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Call for papers: ICLR workshop on Bridging Cognitive Science and AI
by Jessica Hamrick Jan. 15, 2020

Jan. 15, 2020

Dear all, Aida Nematzadeh, Kaylee Burns, Alison Gopnik, Josh Tenenbaum, Emmanuel Dupoux and I are organizing a workshop that will be held at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2020. The goal of the workshop will be to showcase research in AI that is inspired by human cognition, as well as cognitive models that leverage AI to provide insight into various aspects of human learning and processing. Please see below for our call for papers. We hope to see some of you there! Cheers, Jess Call for Papers We are pleased to invite papers to our workshop at ICLR 2020, titled “Bridging AI and Cognitive Science”: https://baicsworkshop.github.io/ Cognitive science and artificial intelligence (AI) have a long-standing shared history. Indeed, even today many researchers have an interest in performing multidisciplinary research across the two fields. To this end, our workshop aims to inspire connections between AI and cognitive science across a broad set of topics, including perception, language, reinforcement learning, planning, human-robot interaction, animal cognition, child development, and reasoning. We are sourcing short, four-page papers (deadline: February 5, 2020) from cognitive science, neuroscience, and AI across two tracks: The Research track will highlight advances at the intersection of AI, cognitive science, and neuroscience. We welcome submissions on: - AI systems which draw inspiration from natural intelligence, - Computational models of natural intelligence that leverage methods from AI, - Demonstrations of failure cases of AI systems where humans or animals succeed, - Datasets or environments for AI systems which target a particular aspect of natural intelligence, or - Papers which address privacy and fairness in machine learning, using insights from the behavioral sciences, or - Works which otherwise combine AI and cognitive science. The Blue Sky Ideas track will showcase longer-term ideas or positions on ways to connect AI with cognitive science. While we will not require such ideas to be fully instantiated in a working system, we do expect them to be grounded in empirical or computational evidence. We welcome submissions on: - Aspects of cognition which are under-explored in AI, - The order in which the research community should solve cognitive tasks in AI, - How research in AI could inform research in cognitive science, - Survey papers which summarize one area of research in AI or cognitive science for researchers in the other field, or - Works which otherwise propose a longer-term idea or position about the intersection of cognitive science and AI.

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Leverhulme doctoral programme: Interested in both Machine Learning and Neuroscience?
by Christopher Laurie Buckley Jan. 15, 2020

Jan. 15, 2020

Hi all, Applications for our interdisciplinary Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme at the University of Sussex, “From Sensation and Perception to Awareness”, for entry in September 2020 are now open. There are many great projects and you can propose your own but if you're interested in both Machine Learning and Neuroscience then why not come study Active Inference in brains and machines with myself and the venerable Prof Anil K. Seth. See our project description on the website below. For this project please inquire at c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk FUNDED PHD POSITIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX The University of Sussex invites applications for PhD studentship awards within its Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme entitled “From Sensation and Perception to Awareness”, directed by Jamie Ward and Anil Seth. The prestigious Sussex Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarship Programme <https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=3783&type=185&url=htt…> brings together doctoral researchers from different disciplines to advance our understanding of the interactions between sensing, perception, and awareness in humans, animals, and machines. The Programme will support an intake of up to NINE students starting in September 2020. PhD students will be registered within one of the participating schools (Life Sciences, Informatics, Psychology, Media Film & Music, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School). The closing date for applications is January 31st, 2020. For further details, including how to apply, see… https://www.findaphd.com/phds/program/studentships-available-from-the-unive… <https://www.findaphd.com/phds/program/studentships-available-from-the-unive…> Dr Christopher L. Buckley Senior Lecturer in Neural Computation Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems Group Sussex Neuroscience Department of Informatics and Engineering University of Sussex Falmer Brighton, UK c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk

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Call for Satellite Workshop Proposals, Bernstein Conference 2020 in Berlin
by Anja Dorrn Jan. 15, 2020

