The Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d) in the area of: Autonomous Machine Learning / Computational Modeling of Cognitive Development. The primary goal is to develop computational models that autonomously learn abstract representations and models of the world and ways to interact with it in and open-ended fashion from self-motivated physical interactions. Relevant keywords include: autotelic learning, open-ended learning, continual learning, intrinsic motivation, causality, compositionally, hierarchy, modularity. Please find links to some of our recent publications at the bottom. Your profile We are seeking an outstanding and highly motivated postdoc for this position. Applicants should have obtained a PhD in Machine Learning, Cognitive Science, Robotics, or related field. The ideal candidate will have excellent programming and analytic skills and a broad knowledge of machine learning and/or cognitive science. A strong interest in open-ended learning systems and human cognitive development is important. About FIAS The Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) is a hub for theoretical and computational research dedicated to solving complex scientific challenges. Our institute is located on the science campus of Goethe University Frankfurt (Campus Riedberg). Our fellows pursue interdisciplinary approaches to address fundamental questions in the various areas of natural sciences with an emphasis on biologically inspired computing. The working language of the institute is English. The position We offer a 2-year fulltime position in the lab of Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS). Salary is based on TV-H E/13. FIAS is committed to fostering a workplace culture that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from qualified individuals regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation. Severely disabled persons with equal qualifications will be given priority. Your application Please submit your application in a single pdf file including: • a cover letter including the (expected) date of your PhD and your desired starting date, • a statement of research interests, • your CV with publication list, • contact information for at least two references. by 8 August, 2026 via our online portal: https://jobapplication.hrworks.de/de?companyId=amb4af72&id=efcd33 For further questions, please contact: Scientific issues: Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch (triesch@fias.uni-frankfurt.de) Administrative issues: Meike Taplik (hr@fias.uni-frankfurt.de) -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Chair for Theoretical Life Sciences Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Goethe University Frankfurt Some relevant recent papers: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/11204381 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/desc.70211 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-73226-3_4 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/desc.70231 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64234-z