Call for  postdoc in infant sensorimotor development

Postdoc position in infant sensorimotor development - CTU, Prague

We invite applications for a postdoctoral position in the Humanoid and cognitive robotics group led by Assoc. Prof. Matej Hoffmann at the Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague.

Project context 

The position is part of the project “Understanding infant body know-how development through baby humanoid robots (ROBOTBABY)”. The postdoc will coordinate the developmental psychology aspects of the project, which aims to: 

1. Study infant behavior in three scenarios: (i) spontaneous behavior, (ii) reaching to touch, (iii) reaching to visual targets.

2. Apply AI-based tools to extract motion trajectories from infant videos.

3. Refine and advance theories of body know-how development.

The group offers a unique dataset of infant behavioral recordings, combined with state-of-the-art AI tools for automatic movement analysis. While the focus is behavioral, the project may also involve brain imaging (iEEG in adults, fNIRS in infants).

Requirements

• PhD in developmental or cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or related fields. 

• Expertise in the specific research topics and interest in embodied computational modeling is a plus.  

What we offer

• Two-year appointment (with possible extension). 

• Salary: approx. 3000 EUR / month (gross), depending on the applicant’s qualifications, with additional bonuses tied to publication outputs.

• A highly international and interdisciplinary group with a unique track record in these research areas.

• No mandatory teaching; opportunities for teaching are available if desired.

• The postdoc will conduct independent research, help shape group research directions, and supervise students.

• Access to baby humanoid robots and simulators, motion capture facilities, and high-performance computing clusters.

International collaborations:

The project involves collaborations with: 

• Prof. Daniela Corbetta (U. Tennessee Knoxville – UTK, USA)

• Prof. Francesca Garbarini (U. Turin, Italy) 

• Prof. Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Dr. Hoshinori Kanazawa (U. Tokyo, Japan)

• Prof. Matthew R. Longo (Birkbeck U., London, UK) 

• Prof. Tobias Heed (U. Salzburg, Austria) 

• Dr. Kevin O’Regan (U. Paris Cité, France) 

• Dr. Luke E. Miller (Donders Inst., Radboud U., Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

Starting date:

January 1st, 2026 (flexible).

How to apply: 

Please send the following documents to matej.hoffmann@fel.cvut.cz with “Postdoc application” in the subject line. 

- Motivation letter (max. 1 page)

- CV (including contact details of two references)

Deadline: October 1, 2025.

If you are attending the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) in Prague (https://icdl2025.fel.cvut.cz/), feel free to approach Matej Hoffmann there.