Thesis in cognitive science : “Prosociality and empathy toward social robots – cross-disciplinary view from anthropology, neuroscience and art” (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Note: Speaking french is a requirement for this position.

The social and emotional engagement elicited by robots goes beyond purely technical considerations. Numerous studies demonstrate how ill-equipped we are to deal with the strange novelty of robots, to the point of recognizing in them, even temporarily, qualities akin to those of living beings and social beings. How do we become attached to a robot? Are we willing to help a robot in distress? How does a robot's behavior influence the decisions we make?
In this thesis, your objective will be to examine the mechanisms of empathy and socio-affective engagement towards embodied robotic agents. This will involve adopting an interdisciplinary approach that fosters dialogue between robotics, neuroscience, anthropology, and the arts, in order to cross-reference questions and methods and enrich each discipline involved through the others. The project is based on an interactive art installation combining narrative and visual creation, activated by laboratory experimentation. One of the project's major challenges lies in the integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches from the various disciplines involved: ethnographic methods, computational modeling, brain and electrodermal recording, etc. Therefore, a strong motivation to engage in interdisciplinary research is an essential prerequisite for this project.
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.).

*** 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 French
• 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
◦ ethnographic analyses

*** Hiring process
All applications must be submitted via this portal (i.e. Portail emploi CNRS) by the 3rd of June 2026, 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 end of June.

Your Work Environment

Note: Speaking french is a requirement for this position.

This position is a 3-year PhD contract funded by CNRS through the call Défi transverse “Le Cerveau” by MITI. In collaboration between ETIS and LPNC, this thesis will be prepare under the supervision of Dr. Marwen Belkaid (ETIS) and co-supervision of Drs. Joffrey Becker (ETIS) et Aurélie Campagne (LPNC). It will be main carried out in the NEUROCYBER (neurocybernetics) team at ETIS. The successful candidate will be enrolled at CY's EM2PSI (Economics, Management, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science) doctoral school. The candidate will also be secondarily affiliated with the VISEMO team at LPNC. Dr. Campagne's supervision will be partially provided remotely, and via visits to LPNC.
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.
The LPNC is a joint research unit affiliated with the CNRS and two universities (Université Grenoble Alpes and Université Savoie Mont-Blanc) and is a leading center in psychology, neuropsychology, and cognitive and computational neuroscience. The VISEMO team specializes in the study of visual perception and emotional processes through bio-inspired modeling and behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging measurements in healthy and pathological subjects.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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