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PhD Opportunities for the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory at UC Irvine
by Jeffrey Krichmar Sept. 7, 2020

Sept. 7, 2020

Dear Colleagues, We are recruiting PhD students for the Fall of 2021 in the Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. Students will have the opportunity to work in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory, which conducts research in assistive robotics, computational neuroscience, machine learning, neural networks, neuromorphic engineering and neurorobotics. Applicants should have a strong mathematical and computer programming background, as well as good communication skills. Current Federally funded projects include: · Artificial Intelligence for Novelty Detection · Cognitive Maps in Rats, Robots and Men · Lifelong Learning Machines · Sparse Predictive Coding for Efficient Visual Navigation More information about the lab, recent publications, software, and videos can be found at: · http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma · https://www.youtube.com/user/cognitiveroboticsuci/videos Successful applicants will receive funding toward their Ph.D. for at least 5 years. Students interested in applying can contact me at: jkrichma(a)uci.edu Details about the graduate programs can be found at: · https://www.cogsci.uci.edu/graduate/index.php · https://www.ics.uci.edu/grad/admissions/index About UCI (www.uci.edu) In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. Today, we draw on the unyielding spirit of our pioneering faculty, staff and students who arrived on campus with a dream to inspire change and generate new ideas. We believe that true progress is made when different perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the world around us. And we enlighten our communities and point the way to a better future. At UCI, we shine brighter. Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

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OCNS Software/Tools/Infrastructure Special Interest Group (SIG)
by Ankur Sinha Sept. 7, 2020

Sept. 7, 2020

Hello everyone, (Please excuse the cross posts.) At this year's annual CNS meeting[0], the Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS) discussed the formation of OCNS Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The idea is for the OCNS membership to be able to self-organise, based on common interests, to work on various tasks/projects to develop themselves and computational neuroscience in general[1]. The OCNS Board will enable SIGs by providing them with the necessary resources. As you will see on the Neurostars topic, a number of OCNS members have expressed interest in different SIGs. In my capacity as the current OCNS webmaster, I'd like to focus on the software/tools/infrastructure that is critical for computational neuroscience research. From the topic on Neurostars[2]: "Computational neuroscience cannot exist without the tools that we all rely on. So, this SIG will focus on these. We’ll find and discuss tools, we will learn how to use them, we will test and review them, we will file bugs to inform the developers of issues, and finally we will try to learn how they work and try to get involved in their development---to ensure that these tools that we rely on remain in good shape by having communities looking after them. While we do all of this, we will improve our knowledge of transferable skills: anything involved in modern software development (which are not limited to only writing tools, but are extremely important/useful when developing models using these tools)." Please join the discussion on Neurostars if this interests you. We will start to mobilise in the next few weeks. You can learn more about OCNS membership here[3]. [0] https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2020 [1] https://neurostars.org/t/cns-2020-ocns-members-meeting/15273/3?u=sanjayanku… [2] https://neurostars.org/t/ocns-infrastructure-software-tools-sig-meet-and-gr… [3] https://www.cnsorg.org/join-ocns -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) OCNS webmaster | https://www.cnsorg.org/ Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Time zone: Europe/London

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Call for papers : Cognitive Computation - Springer Journal, Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks
by Zhe Sun Sept. 6, 2020

