Doctoral Position at the Center for Cognitive and Decision Sciences

The Faculty of Psychology is one of seven faculties of the oldest university in Switzerland. With our core focus Society & Choice and Health & Interventions, we are successful both nationally and internationally in our research and study programs.

The Center for Cognitive and Decision Sciences investigates how individuals across the lifespan understand and evaluate risks and make decisions.
Candidates should be interested in studying how individuals and society evaluate novel technologies and manage associated risks. The doctoral project will focus on risk and benefit perceptions, public discourse, and science communication around existing and emerging technologies (e.g., genetic modification, nuclear power, artificial intelligence).

The project will involve analyzing public and media discourse as key components of democratic decision-making, identifying how different audiences mentally represent risks and benefits, and testing which communication formats are most effective for informing diverse publics. Approaches will include cognitive science and computational social science methods, such as natural language processing and network science, as well as large-scale surveys and behavioral experiments.
The ideal candidate:

• Holds an MSc in Psychology or a related field
• Has experience with, or a strong interest in learning, computational methods including programming in the context of data analysis
• Possesses excellent written and oral language skills in both English and German
• Has an interest in public opinion, risk perception, and science communication

• A PhD position of up to four years (i.e., an initial one-year contract, followed by a three-year extension upon positive evaluation)
• Structured doctoral training within the Society & Choice doctoral program at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel
• A highly interdisciplinary, supportive, and collaborative work environment
• A truly international setting in Basel, bordering with France and Germany, and a wide range of cultural activities
• Competitive salary and an excellent quality of life in Switzerland
• Flexible working hours and terms of employment in accordance with the guidelines of the University of Basel

The University of Basel is an equal opportunity and family friendly employer committed to excellence through diversity. To increase the number of women in leading academic positions, the university strongly encourages applications from women.
Application / Contact

Applicants should submit the following:

• CV
• A single additional PDF containing a research statement, MSc thesis or publication(s), and contact information for references

via the online application portal of the University of Basel (applications through other channels will not be considered).
 
Review of applications will begin on 24 June 2026 (with interviews 1-3 July) but will continue until the position is filled.
 
For further information or queries, please contact Dr Samuel Aeschbach ([email protected]) using “PhD vacancy" as the email subject.