Computational Cognitive Development Lab

We're hiring!! The Computational Cognitive Development lab (PI: Daphna Buchsbaum) at Brown University is looking for a full time lab manager! The targeted start date is any time between now and the start of the fall semester. Please see the ad below for details, as well as our lab website for more information about our research: https://sites.brown.edu/cocodevlab/

Position Overview
This position will manage and contribute to research using experimental and computational approaches to study children’s learning and thinking, as well as dog cognition. The position coordinates and facilitates all aspects of research in the lab. This will involve a mix of research and administrative duties, and day-to-day work will vary.

Administrative duties include recruiting, training and coordinating undergraduate research assistants, initiating and maintaining relationships with preschools, schools, museums and other recruitment sites, organizing meetings and schedules amongst all lab members and collaborators, maintaining lab social media and website, and assisting with IRB protocols and grant preparation, presentations, and applications.

Research duties will include conducting experiments with children and/or dogs in the lab and at other research sites, as well as assisting with data analysis and the preparation of research for publication. The appointee will coordinate closely with Dr. Buchsbaum on these tasks, but should be able to work independently. Taking an active role in all stages of the research is strongly encouraged, and there may be opportunities to develop independent projects and participate in reading groups and research seminars.

This is a 100% grant-funded and fixed-term position for one year with the possibility of renewal depending on the funding source.

Education and Experience
Bachelor of Science or Arts in psychology, cognitive science, computer science, or related field is required.
1-2 years of related research experience (or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered)
Job Competencies
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, works well with a team
An ability to work independently, takes the initiative without waiting to be told what to do
Keen attention to detail, and an interest in cognitive development
Very responsible, good time management skills
Availability for flexible scheduling including evenings and weekends
Administrative experience and experience working with children and dogs is preferred
The applicant must be comfortable interacting with children of all ages, with dogs and their owners, with undergraduate students, and with parents and community members
Computer literacy, a strong statistical background, and computer programming or web development skills are strongly preferred
Experience with specific software and apparatus used in the lab (ex. Qualtrics, eye-tracker, R, SolidWorks)
Demonstrated ability to support a community of diverse perspectives and cultures in an inclusive environment.
TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION
Please submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the position, a CV/Resume, and the contact information for 3 references. *The cover letter and CV should be uploaded as a single document.*

https://brown.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/staff-careers-brown/details/Research-Assistant_REQ196455

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

Brown University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community; as an EEO/AA employer, Brown considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of, gender, s*x, s*xual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, race, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Research Assistant Job Description: This position will manage and contribute to research on experimental and computational approaches to study children’s learning and thinking, as well as dog cognition. The position coordinates and facilitates all aspects of research in the lab. This will involve a mix of mix of res...

The Computational Cognitive Development Lab is pleased to announce that our very own PI, Daphna Buchsbaum, has been awarded the Wriston Fellowship from Brown University!

This fellowship is quoted as being “The most prestigious award that Brown offers to junior faculty, the Wriston Fellowship, recognizes the accomplishments of an assistant professor or lecturer who has demonstrated exceptional ability and dedication as a teacher. Consistent with Brown’s emphasis on the essential interdependence of teaching and research, the Wriston Fellow should combine excellence in the classroom with outstanding scholarship.”

Furthermore, this award recognizes that “creative faculty members are a university’s greatest asset, ... that their efforts to improve the quality of education must be recognized and rewarded, ... [and] that effective teaching is possible only when teacher-scholars are given sufficient time to create and to evaluate new teaching methods and courses of instruction. The Fellowship consequently provides a semester of paid leave which is typically taken in advance of the decision about tenure and promotion.”

We are so proud of Dr. Buchsbaum for being recognized with this very well-deserved award, and cannot wait to see what more she will do with her time at Brown!

Congratulations Daphna!

Faculty Prizes The College oversees three teaching and advising prizes, awarded each year: the Henry Merritt Wriston Fellowship, the Karen T. Romer Prize for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring, and the Meenakshi Narain Excellence in Research Mentoring Award.

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT! The CoCoDev Lab's very own Rebekah Gelpí and Dr. Buchsbaum just published a chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Evolution — check it out here!
https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/45648/chapter/444035754

Why do children sometimes 'over-imitate' adults? How does imitation facilitate causal reasoning? What sets children's learning apart from that of other animals? Find out the answers to these questions and more when you read "Children as Cultural Explorers" by Gelpí & Buchsbaum (2024)!

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027724000076

We asked if preschool children, chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys can consider abstract patterns to guide their foraging behaviour in a sampling task. Children and, to a more limited extent, chimpanzees demonstrated their sensitivity to abstract patterns in the evidence. In contrast, capuchin monkeys did not exhibit conclusive evidence for the ability of abstract knowledge formation.

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Thanks to Brain Week Rhode Island for having us at the Pawtucket Brain Fair this weekend! It was great to meet so many local families interested in science. Thank you to all who voted in our color-naming poll.... and the results are in! P.S. the gold stars are votes from kids and the silver stars are votes from adults ⭐️

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