13 November: fyi -- postgrad funding, UK
Index of November 2001 | Index of year: 2001 | Full index
Request for post of type: graduate
Expiration Date:
PhD STUDENTSHIP IN COGNITIVE MODELLING
(3 year full time, 8,100 GBP p.a., EU citizens only)
Department of Computer Science,
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK.
The studentship will involve carrying out research into the
application of neural network models to cognitive function and
dysfunction. Of particular interest are dynamic, attractor based
models of associative memory. The student will be strongly
encouraged to relate this programme to a topical field of cognitive
psychology/cognitive neuropsychology. In particular: higher order
cognition as an emergent property of a modular network, modelling
normal categorisation and concept representation and/or modelling
abnormal conceptual knowledge (e.g. as found in
dementia/schizophrenia).Ý
The supervision is cross-disciplinary and therefore ensures expertise
from Computer Scientists with track records in ANN research and
Cognitive Psychologists with research expertise in Human Cognition.
Supervisory sessions involve the supervisors from both departments,
to ensure parallel development of the research in ANNs and cognition.
Since 1993 strong collaborative research (and teaching) links between
the Department of Computer Science (RAE 4) and the Department of
Psychology (RAE 3a) have resulted in a series of successful
inter-disciplinary studentships based on artificial neural networks
(ANNs). All of these studentships have had either a primary focus on
modelling some aspect of normal/abnormal cognition, or developing
ANNs and evaluating their psychological plausibility. This
studentship will be of the latter kind, i.e. carrying out research on
ANNs and relating these to a field of cognition.
The research programme could begin in January 2002, but the start is
negotiable. Research students are encouraged to undertake some
teaching support activities, which will be paid in addition to the
studentship.
Application forms can be obtained from:
Lorraine Nichols
EIS Research Administrator
EIS Research Office
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane
Hatfield
AL10 9AB, UK
L.Nichols@herts.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1707286083
Any questions regarding the research program should be directed to
Ray Frank, R.J.Frank@herts.ac.uk
Some more information about Computer Science Neural Network research
at UH can be found at
http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~nngroup
and information about related Psychology Department research at:
http://www.psy.herts.ac.uk and follow staff links to John Done
Since 1993 there have been seven Computer Science /Psychology
Inter-Disciplinary studentships, of which four have successfully
completed their PhDs within the 4 year period and two are in
progress. The other PhD student took up a position at the University
of Colorado in his second year and has yet to complete. All students
have presented to at least 2 conferences overseas ( USA, Spain,
Czechoslovakia, Belgium), with one being invited to become a UK
organiser for future conferences. Two students obtained US
scholarships to attend workshops on cognitive modelling in the US.
A substantial number of papers in peer reviewed journals and
conference proceedings have resulted from the PhD
programme/collaborative work with supervisors during the studentships.
A selection of papers produced by students in previous collaborations:
Power, W., Frank, R., Done, D. J., Davey, N. (1999)
A Modular Attractor Model of Semantic Access. Foundations and Tools
for Neural Modelling. International Work-Conference on Artificial
Neural Networks, IWANN'99.
Tim Gale, Lorna Peters, Ray Frank, Neil Davey (2000)
Perceptual Distinction In An Unsupervised Neural Network:
Implications for Theories of Category-specific Deficits
Proceedings of Second International ICSC Symposium on Neural
Computation / NC'2000
Nix, A., Davey, N. Messer, D. & Smith, P. (1998). A Connectionist
Account of Spanish Determiner Production. Proceedings of the 8th
International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, ICANN 98.
Volume 2, pages 1077-1082..
Lorna Peters, Neil Davey Pam Smith, David Messer (1999)
A Reward Driven Connectionist Model of Cognitive Development
Proceedings of European Conference on Cognitive Science, Sienna 1999
Peters, L., Davey N, Messer D, Smith P (1999)
An Investigation into Karmilov-Smith's RR model: The effects of
structured tuition. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17,
277-292
Lorna Peters, Neil Davey Pam Smith, David Messer. (2000)
Connectionist Modelling of Skill Development: Object Balancing in
Young Children. Proceedings of the International Conference on
Cognitive Modelling (ICCM) 2000.
St-Aubyn, M., Davey, N. (1997)
Connectionist rule processing using recursive auto-associative
memory. Proceedings of the Fifth European Symposium On Artificial
Neural Networks 225-230. Bruges (Belgium).
Index of November 2001 | Index of year: 2001 | Full index