Affective Neuroscience Assistant Research Scientist

About the role

The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland seeks an Assistant Research Scientist to advance interdisciplinary human‑subject research focused on affective neuroscience. The position involves designing and executing experiments that measure brain activity using functional near‑infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) to support national‑security objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Design and conduct fNIRS and EEG studies with human participants.
• Develop experimental protocols grounded in emotion and cognitive psychology.
• Recruit, consent, and manage participants in compliance with IRB regulations.
• Analyze neurophysiological and behavioral data using advanced statistical methods.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and contribute to scientific publications, reports, and briefings.
• Maintain open‑science practices and thorough documentation of all procedures.
• Participate in internal reviews, sponsor briefings, and project planning meetings.
• Assist with grant writing and funding proposal development as needed.

Required profile

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Psychology, Neuroscience, or a related field.
• Eligibility to obtain a U.S. security clearance, including U.S. citizenship.
• Experience conducting human‑subject research and handling IRB protocols.

Required skills

• Functional near‑infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) methodology.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) data acquisition and analysis.
• Statistical analysis of complex neurophysiological datasets.