The Graduate School at Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, in collaboration with the European Research Executive Agency (Horizon/MSCA), invites applications for two fully funded PhD fellowships in the neural correlates of spatial communication and mental body map in typical and atypical ageing provided the necessary funding is available. The PhD fellowships are available as of 1 February 2025 for a period of up to three years. The candidate who is awarded one of the fellowships must commence his/her PhD degree programme on 1 February 2025. 

PhD1 & PhD2 investigate how the neural and behavioral underpinnings of spatial language and mental body maps are modulated by ageing and how these effects are distributed. Structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in combination with magnetoencephalograpy (MEG) is used to map the structural and functional variability of brain regions known to be involved in linguistic and non-linguistic spatial processing. MR is used to map the spatial processing variability while MEG is used to map the temporal processing variability, thus providing a map of the distribution of ageing effects in the neural and behavioral underpinnings of spatial communication and their underlying conscious and nonconscious body maps.

The two PhDs will collaborate throughout, but PhD1 will have a focus on the normal ageing brain while PhD2 will have a focus on Parkinson’s disease (PD), a brain disease characterized by rigidity and slowness of movements, likely affecting spatial processing and body maps.

Applicants are automatically considered for both positions.

In their application, applicants are asked to provide a plan for two experiments, one conducted on a normal ageing sample and one on a PD sample. One experiment should use neuroimaging (MR/fMRI/MEG), and one should be a behavioral/introspective report study.

The positions are part of the EU Horizon-MSCA Doctoral Network project SCALA: Spatial Communication and Ageing across Languages.

Researchers funded by Horizon-MSCA Doctoral Networks

• can be of any nationality
• must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization (Denmark) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date (1 February 2025).

The candidate is expected to have a master’s degree in cognitive science, neuroscience, linguistics, psychology or similar. Experience with experimental design, coding, data collection and analysis is an advantage.

Enrolment and place of work
The PhD student must complete the studies in accordance with the valid regulations for the PhD degree programme, currently the Ministerial Order of 27 August 2013 on the PhD degree programme at the universities: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/

Description of the graduate school’s PhD degree programme: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/phdstudystructure/

Rules and regulations for the PhD degree programme at the Graduate School at Arts: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/  

The PhD fellow will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Graduate School at Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, with the aim of completing a PhD degree at the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University.

The PhD student will be affiliated with the PhD programme Language, Linguistics, Communication and Cognition.

The PhD student’s place of work will be the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University. In general, the student is expected to be present at the school on an everyday basis.

The PhD degree programme is expected to include a lengthy research stay at a foreign institution, cf. Description of the graduate school’s PhD degree programme.

School of Communication and Culture’s research programme: http://cc.au.dk/en/research/research-programmes/

5+3 programme
When you apply for a 3-year PhD fellowship (5+3), you must have completed your two year Master’s degree (120 ECTS) no later than 31 January 2025.

The PhD fellow will be employed as a PhD student at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University. The terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (see section 6.1.4), as well as with the protocol to the agreement covering staff with university degrees in the state sector (see enclosure 5). The agreement and the protocol including amendments are available online: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/

Salary: http://phd.arts.au.dk/financing/salary-and-employment/salary-5-3/

How to apply
The application must include:

• Motivation/cover letter (statement of motivation and research interests, max one A4 page of 2,400 characters including spaces)
• CV (including a complete list of education, positions, publications and other qualifying activities)
• Project description outlining how the candidate envisages completing the work to be undertaken during the course of the term of appointment.
  The overall project description (excl. list of project literature/bibliography/reference list and timetable) must not exceed 12,000 characters including spaces, tables, diagrams, footnotes, endnotes and illustrations (5 A4 pages of 2,400 characters each)
• Project literature/reference list
• Timetable (mandatory form)
• Cover sheet (form stating your degrees)
• Copies of educational certificates (Bachelor and Master’s degrees). The diplomas or diploma supplement/transcript of records must state: name of university, education (Bachelor or Master), duration (number of years, full-time), courses, marks and (if given) ECTS credits.

Please see a detailed description of the requirements for the application in the guide for the application facility: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/how-to-apply/  

Application
If you require professional guidance regarding your application for the PhD fellowship please contact the PhD programme director at Language, Linguistics, Communication and Cognition:  http://phd.arts.au.dk/about-us/contact/

For further information, please contact Assistant professor Andreas Højlund, School of Communication and Culture, hojlund@cc.au.dk or Professor Mikkel Wallentin, School of Communication and Culture, mikkel@cfin.au.dk, Phone + 45 8716 3186.

The application must be submitted in English.

All applicants must provide documentation of excellent communication skills in English which are considered essential, and you must therefore be able to read, write, and speak academic English fluently. English language requirement is comparable to a minimum of TOEFL 83 or IELTS 6.5. Please see this page for further information: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/english-test/

Child protection certificate
In accordance with Ministerial Order no. 554 of 23 May 2023, Aarhus University is obliged to obtain a statement of no previous convictions in respect of children in connection with the appointment and employment of staff whose work will involve direct contact with children under the age of 15. If you, in connection with your PhD project, will be in direct contact with children under the age of 15 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian, childcare professional or teacher, you will be covered by the requirements of the ministerial order.
    If you are covered by these requirements and read Danish, please complete the section “Samtykkeerklæring” (declaration of consent) in the police form and upload the file under “Other information to consider” in the application form. You can download the form here: https://politi.dk/-/media/mediefiler/landsdaekkende-dokumenter/straffeattest/brneattest-p274.pdf
    If you are covered by these requirements and do not read Danish, please upload a brief statement with the headline “Child protection certificate needed” under the field “Other information to consider” in the application form.

Applications for the PhD fellowship and enrolment in the PhD degree programme can only be submitted via the application form in Aarhus University’s web-based facility.

Deadline for applications: 1 October 2024 at 23.59 Danish time (CET/CEST).
Reference number: 2024-15

During the assessments, Aarhus University can conduct interviews with selected applicants.