Postdoctoral Scholar, Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Lab

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process . Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants .

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants .

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Lab at Penn State, directed by Roger Beaty, is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to join projects funded by NSF, Amazon, and the Army Research Institute that use behavioral, computational, and brain imaging methods to study creative thinking.

Responsibilities include designing and conducting behavioral and neuroimaging experiments, developing and applying computational methods for creativity assessment, and/or analyzing behavioral and brain imaging data. The Postdoctoral Scholar will also contribute to grant-related activities, prepare manuscripts for publication, and have the opportunity to mentor undergraduate and graduate research assistants.

Research in the lab spans several related areas, including developing and validating AI-powered tools for measuring creativity, investigating how generative AI shapes creative performance, studying the cognitive and neural mechanisms of creative thinking using fMRI, and examining creativity in the context of STEM education. The Postdoctoral Scholar will have the opportunity to contribute across these areas and to develop new lines of research.

The start date is flexible, and applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

We are especially interested in applicants with an excellent publication record and experience in one or more of the following: creativity, computational methods, natural language processing, psychometrics, neuroimaging, or human-AI interaction.

A Ph.D. in psychology, neuroscience, education, computer science, or a related field is required by the appointment date. Additional requirements include a record of publications.

Interested candidates must submit an online application at Penn State’s Job Posting Board , and should upload the following application materials: a letter of interest, CV or resume, and a list of three references with contact information. For information on the position, please contact Roger Beaty, at rebeaty@psu.edu.

The Department of Psychology is home to the Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Lab. More information on our Department can be found at https://psych.la.psu.edu/ . Any questions or concerns with the online application should be directed to Cyndi Meyers at cab408@psu.edu.

The position is located on Penn State’s University Park Campus in central Pennsylvania.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

This position requires the following clearances in addition to applicable background checks: PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form, and Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here .

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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