Sept. 6, 2020

Dear all, Please find below the call for papers for the journal of Cognitive Computation, Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks. The submission deadline is April 1, 2021. Call For Papers: Journal : Cognitive Computation Special Issue : Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks https://www.springer.com/journal/12559/updates/18336610?fbclid=IwAR28sBPPk0… Scope and Motivation During the past 10 years, many experiments have been implemented with the aim of improving our understanding on the brain’s structure and function. Alongside, simulation neuroscience has become an important strategy to investigate how the brain works. The Human Connectome Project in the US started in 2009, and aimed to provide a big human brain mapping dataset on which many brain models have already been tested. In the Human Brain Project in the EU, a large-scale virtual rodent brain simulation is being built with the purpose of revealing various brain activities. In Japan, whole human-scale brain simulations on the Fugaku supercomputer are being established to investigate how neural networks develop their learning process. On the other hand, the foundation of cognitive computing and control mechanism can be revealed from the simulations of brain circuits and the neural dynamics. Moreover, these are also critical to improve current artificial intelligent systems and for building brain intelligence level algorithms. In this special issue, we invite researchers to present their state-of-the-art approaches, introduce recent advances and therefore show the potential of brain-simulation-related technologies. Guest Editors Jordi Solé-Casals (jordi.sole(a)uvic.cat) Cesar F. Caiafa (ccaiafa(a)fi.uba.ar) Zhe Sun (zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp) Vassilis Cutsuridis (vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk) Topics Topics include but are not limited to: • Brain Connectivity mapping and functional mapping • Data analysis methods for connectome data • Multi-scale neural system simulation • Neuromorphic hardware • High-performance computing system for large scale simulations • Neural system inspired spiking neural network • Neuro-robotics systems • Sensorimotor learning model Deadlines Submissions Deadline: April 1, 2021 First notification of acceptance: June 1, 2021 Submission of revised papers: August 1, 2021 Final notification to the authors: Oct 1, 2021 Submission of final/camera-ready papers: Nov 1, 2021 Publication of special issue: Nov 22, 2021 Submission Instruction: Prepare your paper in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/12559. Submit manuscripts at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/cogn/. Select “SI: Granular Computing and Three-Way Decisions for Cognitive Analytics” for the special issue under “Additional Information.” Your paper must contain significant and original work that has not been published nor submitted to any journals. All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures of the Journal. If you have questions, please send us an e-mail. Best wishes, Sun Zhe --------------------------------------------------------- Zhe Sun, PhD Research Scientist RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics Image Processing Research Team RIKEN, Japan 国立研究開発法人　理化学研究所光量子工学研究センター　画像情報処理研究チーム研究員　孫　哲 E-mail： zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp sunzhe839(a)gmail.com Tel :　048-462-1111　(ext. 7828) ---------------------------------------------------------

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PhD position: Machine learning to record and enhance sleep and lucid dreaming
by Martin Dresler Sept. 3, 2020

Sept. 3, 2020

Hi, Arenar B.V. and the Donders Institute offer a joint PhD position combining data science/AI and wearable EEG technology with sleep/dream research. In this project, the wearable sleep EEG headband iBand+ will be further developed and applied in several experimental studies. First, we will develop automatic sleep stage detection algorithms using machine learning strategies. We will then implement closed-loop acoustic stimulation procedures to enhance sleep slow oscillations to improve deep sleep. We will further develop combined acoustic and visual stimulation procedures which will allow to enhance self-awareness during sleep (i.e. lucid dreaming) and subsequent mood in the morning. The validity and efficacy of these procedures will be tested experimentally in large longitudinal studies in naturalistic home-based settings. The successful candidate will be centrally involved in the development, will lead different research projects within this general framework; will be closely involved in daily supervision of MSc students assisting the project; and will participate in the vibrant Donders Graduate School. Job details • 4 years at Donders, extension to permanent position at Arenar possible • Deadline: 31 August 2019 • Starting date: October/November, but somewhat flexible • Salary: starting with € 40000 gross per year Candidate profile • MSc-level background in Data Science, ML, AI, computer sciences, or adjacent field; • Proficiency in Python, C, C++, statistics • Interest in sleep, lucid dreaming, meditation • The capacity to participate in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, international research environment; • Fluency in written and spoken English. Candidates who only partially meet this profile are nonetheless strongly encouraged to apply! Organization The PhD project is a collaboration between Arenar B.V. and the Donders Institute. Arenar B.V. is a Dutch technology start-up based in Nijmegen, founded in 2016 by a team of engineers/developers with a combined technical industry experience exceeding 40 years working at leading technology companies such as NXP, Philips, Texas Instruments. Work in Arenar’s small enthusiastic team offers plenty of flexibility, responsibility and lots of influence on the product development. In particular, Arenar develops the iBand+ ( http://www.ibandplus.com) and many more upcoming innovative products. The project is embedded in the infrastructure of the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, providing a unique and stimulating learning environment for young researchers, including a high-profile graduate school and in-house methodological expert courses. Sleep research is a vibrant and rapidly growing field at the Donders Institute, with several new research groups in human and animal sleep research. The project is further embedded in the Radboud University Medical Center. Radboud UMC strives to be a leading developer of sustainable, innovative and affordable healthcare to improve the health and wellbeing of people and society in the Netherlands and beyond. Application Please apply with a brief motivation letter explaining your interest and qualifications regarding the position, your prior research/work experience, a CV, and contact information of two professional references: https://www.radboudumc.nl/en/vacancies/70061-phd-candidate-machine-learning… For specific questions about this position, please contact martin.dresler(a)donders.ru.nl Cheers, Martin -- Donders Sleep & Memory Lab, Radboud University Medical Center Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, Netherlands https://dreslerlab.org