Jan. 15, 2020

Call for Satellite Workshop Proposals, Bernstein Conference 2020 in Berlin +++ The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops preceding the Bernstein Conference 2020 in Berlin at the Technical University. +++ ____ BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE The Bernstein Conference has established itself as the largest annual Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe attracting an international audience from across the world. The Satellite Workshops provide a stage to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields. www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> ____ IMPORTANT DATES - Satellite Workshops: September 29 – 30, 2020 o Tuesday, Sep 29, 2 pm – 6.30 pm o Wednesday, Sep 30, 8.30 am – 12.30 pm - Main Conference: September 30 – October 2, 2020 - Deadline for Satellite Workshop proposal submission: +++ March 31, 2020 +++ - Notification of workshop acceptance: planned in April 2020 ____ WORKSHOP PROPOSALS Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. The format should be designed to foster debate, rather than a series of talks. The Workshop Selection Committee<https://www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2020/conference-co…> will take scientific excellence, topical relevance and gender diversity into account as their selection criteria. Workshop proposals are welcome for either half-day or full-day workshops. Workshop Proposal Forms can be downloaded here: https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2020/satellite-wor… Please submit the completed form to bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> +++ Deadline: March 31, 2020 – not to be extended +++ ____ FINANCIAL SUPPORT Workshop registration is free for all organizers and speakers of workshops. Workshop organizers will additionally receive a waiver for the main conference fee. From the accepted workshops up to ten workshops will be selected to receive financial support of up to 1500 € each. ____ WORKSHOP SELECTION COMMITTEE Tim Vogels (Workshop Chair) Marion Silies (Workshop Vice Chair) Danielle Bassett Matthew Botvinick Peter Dayan Alain Destexhe Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Vice Chair) Tim Gollisch Stephanie Palmer Nathalie Rochefort Nicole Rust Elad Schneidmann (Program Chair) Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Feb 15 Application Deadline - 2020 Nengo Summer School
by Peter Blouw Jan. 14, 2020

Jan. 14, 2020

[All details about this school can be found online at https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce our 7th annual Nengo summer school on large-scale brain modelling and neuromorphic computing. This two-week school will teach participants to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Summer school participants will be given on-site access to Loihi, Intel’s neuromorphic research chip [1], and will learn to run high-level applications on Loihi using Nengo! More generally, Nengo provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems, and has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [2], which includes spiking deep learning, reinforcement learning, adaptive motor control, and cognitive control networks. For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w0BzvNOypc We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background. [1] Davies, et al. (2018). Loihi: A neuromorphic manycore processor with on-chip learning. IEEE Micro. Vol. 38 no. 1 pp. 82-99. [ https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8259423] [2] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/eliasmith.2012.pdf] ***Application Deadline: February 15, 2020*** Format: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on building neuromorphic applications, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. Loihi, SpiNNaker, BrainDrop) - interface Nengo with (spiking and normal) cameras and robotic systems - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - and much more… Date and Location: June 7th to June 19th, 2020 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Applications: Please visit https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school/, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form. We ask that you provide a short description of a possible project, and to briefly indicate how this project might make use of the tools and methods that the summer school will be covering, as listed above. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (peter.blouw(a)appliedbrainresearch.com) The school is partially supported by Applied Brain Research, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Postdoc positions on Consciousness Research at Monash Uni, Australia
by Naotsugu Tsuchiya Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

