unibas.ch using “PhD vacancy” as the email subject.