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Call for submissions to frontier research topic
by alekhya mandali Sept. 3, 2020

Sept. 3, 2020

Dear all We invite contributions to the Frontier's Research topic - ' Exploring Psychopathology: Utility, Action-Selection and Beyond' ABSTRACT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A huge body of work on understanding each of many psychiatric conditions in the context of behaviors, neural correlates, and intervention is available and still on-going. One area of research that is rapidly gaining ground is that of impaired decision making in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia, etc. The role of more abstract constructs such as emotion, effort, and motivation in utility or value computation and action selection or policymaking is still quite nascent. This Research Topic attempts to bring together research projects that address this need. We welcome theoretical and experimental studies that apply ‘reward or utility maximization and action-selection’ framework to psychiatric conditions such as impulsive (e.g. gambling, addiction), mood and anxiety, and compulsive disorders. Novel approaches that expand this framework and incorporate constructs such as emotion, effort, and motivation are of special focus. The call is open but not restricted to: ● Novel experimental studies/paradigms that investigate effort, motivation, mood, and anxiety in a reward-utility framework in health and disease such as OCD, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. ● Computational models that utilize either data-driven, simulation-based approaches, and reinforcement learning models where the abstract factors such as effort, motivation, mood, and anxiety are represented in terms of value or utility. ● Research that focuses on studying the causal relationship between decision making and effort, motivation, mood, and anxiety ● Translation research such as pharmacological interventions where insights gained could potentially help design novel treatment/ diagnostic methods. SUBMISSION DATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract deadline: 30th September 2020 Manuscript deadline: 01 Jan 2021 DETAILS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/15163/exploring-psychopathology… -- https://sites.google.com/view/alekhyamandali/home

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Tobii Pro & ePrime NOW INCLUDED! | Call for Research Projects | Bitbrain
by Eduardo López-Larraz Sept. 3, 2020

