Doctoral fellow

Job description

• You conduct research on the development of reading and arithmetic skills in children (end of kindergarten, beginning of primary school) in collaboration with supervisor prof. dr. Lien Peters.
  Children who are fluent at arithmetic are often also better readers. Furthermore, diagnoses of dyslexia (reading and/or spelling disorder) and dyscalculia (arithmetic disorder) often go hand in hand. In this research project we investigate which factors in preschool ameliorate or hinder the development of reading and arithmetic skills, and the extent to which these factors are shared between reading and arithmetic. We investigate both factors within the child (e.g., intelligence, language, executive functions, phonological and numerical skills, etc.), as well as factors in the child's environment (e.g., home environment, school context, etc.). Depending on the acquisition of additional funding, there might be opportunities to investigate the neural correlates of reading and arithmetic (e.g., via fMRI research).
• You will be part of the Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RiDDL) at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Ghent University.
• You will write scientific articles, prepare a doctoral dissertation, and will present your work at (inter)national conferences.

Job profile

• You hold a Master’s degree in Psychology (clinical or experimental), Educational Sciences (special needs education), Speech Therapy or an equivalent thereof. Your degree should be obtained by the starting date.
• You are motivated, driven and eager to learn.
• You are fluent in Dutch and have a good knowledge of English
• You will work with children, families and schools during your project. Previous experience working with children is a plus. Good social and communication skills are a must.
• You work well independently as well as in a team. You are responsible for the planning and organization of your studies. Good organizational skills, punctuality and sense of responsibility are therefore necessary.

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, 2024 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 the Department of Personnel and Organization 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 (in Dutch).

How to apply

Send your CV, motivation letter, a copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), and an overview of your study results to lien.peters@ugent.be.
Review of applications will start immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact prof. dr. Lien Peters (lien.peters@ugent.be, +32 (0)9/ 264 86 26).