Position A: DP180100396 (in collaboration with Masafumi Oizumi, Hiroto Kawasaki, Giulio Tononi) No report paradigm in EEG/MEG/intracranial recordings and the analysis of integrated information across sensory and prefrontal cortex Position B: DP180104128 (in collaboration with Marta Garrido, Ueli Rutishauser, Ralph Adolphs) The analysis of MEG/intracranial recordings, using Granger causality and integrated information We are looking for highly talented postdocs (application from PhD students with a prospect of getting PhD in 1 year are welcomed) for the above two ARC-funded positions. Ideal candidates in both positions would have strong publications, strong programming skills in Matlab/Python, strong background in data analysis, preferably neuroimaging data or neural spikes. The projects include 1) design of various psychophysical paradigms (*pdf <https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/doi/10.1093/nc/niw023/2970153/Are-we-un…>)*, including no-report paradigms (*pdf <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9N0ysU85rs7bEF5d1VVX3J4T3c/view>*), which can be used for subsequent EEG/MEG/intracranial recording experiments and 2) analysis of EEG/MEG/intracranial data using the approximations of integrated information (link1 <http://www.eneuro.org/content/4/5/ENEURO.0085-17.2017>, *link <https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9N0ysU85rs7NFVSQlIza215eVU> *, *link <http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/12/02/1603583113.abstract>*, *link <http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10046…>)* ). Please send the inquiry with your CV to naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu. Applicants with most fit background and skills will be contacted for subsequent interview over the internet. The positions will be available until they are filled. Regards Nao Tsuchiya -- -- *Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya* Associate Professor *Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences* Attention and Memory Program School of Psychological Sciences Monash University 770 Blackburn Monash Brain Imaging facility, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 4564 E: naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu W: homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage http://med.monash.edu.au/psych/email-sig/miccn-email-sig.jpg <http://www.monash.edu/neuro-institute/> 2. Visiting Researcher at Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging, Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR), Japan 3. Visiting Researcher at CiNet, Osaka University, Japan orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-8701

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AREADNE 2020 2nd Call for Abstracts: Submission Open
by John Pezaris Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

AREADNE 2020 Research in Encoding and Decoding of Neural Ensembles Nomikos Conference Centre, Santorini, Greece 16-20 June 2020 http://areadne.org info(a)areadne.org *** SECOND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: SUBMISSION OPEN *** Dear Colleague, We are pleased to announce solicitation of abstracts for poster presentation at AREADNE 2020, 16-20 June 2020, our eighth meeting to be held at the Nomikos Conference Centre in Santorini, Greece. Continuing with the same highly successful format, AREADNE 2020 will bring scientific leaders from around the world to present their theoretical and experimental work on the functioning of neuronal ensembles. The meeting will provide an informal yet spectacular setting in which attendees can discuss their recent ideas and discoveries, with a relaxed pace that emphasizes interaction Please see the Call for Abstracts for additional details, including links for templates, at http://areadne.org/call-for-abstracts Submissions of abstracts for poster presentations are due by 24 January 2020; notifications will be provided by 21 February 2020. We strongly encourage potential attendees to submit an abstract as presenters have registration priority. For information about the conference, please refer to the main web page http://areadne.org or send email to us at info(a)areadne.org. We hope to see you at AREADNE 2020! --- John Pezaris and Nicholas Hatsopoulos AREADNE 2020 Co-Chairs

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Post-Doc positions
by sio Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

Postdoctoral position The Vision and Natural Computation group at the Vision Institute, Paris, France, (http://www.institut-vision.org/en/ <http://www.institut-vision.org/en/>) seeks experienced and outstanding applicants for a post-doctoral researcher in the field of neuromorphic enginering in any related field including machine learning, event-based computer vision, robotics and spiking neural networks. The applicant will join the Vision and Natural Computation group let by Profs R Benosman and S.H Ieng. The group is a pioneer of neuromorphic event based computation and among the leading teams of the international neuromorphic engineering community. We are interested in candidates willing to work on any aspects of event based computation, preference will be given to those interested in developing any aspect related to new forms of machine learning inspired by neurosciences and going beyond the current status-quo of conventional machine learning. The position will open in January 2020. Interested applicants should submit a detailed curriculum vitae with brief paragraphs of research interests, career goals and why you feel you are a good fit for the lab and perhaps a reference person to contact. Information should be sent to ryad.benosman(a)upmc.fr <mailto:ryad.benosman@upmc.fr> and sio-hoi.ieng(a)upmc.fr <mailto:sio-hoi.ieng@upmc.fr>, please also mention in the email the earliest date at which you could join. Kind regards, S. ieng

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Master in Brain and Cognition being offered at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona
by Ruben Moreno Bote Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