Sept. 3, 2020

Dear all, >From Bitbrain we pleased to announce that *Tobii Pro* and *Psychology Software Tools* are joining our *Call for Research Projects* to provide additional research solutions. In addition to the hardware and software provided by Bitbrain, Psychology Software Tools and Tobii Pro have kindly offered to complete our offering with their solutions. Their contribution will be as follows: - *Psychology Software Tools*: E-Prime Licenses for up to two projects that need comprehensive stimulus presentation. - *Tobii Pro:* Up to two projects may choose between the Tobii Pro Fusion 250 Hz remote eye tracking system or the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 50 Hz. In addition, a one year access to the Tobii Pro Lab software will be granted, to ensure successful analysis of the eye tracking data. Accordingly, the awards comprise up to *150K€ **in equipment and software licenses of Bitbrain, plus Psychology Software Tools and Tobii Pro selected solutions* (more info below), for research projects in the areas of *human behavior research *and *brain-computer interfaces*. The deadline for submissions is *September 21st, 2020.* See full information here <https://bit.ly/2QKWslU> [image: sponsor-brands-call2] Call for Research Projects *Aim of the Call* This year has been unexpectedly complicated for all of us. We have had an ongoing threat to public health with a strong impact on economic activity in every country and organization. Scientific endeavors have been delayed in most research fields, and many research conferences and symposiums have been postponed or canceled. The aim of this call is to catalyze and mobilize research in human behavior and brain-computer interfaces during this difficult time, by supporting outstanding research projects for 2 years of duration starting in 2021. This is our way of giving back to the scientific community and helping research projects start-up in the wake of COVID 19. Bitbrain's mission is to boost real-world research and real-life applications that enhance people's lives. For this reason, we particularly welcome project proposals from academia or research institutions that are exploring neuroscience research in real-world settings. *The Awards* *This initiative awards projects with up 150K€ in equipment and software licenses of Bitbrain, plus Psychology Software Tools and Tobii Pro selected solutions (see below or in our website).* Applicants should list all the equipment necessary to successfully carry out their research project proposal, selecting from these options, and irrespective of the cost: - *Bitbrain equipment:* Systems specifically designed to facilitate research in real-world settings and include high-tech EEG brain sensing devices and 35+ complementary monitoring technologies (GSR, BVP, ExG, etc), as well as Bitbrain's software solutions for synchronized multimodal data acquisition and analysis. The equipment will belong to the awarded institutions once the project is completed, but they are free to use it for other types of research. - *Psychology Software Tools*: E-Prime Licenses for projects that need stimulus presentation. - *Tobii Pro:* Up to two of the winning projects may choose between the Tobii Pro Fusion 250 Hz remote eye tracking system or the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 50 Hz. In addition, a one year access to the Tobii Pro Lab software will be granted, to ensure successful analysis of the eye tracking related parts of the project. *Call topics* 1. *Topic 1: Human Behavior Research:* We are looking for projects that expand the understanding of human behavior using multimodal approaches, preferably in ecological and natural conditions. The research includes, but is not limited to, cognitive sciences, clinical research, education, developmental psychology, human performance, UX or human factors, neuroeconomics, hyperscanning, neuroaesthetics, etc. 2. *Topic 2: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI):* We are looking for projects that expand the introduction or usage of brain-computer interfaces in ecological and natural conditions. Research project proposals should focus on the application of brain-computer interfaces in real-world scenarios, in areas such as immersive environments, neurorehabilitation, neuroadaptive technologies, hyperscanning, neuroprosthetics, etc *Jury* - Alan Kingstone, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia. Canada. - Ander Ramos, Ph.D., Head of the Neurorehabilitation Lab. University of Tübingen. Germany. - Dima Amso, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology at Columbia University. USA. - Gernot Müller-Putz, Ph.D., Professor and Head of the Institute of Neural Engineering. Graz University of Technology. Austria. - Marco Congedo, Ph.D., Charge de Research (CNRS), France. - Tad Brunye, Ph.D., Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Tufts University; Senior Research Psychologist, Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, USA. - Tiago Falk, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Multimedia/Multimodal Signal Analysis and Enhancement (MuSAE) Laboratory. University of Toronto. Canada. *Important Dates* - Submission of applications: 21st September - Communication of the awards: 6th October - Contracts: 12th October - Equipment delivering: 20th December - Kick-off Meetings: 11th January See full information here <https://bit.ly/2QKWslU> The Bitbrain Team

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postdoc position in mouse electrophysiology at Ernst Strungmann Institute (Frankfurt, Germany)
by Scholvinck, Marieke Sept. 2, 2020

Sept. 2, 2020

We are hiring! We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to lead the mouse work of the Zero-Noise Lab at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Frankfurt, Germany. THE LAB The Zero-Noise Lab investigates how neuronal population activity unfolds in real time during naturalistic behaviour - and how this simultaneously encodes multiple ongoing cognitive processes like learning, attention, and perceptual decision making. What's more, we compare this across species: We conduct chronic electrophysiological recordings in the visual cortex of macaques and mice while they perform the same naturalistic foraging task in a virtual environment. We are no fans of cross-trial averaging - if the brain only gets one shot at making sense of its activity, so should we! The lab is jointly headed by Marieke Schölvinck and Martha Havenith, and funded by the Max Planck Society. It is a highly collaborative environment - postdocs and PhD students focus on either mouse or monkey, but work together intensely to constantly align experiments across species. YOU We are looking for a postdoc to lead the mouse side of the lab, while developing their own ideas and research interests. If you hold (or are about to hold) a Ph.D. in Systems Neuroscience, and are eager to decipher the neuronal basis of naturalistic cognitive processing in an interdisciplinary lab, we would love to hear from you! Useful skills: - Experience with electrophysiological recordings in awake animals - Programming skills (Matlab/Python) - Technical skills to build an electrophysiology set-up - Experience with behavioural training HOW TO APPLY If you are interested, please send an email to Marieke (marieke.scholvinck(a)esi-frankfurt.de<mailto:marieke.scholvinck@esi-frankfurt.de>) and Martha (martha.havenith(a)esi-frankfurt.de<mailto:martha.havenith@esi-frankfurt.de>) before September 30, 2020. In your email, please explain your background, what you expect from your postdoc, and why you want to join us. The application remains open until the position is filled. We look forward to hearing from you! Martha and Marieke

