2 Postdoctoral Research Fellowships – University of Cambridge

New Directions in the Philosophy of Mind: A Research Initiative developed by the John Templeton Foundation and the University of Cambridge‘s Faculty of Philosophy

The University of Cambridge intends to appoint two postdoctoral fellows as part of the project, ‘New directions in the philosophy of mind’, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The fellowships will each last for two years, and the appointments will start in July 2015. The posts are based in central Cambridge.

The Cambridge Project aims to pursue questions about the mind within a nonreductionist, nonphysicalist framework. It attempts to construct alternative ways of looking at the metaphysics of mind which reject (or suspend commitment to) the reductionist and physicalist assumptions current in contemporary philosophy of mind, while incorporating the insights of the sciences of the mind.

The postdoctoral fellows will work under the supervision of the Project Leader, Professor Tim Crane. They will pursue their own research under the umbrella of this project, attend the weekly seminar for the project, and assist the Project Leader in the assessment of proposals for support by the project, and in organizing the Project’s workshops and conferences.

Successful candidates will be expected to provide evidence of exceptional potential for research and publication. They may have publications in peer-reviewed journals, though this is not essential; what they will have is an ability to think creatively and independently about problems in the philosophy of mind, and an ability to interact profitably with empirical scientists of the mind, whether or not their own research is interdisciplinary. Successful candidates will have a serious interest in thinking beyond common physicalist and reductionist paradigms in philosophy of mind, and thinking about how nonreductionist ideas might be usefully informed by and related to empirical research in psychology and neuroscience.

Eligible applicants will have a PhD in the philosophy of mind or the philosophy of psychology (Research Associate) or will be in the processing of submitting their thesis by the starting date of the project (1st July 2015). If the appointee does not hold a PhD at the start of the appointment, the lower salary range (Research Assistant) applies. Progression to the higher salary range (Research Associate) would follow on award of the PhD. Philosophy of mind here is construed broadly: researchers who have worked in any philosophical investigation of the mind, from metaphysics and the philosophy of cognitive science to phenomenology, are welcome to apply. Candidates will provide a research proposal in any of these areas, outlining a two-year research project on themes relevant to the project.

SALARY: £24,775-£27,864 or £28,695-£37,394

Applications must be submitted by 10:00 hours GMT on Monday 19 January 2015

Read more and apply here.