As part of the DFG Cluster of Excellence "The Adaptive Mind" (TAM), a four-year PhD-student position is available in the lab of Constantin Rothkopf at TU Darmstadt. In TAM (https://theadaptivemind-excellencecluster.de/), the universities of Giessen, Marburg, and Darmstadt, in collaboration with the University of Frankfurt and the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), conduct interdisciplinary research in mind, brain, and behavior. We combine state-of-the-art behavioral and neurophysiological research with approaches from psychiatry and clinical psychology, as well as quantitative analyses and computational modeling using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics. We measure and model the continuous adaptation of natural human behavior in a constantly changing and unpredictable world. Possible research directions include human navigation under uncertainty, active learning and active sensing, sensorimotor control and intuitive physics, and causal reasoning in natural behavior. Our research environment includes large-scale VR and naturalistic experimental setups, infrastructure for tracking eye and body movements, strong collaborations in cognitive science, neuroscience, and AI, and access to excellent computing infrastructure. Our group (https://www.pip.tu-darmstadt.de) is part of the Centre for Cognitive Science and the AI Center at TU Darmstadt, which are home to an internationally outstanding group of PIs and junior researchers working in the areas of computational cognitive science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. We are part of the two Excellence Clusters, “The Adaptive Mind” and “Reasonable AI”, the Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE), and engage in multiple fruitful research collaborations. Our lab fosters an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative environment driven by scientific curiosity and mutual respect. We maintain close interactions with other research groups, including joint lab meetings. We are looking for candidates with an M.Sc. in cognitive science, machine learning, AI, computer science, neuroscience, psychology, engineering, or related fields, with an interest in combining theory, experiments, and computational models, and strong programming and quantitative skills. For informal inquiries, please reach out to constantin.rothkopf@tu-darmstadt.de. Please apply through the central application portal at https://www.career.tu-darmstadt.de/tu-darmstadt/job/54045 The Frankfurt-Darmstadt metropolitan area is located in the heart of Europe and is one of the most international regions in Germany, with a diverse community and rich culture, and has repeatedly earned high rankings in worldwide surveys of quality of life. Frankfurt has recently achieved a top worldwide ranking of attractiveness according to The Economist, and Darmstadt has consistently ranked among the top innovation-driving cities in Germany.