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Biological Cybernetics- Articles by grad students and postdocs only
by Fellous, Jean-Marc - (fellous) Sept. 1, 2020

Sept. 1, 2020

Dear members of the community, Biological Cybernetics<https://www.springer.com/journal/422> is launching 3 new types of articles. These manuscripts can only be co-authored by Junior Scientists (defined as graduate students or postdoctoral fellows) and will be reviewed by one regular reviewer and one or more Junior Scientists. The scope of the journal can be found here<https://www.springer.com/journal/422/aims-and-scope> . - Mini review or tutorial: 3000 words, 2-3 Figures. A didactic but comprehensive overview of a topic or technique of interest to the Biological Cybernetics community. Authors are encouraged to also give their own perspective on the matter where appropriate in a separate clearly marked subsection. Authors are encouraged to contact the co-editor in chief to discuss appropriateness/fit of the manuscript. - Journal Club: 1200 words, 1 Figure. A short and focused account of a recent (less than one year old) publication in Biological Cybernetics or elsewhere. The authors should not belong to the same institution as any of the co-authors on the chosen publication. The manuscript should go beyond a simple summary of the original publication and point to aspects of the work of specific relevance to the Biological Cybernetics readership. - Short Communication: 2000 words, 2-3 Figures. Authors are encouraged to submit a short account of results that would not be sufficient for a full publication, but which are deemed worthy of communication to the scientific community. These could be the outcome of a 'side' project, a 'follow up' study, an interesting 'condition'. Though restricted in scope, the results are expected to be of the same quality (e.g. statistical power, proper controls for experimental submissions, mathematical rigor and clarity of exposition for theoretical submissions) as those found in a regular research paper and will be evaluated as such. Pilot experiments or preliminary data are not suitable. At the time of submission, a short note (email OK) from the advisor to the co-editor in chief is required indicating that s/he has been informed of the content/scope of the manuscript. For questions, please contact Jean-Marc Fellous (fellous at arizona.edu) Co-Editor in Chief. Jean-Marc Fellous Professor Departments of Psychology and Biomedical Engineering University of Arizona On behalf of Benjamin Lindner (Editor in Chief), Peter Thomas and Paul Tiesinga (Co-Editors in Chief) Biological Cybernetics: https://www.springer.com/journal/422 Biological Cybernetics Aims and Scope: https://www.springer.com/journal/422/aims-and-scope

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Post-doctoral positions
by sio Sept. 1, 2020

Sept. 1, 2020

Open Postdoctoral positions 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 several post-doctoral research positions in the field of neuromorphic engineering 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 November 2020 and can be flexibly adjusted as needed. 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.

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Open PhD Positions in Dendritic Processing for Novel Computing Concepts
by Robert Legenstein Sept. 1, 2020

Sept. 1, 2020

The Lab of Robert Legenstein at TU Graz is offering funded PhD positions in the area Deep Learning and Computational Neuroscience. A background in Deep Learning, Computataional Neuroscience, Computer Science, or Mathematics is desirable, as well as evidence for excellent prior performance as a student. Successful candidates will investigate models of computation and learning in neuronal networks with nonlinear dendritic processing and develop learning algorithms for optical processing hardware. She/he will be embedded in the interdisciplinary consortium of the EU-FET-open project ADOPD (Adaptive Optical Dendrites). See https://www.tugraz.at/institute/igi/people/prof-legenstein/projects/#c204996 for a brief project description. Please send your application including a CV, any prior thesis and/or work, and trascript of records by 15. September 2020 to robert.legenstein(a)igi.tugraz.at Dr. Robert Legenstein Institute Head Institute of Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria https://www.tugraz.at/institute/igi/people/prof-legenstein/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. ++43/316/873-5824 ---------------------------------- -- Dr. Robert Legenstein Associate Professor Institute Head Institute for Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria http://www.igi.tugraz.at/legi/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. ++43/316/873-5824 ----------------------------------

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