Description of the thesis topic

Acting jointly toward a shared goal often requires that our decisions incorporate expectations about our partners' decisions. Research on joint action has so far focused on the problem of sensorimotor coordination between co-actors. However, the neurocomputational mechanisms underlying interpersonal coordination in the broader sense are still poorly understood. In this project, we will examine joint action from the perspective of decision-making. We will adopt an interdisciplinary approach combining human-human experiments with computational modeling, electroencephalography (EEG), and human-robot experiments.

In this PhD thesis, your aim will be to uncover the neurocomputational mechanisms allowing people to collaborate toward a shared goal and take others into account in their decision process. Specifically, you will investigate the extent to which individuals use self-, other-, and joint-models when they make decisions in the context of joint action. Overall, the project will involve human experiments, computational modeling and EEG. The focus can be placed on one or more aspects depending on the skills of the selected candidate and the direction that we take in the project. But the motivation to engage in an interdisciplinary research is an essential requirement.
Your tasks will include reviewing the literature, designing and running experiments, developing and simulating computational models, analyzing data, writing scientific articles, and presenting your work at scientific conferences and public events (lab visits, public outreach, etc.).

Work Context

This position is a 3-year PhD contract. It is financially supported by the MITI – CNRS, the CY Initiative – Emergence programme, and the Junior Professor Chair of Marwen Belkaid. The PhD project will be carried out in the NEURO (neurocybernetics) team at ETIS (UMR8051), under the supervision of Marwen Belkaid and Ghiles Mostafaoui. This thesis is also part of a larger scientific project including internal and external collaborations from which the candidate will be able to benefit. The successful candidate will be enrolled at CY's EM2PSI (Economics, Management, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science) doctoral school.

ETIS is a joint lab between CY Cergy Paris Université, ENSEA and CNRS, and a prominent research unit in computer science and information technology in France. NEURO is one of ETIS's four multi-PI teams and is specialized in neurorobotics, computational neuroscience, and cognitive science. The team has become a major actor in these research areas in France with multiple national and international collaborations.

Constraints and risks

# Requirements
For this position, you should meet the following requirements:
• Master's degree or equivalent in cognitive science, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, or related disciplines.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Scientific curiosity and desire to work in an interdisciplinary project
• Intellectual rigor and proactive attitude
• Skills and prior experience in at least one of the following domains:
◦ human experiments
◦ neurocomputational modeling
◦ statistical or model-based data analysis
◦ EEG analysis

# Hiring process
All applications must be submitted via this portal (i.e. Portail emploi CNRS) by the 11th of May 2025, and should include:
• CV (1 or 2 pages max)
• Motivation letter including a short description of your background, a statement of your research interests and motivation for this position, and why you think you would be a good fit (1 page)
• Academic transcripts for Undergraduate and Master's degrees
• Two reference letters or contact details of two referees
• One or two samples of scientific writing when available (i.e. publications or project reports; links to publicly available online documents are accepted)
For full consideration, all the items listed above should be included or the absence thereof justified.
Informal inquiries via email prior to full applications are welcome.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview between May and June.