Last application date Jul 30, 2026 23:59
Department PP05 - Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology
Degree Master
Occupancy rate 100%
Vacancy type Research staff
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
YOUR TASKS
As a PhD student, you will join our team and conduct research within our FWO-funded project "Mind the Mind: Testing the Mind-Space Theory in Autism”. This project is led by Prof. Dr. Roeljan Wiersema and Dr. Annabel Nijhof from the EXPLORA research group (https://www.ugent.be/pp/en/research/explora/overview.htm) and is carried out in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Geoff Bird (University College London).
People with autism experience social difficulties in their everyday lives. Traditionally, these difficulties have been explained by a deficit in Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to infer the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of others. However, this explanation has increasingly been called into question. Many individuals with autism perform well on ToM tasks in laboratory settings, despite experiencing clear social difficulties in daily life. In this project, we therefore aim to test two recent theoretical frameworks. The Mind-Space theory proposes that successful social interaction depends not only on inferring another person's mental states, but also on accurately representing the person's broader ‘mind’ (e.g. personality, intelligence). The Double Empathy theory argues that social interaction is bidirectional and that social difficulties in autism are not an inherent characteristic of autistic individuals, but rather arise from a mismatch between different minds or neurotypes (autistic vs non-autistic individuals). This theory predicts that social interactions between two individuals with autism may proceed more smoothly than interactions between individuals with and without autism. These two theories will be integrated and empirically tested within this project, using groups of autistic and non-autistic adults through both behavioural and EEG (hyperscanning) experiments.
You will become part of EXPLORA, an interdisciplinary research group comprising PhD researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and professors, all of whom are engaged in autism-related research. Regular team meetings, a strong collaborative culture, and strong supervision provide a supportive research environment.
You present your research results to the international scientific community and write up your findings in scientific publications. The ultimate goal of the research is to obtain a doctoral degree.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
- You hold a Master’s degree in Psychology or another relevant Master’s degree.
- If you have not yet obtained your Master’s degree, you may still apply if you will graduate in July 2026 (students with sufficient guarantees of graduation by 1 October 2026 - second examination session - may also apply). All degree requirements must be fulfilled by the date of appointment.
- You are motivated and passionate about conducting psychological research and have a strong interest in autism research.
- Experience with EEG is a plus but not required.
- You have programming experience.
- You are willing to pursue a PhD based on this research project.
- You can work independently as well as in a team.
- You have strong academic performance, reflected in good to excellent study results.
- You have strong written and spoken English skills.
- Preferably, you also have sufficient Dutch language skills for contact with participants.
- You are willing to participate in international conferences and publish in international journals.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which, after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
- Your contract will start on September 1, 2026 at the earliest.
- The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
INTERESTED?
Send your cv, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) including academic transcript, a motivation letter, and contact details of two referees to [email protected].
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
Application deadline: 30/07/2026
After an initial selection, shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview in the second or third week of August.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Dr. Roeljan Wiersema via [email protected]