Dear Comp-neuro members, The Master in Brain and Cognition being offered at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain (http://www.upf.edu/mbc/) opens the rolling application period (final deadline is June 2020). The core of the master's programme is composed of the research groups at UPF's Center for Brain and Cognition (http://cbc.upf.edu) In this email, we emphasize the possibility of participation of outstanding candidates with strong quantitative background, such as physics, mathematics or machine learning eager to learn about computational neuroscience. Candidates with these backgrounds could perform research activity with the following experts in computational neuroscience: Gustavo Deco (http://cns.upf.edu/) Albert Compte (http://complab.fcrb.es/complab/pres) Ruben Moreno-Bote (https://www.upf.edu/web/tcn) Overall, the groups participating at the Master are directed by renowned scientists in areas such as computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psycholinguistics, vision, multisensory perception, human development and comparative cognition http://cbc.upf.edu/node/498 Students will be exposed to ongoing research projects at the Center for Brain and Cognition and will be integrated in one of its main research lines, where they will conduct original research for their final project. Please visit the Master’s web page or contact mbc(a)upf.edu for further information. Scientific-related questions such as fit of quantitative backgrounds can be consulted to Ruben Moreno-Bote, ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu -- Rubén Moreno Bote Serra Húnter & ICREA Academia Professor Center for Brain and Cognition & Dept. of Information and Communications Technologies University Pompeu Fabra Campus Ciutadella c\ Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27 Mercè Rodoreda building, 3th floor (room 24.331) 08005 Barcelona, Spain https://www.upf.edu/web/tcn https://twitter.com/morenobote <https://twitter.com/morenobote?lang=ca>

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Post-doctoral position Computational Neuroscience, Moreno-Bote Lab, Barcelona
by Ruben Moreno Bote Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

We are looking for strong post-doctoral candidates interested in joining the group of Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience of Ruben Moreno-Bote lab. We are looking for excellent post-doctoral candidates with Physics, Mathematics or Machine Learning background, ideally with knowledge of Neuroscience or Computational Neuroscience, and interested in theory and applications. The publication record of the candidate should be very strong in his/her respective discipline. The candidate will develop state of the art theory and models of cognition and intelligence by using neural networks, data analysis and multielectrode neural data. The main research topic of our lab is decision-making, from a multidisciplinary angle. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city. Our lab (https://www.upf.edu/web/tcn) forms part of a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona. Financial support is provided by HHMI, ICREA and the Spanish MINECO. APPLICATION: A full CV in pdf format, a 1 page-long project in pdf format, and names and email addresses of 2 referees should be sent to the following address: ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu Informal inquiries are welcome. DEADLINE: up to the position is filled STARTING DATE: any time between September 2020 and January 2021 -- Rubén Moreno Bote Serra Húnter & ICREA Academia Professor Center for Brain and Cognition & Dept. of Information and Communications Technologies University Pompeu Fabra Campus Ciutadella c\ Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27 Mercè Rodoreda building, 3th floor (room 24.331) 08005 Barcelona, Spain https://www.upf.edu/web/tcn https://twitter.com/morenobote <https://twitter.com/morenobote?lang=ca>

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PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, Ruben Moreno-Bote Lab
by Ruben Moreno Bote Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, Ruben Moreno-Bote Lab Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain 1 fully funded PhD position is available in the group of Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience of Ruben Moreno-Bote in the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. We are looking for excellent candidates with Physics, Mathematics or Machine Learning background interested in developing theory for the brain and mind. Knowledge of Computational Neuroscience or Neuroscience would be ideal, but it is not necessary. The candidate will develop state of the art theory and models of cognition and intelligence by using neural networks, data analysis and multielectrode neural data. The main research topic of our lab is decision-making, from a multidisciplinary angle. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city. Our lab (https://www.upf.edu/web/tcn) forms part of a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona. Financial support is provided by HHMI, ICREA and the Spanish MINECO. APPLICATION: A full CV in pdf format and an extract of grades for degree and master studies should be sent to the following address: ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu DEADLINE: until the position is filled STARTING DATE: any time between September 2020 and January 2021

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