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PhD student scholarship on semi-automatically generating scientific models, London (England)

Apply now: Four-year PhD Scholarship on semi-automatically generating
scientific models

   LSE Philosophy seeks to recruit two research students for a fully
funded 4-year PhD degree, contributing to our exciting ERC project on
Genetically Evolving Models in Science (GEMS), [1]awarded to Professor
Fernand Gobet. Applications close on Wednesday 13 January 2021.

   The GEMS project

   The development of scientific models suffers from two related problems:
ever-growing number of experimental results and scientists? cognitive
limitations (including cognitive biases). This multidisciplinary project
(psychology, computer modelling, computer science, philosophy and
cognitive neuroscience) addresses these problems by developing a novel
methodology for generating scientific models automatically. The
methodology is general and can be applied to any science where
experimental data are available.

   The method treats models as computer programs and evolves a population
of models using genetic programming. The extent to which the models fit
the empirical data is used as a fitness function. The best models ?
potentially modified by crossover and mutation ? are selected for the
next generation.

   In this project, the GEMS methodology will be used both with simple and
complex datasets, and both with psychology and neuroscience data. In
addition to extending the methodology and creates techniques to
understand and compare the evolved models, it will apply it to explain a
wide range of data on human cognition (e.g. attention, memory and
learning) and animal behaviour.

   The GEMS PhD scholarship

   The GEMS project seeks to recruit two PhD students. The students will
contribute to the project by using the GEMS methodology to generate
models of animal behaviour in the fields of classical conditioning and
categorisation; they will thus develop new successful models in animal
behaviour and a better theoretical understanding of the cognitive
mechanisms used in this domain.

   The students should have an excellent undergraduate degree and a
completed Master?s degree in philosophy, experimental psychology and
cognitive modelling or another relevant subject, such as comparative
psychology and cognitive science.

   The primary supervisor of the PhD project will be Professor Fernand
Gobet, with co-supervision from another member of the LSE Philosophy
Department. If you have any questions, please write to
f.gobet@lse.ac.uk. Fernand will share the project description with
potential applicants to help you develop appropriate research proposals.


   The successful applicant will receive full funding for a 4-year PhD at
LSE, including full payment of tuition fees AND a maintenance stipend of
£18,000 per annum. This is an exceptionally generous PhD scholarship.

   How to apply

   To apply, please apply to the MPhil/PhD in Philosophy [2] at LSE in the
usual way, carefully following all the requirements described on the LSE
website. When you apply, please indicate clearly in your application (in
both your Statement of Academic Purpose AND your Research Proposal) that
you wish to be considered for the GEMS scholarship.

   You should include, in your research proposal, a substantial
description (of at least 1,500 words) of a research project relevant to
GEMS.

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