PhD Candidate in Auditory Cognition and Voice Research at RWTH Aachen University 2026

As part of establishing the Emmy Noether Research Group “UniCoRN,” led by Dr. Isabel Schiller, two doctoral positions are available at RWTH Aachen University. UniCoRN stands for “From Unidirectional to Interactive Communication: Revealing the Impacts of Voice and Noise on Listening and Speaking” and, starting in summer 2026, will investigate how vocal characteristics and background noise influence listening effort, speaking effort, memory performance, and communicative behavior.

Become part of the UniCoRN team and apply for one of the following positions:

• Doctoral Position 1 – Listening Effort and Memory

This position examines how voice quality and speakers' body posture influence listeners' listening effort and memory. In ecologically valid, partly VR-based scenarios, the project analyzes how visual and auditory signals interact and draw on cognitive resources during speech comprehension. Behavioral data will be combined with physiological measures (eg, heart rate variability, pupillometry) to identify key mechanisms of speech understanding under challenging conditions and to further develop existing theoretical models.

• Doctoral Position 2 – Auditory Feedback Modulation

This position investigates how real-time changes in voice quality through auditory feedback modulation affect voice production and which vocal-motor mechanisms are involved. In addition to conducting a systematic meta-analysis, the project includes experimental studies in which vocal responses are acoustically quantified and analyzed. The aim is to advance our understanding of core processes in voice production and the role of feedback loops, both theoretically and with regard to practical applications.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineMay 12, 2026
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorRWTH Aachen University
• City to studyNorth Rhine-Westphalia
• School to studyRWTH Aachen University
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Requirements

An above-average Master's degree (or comparable) in one of the following fields is required:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science or Neuroscience
• Linguistics or Psycholinguistics
• Engineering (with a focus on acoustics, speech, or voice processing)
• or a closely related discipline

In addition, you should have:

• a strong interest in auditory cognition and voice research
• very good written and spoken English skills
• solid knowledge of statistical analysis using R
• excellent communication skills in interdisciplinary contexts
• strong analytical thinking skills as well as a structured and reliable working style
• a high degree of personal responsibility combined with a proactive approach to work
• Enjoyment of close teamwork and willingness to actively contribute
• interest in and willingness to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of acoustics
• willingness to travel for work
• ideally, experience in programming experimental paradigms (eg, PsychoPy)

In addition, applicants for PhD Position 1 should have:

• a strong interest in VR-based experiments
• enthusiasm for developing a new cognitive psychology paradigm
• ideally, prior experience with Unity or Unreal (training can be provided)
• ideally, experience in collecting and analyzing physiological data

In addition, applicants for PhD Position 2 should have:

• a strong interest in auditory feedback modulation
• theoretical background in one or more of the following areas: vocal motor control and feedback loops, phonetics, voice research
• willingness to learn software for feedback modulation (KiRAT)
• ideally, prior experience in analyzing acoustic data (eg, Praat or Python)

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholarship

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• For more information, kindly visit the RWTH Aachen University webpage.