HeaR

+++Breaking News: Jobs: Two 30-Month Postdoctoral Fellowships in Philosophy of Mind, University of Turin (E.Di Bona)

The Department of Philosophy and Education Sciences at the University of Turin (Italy) invites applications for two 30-month Postdoctoral Fellowships in Philosophy of Mind, funded by the FIS 5-year Project “Hearing and Remembering (HeaR)” (FIS – Fondo Italiano Scienza).

The project, led by Prof. Elvira Di Bona, investigates the relationship between sound and memory through an interdisciplinary approach combining philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science. It examines the temporal experience of sounds (including environmental sounds, speech, and music), compares auditory and visual perception, and investigates the nature of auditory memory.

Position 1: Philosophy of Memory (BANDO 28/POST DOC)

Salary: €36,622.37 gross per year

The successful candidate should have demonstrated expertise in philosophy of memory. Responsibilities include:

•  conducting research in philosophy of memory within the analytic tradition;

•  producing at least three research publications during the fellowship;

•  teaching, in English, an introductory course in philosophy of mind;

•  contributing to the organization of public engagement, outreach and dissemination activities related to the HeaR project.

The provisional starting date of the job is Fall 2026. Applications have to be made via the PICA online system (“Piattaforma Integrata Concorsi Atenei”, https://lavorainateneo.unito.it/details.html?id=f6f6e24b-eed4-46de-a6b2-285da1d17722).

The deadline is August 31 st 2026.

Position 2: Philosophy of Perception (BANDO 27/POST DOC)

Salary: €35,174.00 gross per year

The successful candidate should have demonstrated expertise in philosophy of perception. Responsibilities include:

•  conducting research in analytic philosophy of perception on the relationshipn between temporal perception and auditory and/or visual perception;

•  producing at least three research publications during the fellowship;

•  contributing to teaching activities, including teaching a seminar, and undergraduate and graduate student supervision;

• contributing to the organization of public engagement, outreach and dissemination activities related to the HeaR project.

The provisional starting date of the job is Fall 2026. Applications have to be made via the PICA online system (“Piattaforma Integrata Concorsi Atenei”, https://lavorainateneo.unito.it/details.html?id=bf535331-c0c6-4db3-8721-7bde3653424b).

The deadline is August 31 st 2026.

Both postdoctoral researchers will work closely with Prof. Elvira Di Bona (https://www.dfe.unito.it/do/docenti.pl/Show?_id=edibona#tab-ricerca), collaborate with members of the MUMBLE group (https://www.llc-philosophy.unito.it/mumblellc), and contribute to the research activities of the HeaR project. 

The working language of the project is English.

Prospective candidates are welcome to contact Prof. Elvira Di Bona (elvira.dibona@unito.it) with informal questions about the research positions. Questions regarding the call or the online application procedure should be addressed to assegniricerca@unito.it.

Hear from us...

HeaR is the FIS Project led by Professor Elvira Di Bona. The name suggests the research question that inspires it: what is the relation between sounds - that which we HeaR - and memory.

While we can observe and analyse visual objects—like trees, tables, and chairs—at will, auditory perception works differently. Sounds like melodies, spoken language, or footsteps unfold over time, requiring us to follow their progression to identify them. However, as a melody unfolds, some features—such as the interval between the first two tones—fade into the past. This makes memory essential for perceiving audible events effectively.

HeaR's methodology is based on:
1) a comparison between auditory and visual perceptual experience of events;
2) an interdisciplinary investigation of the temporality of different kinds of sound and their relation to memory;
3) a dialogue with classical philosophers, like William James and Edmund Husserl, who investigated the relation between memory and time.

Based in Turin, the team includes postdoctoral researchers Donald Oxtoby and Daniele Cassaghi. The group collaborates with Turin's Mumble Research Group; the Centre for Logic, Language, and Cognition; researchers affiliated with the Atmos project, also directed by Professor Di Bona. Our team activities are enriched by the contributions from doctoral researcher Niccolò Nanni and several promising students.

HeaR is funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research with a grant of 1 million euros. The budget is allocated through the Fondo Italiano per la Scienza (FIS).