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Assistant/Associate Project Scientist- Ranganath and O'Reilly

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Position description

Dr. Charan Ranganath and Dr. Randy O’Reilly, Professors at the Center for Neuroscience and Psychology, at the University of California, Davis seek to fill a 1-year, full-time position as an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist starting in Fall 2020. The successful candidate will work on research projects in the laboratory focused on memory acquisition, retrieval and consolidation using a combination of computational modeling, neuroimaging, and behavioral research. The ideal candidate will have experience with research on episodic memory, sleep EEG staging, and advanced machine learning approaches to fMRI data analysis.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:
I. RESEARCH (85%) Research activity
(60%) The position requires leading a research group and determining research goals for a project exploring the neural mechanisms underlying learning of complex events in the context of goal-directed behavior. In collaboration with the Principal Investigators, the candidate will design specific experiments, including the selection of appropriate methods and techniques, perform data analyses, interpret results, and co-author research articles. The candidate will additionally develop new, biologically-based computational models of episodic memory acquisition and retrieval, sleep-dependent memory consolidation, and temporally extended, goal-directed cognition. The candidate will also advise students and junior specialists concerning method development and implementation, interpretation of results, and help plan follow-up experiments.

Publication (15%) The candidate will publish research results in peer-reviewed journals, books and other outlets either independently or in collaboration with the Pl or other members of the research team.

Grant Acquisition (10%) The candidate will collaborate with the Pl in designing and writing proposals for funding from agencies such as NIH and NSF. This role also includes preparation of progress reports for funding agencies.

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (10%) The candidate will participate in professional societies and conferences appropriate to his/her specific field and will serve as a reviewer of research proposals and scientific publications as appropriate. The candidate will attend conferences and seminars to present research results and may give oral presentations to public and professional interest groups.

Ill. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5%) The candidate may engage in public outreach activities that include presenting scientific research results to the general public and providing relevant advice to individuals and public agencies when the opportunities arise. The candidate will engage in University service activities such as guest lecturing and training/advising undergraduate volunteers on research projects in the PI’s laboratory. Teaching classroom courses is not an expectation of this position.

Position qualifications include:

Required: • Ph.D. degree in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or related field • Advanced skills in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collection and especially multivariate pattern-based analysis methods, including pattern classification and representational similarity analyses. • Advanced skills in electroencephalography (EEG) data collection and analysis • Experience in computational modeling of memory and learning • Experience in writing manuscripts for publications • Experience in grant proposal preparation • Experience in creating scientific illustrations for publications • Proof of skill set through peer-reviewed publications

Preferred: • Experience training graduate and undergraduate students in research methods • Extensive experience directly supervising a laboratory team

This posting will remain open until September 30, 2020. To apply, please go to the following link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF03772

Applicants should submit a cover letter of interest describing relevant skills, a diversity statement, and a resume. Documents/materials must be submitted as PDF files. Applicants should also provide contact information for 2-3 references.

Questions: Please direct questions to: ycpersonnel@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is dedicated to recruiting a diverse community. We welcome all qualified applicants to apply, including women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

UC Davis is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus effective January 1, 2014. Smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes) will be strictly prohibited on any property owned or leased by UC Davis-- indoors and outdoors, including parking lots and residential space. REQUIREMENTS Document requirements Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

Cover Letter

Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Diversity contributions documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/diversity/equity_inclusion/index.html for guidelines about writing a diversity statement and why one is requested.

Reference requirements 2-3 required (contact information only)

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/faculty-equity-and-inclusion for guidelines about writing a statement and why one is requested.

Reference requirements
  • 2-3 required (contact information only)
2023 Forbes Award: Best Employers for Diversity 2023 Forbes Award: Best Employers for Women

Job location

Davis, CA