Welcome to Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, you’ll be part of a community where research drives change and curiosity shapes progress. Whether you are exploring the brain, teaching the next generation, or supporting the foundations of our work, your contribution makes a real impact.
Our goal: Uncover how the human brain processes the complex soundscapes of everyday life, using ultra-high-field 7 Tesla fMRI to bridge neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence.
Your colleagues: You will join the AuditoRy Cognition in Humans and MachInEs (ARCHIE) lab, led by Prof. Elia Formisano, within the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. The position is part of the NASCE project, funded by the prestigious ERC Synergy Grant, in collaboration with Dr. Bruno Giordano (CNRS, Marseille). Here, neuroscientists, AI specialists, and cognitive psychologists work together to understand how the brain makes sense of the world’s sounds.
About the position
As a PhD candidate, you will design and conduct fMRI experiments using natural auditory scenes, collect and analyse whole-brain neuroimaging data, and identify activation patterns in the auditory and semantic brain networks. You will integrate your findings with computational models developed by the project team, working closely with AI researchers to test deep learning models against brain data.
You will have access to Maastricht University’s state-of-the-art 7T scanner and ample research facilities, and will be part of an environment that encourages collaboration, scientific exchange, and innovation.
Your key responsibilities
- Design and conduct fMRI experiments on natural auditory scenes.
- Analyse neuroimaging data with multivariate and model-based methods.
- Collaborate with AI researchers to test and refine computational models.
- Contribute to theoretical models of auditory scene analysis.
- Publish findings in scientific journals and present at international conferences.
- Engage in PhD training and relevant academic activities.
- Contribute up to 0.1 FTE to teaching or supervision at Maastricht University.
What you bring
We are not looking for someone who simply ticks all the boxes – we are looking for curiosity, motivation, and the potential to grow in this field. You will thrive in this role if you recognise yourself in some of the following:
- A Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology, or a related field.
- Experience with fMRI data acquisition and analysis.
- Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar languages.
- Knowledge of auditory neuroscience, perception, or computational modelling.
- Basic understanding of machine learning concepts (a plus).
- Strong academic writing and communication skills in English.
- Ability to work with large datasets and perform statistical analyses.
- Readiness to start as soon as possible.
What we offer
As PhD Candidate at Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:
- Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €3059,00 and €3881,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
- An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
- At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
- As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
- Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.
The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.
Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.
In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.
With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.
Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience
The Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) is an international faculty with students and staff from various cultural backgrounds, who are connected by their shared curiosity about human behaviour and our brains.
This curiosity inspires us to explore the wide field of psychology from different perspectives (such as a biological and cognitive viewpoint). By using small-scale and student-centred methods, such as problem-based learning and project-based learning, we encourage a similar kind of curiosity in our students, as we provide them with the tools to discover the world of the human brain.
Department
You will be part of the Auditory Cognition in Humans and Machines (ARCHIE) lab, affiliated with and embedded within the Auditory Perception and Cognition group at the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience. The lab combines neuroscience, AI, and cognitive psychology to study auditory perception in real-world contexts using state-of-the-art methods such as 7T fMRI, iEEG, and deep neural networks.
Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Prof. dr. Elia Formisano at [email protected] for more information.
Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD Candidate? Apply now, no later than 7 September 2025, for this position.
Please upload your CV, motivation letter, contact information of 2 referees and publication list.
The first interviews preferably take place in the second half of September. The second interviews will preferably be held at the end of September/beginning of October.
A reference check will be part of the application procedure.
The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.
Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.
