The Laboratory of Agent Based Social Simulation at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies CNR is seeking candidates for a one-year post-doc position (renewable up to 3-years) to work on the EU Horizon 2020 project ‘PROTON’ for simulative research on the evolution of organized crime and terrorist networks.

The Laboratory of Agent Based Social Simulation at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies CNR is seeking candidates for a one-year post-doc position (renewable up to 3-years) to work on the EU Horizon 2020 project ‘PROTON’ for simulative research on the evolution of organized crime and terrorist networks.

The aim of PROTON is to study and understand the process and factors leading to the development of, particularly individuals’ recruitment to, organised crime and terrorist networks with an innovative integration between social, psychological, and computational sciences.

The team will consist of cognitive scientists, sociologists, and computer scientists. Accordingly, the project requires a willingness to thrive in a highly interdisciplinary environment.

The postdoctoral researcher will mainly work on the development of ABM simulations that allow 1) entities and structures associated with organised crime and terrorist networks to be modelled, 2) the effects of environmental, social, psychological, and economic factors on individual’s recruitment to organised crime and terrorist networks to be tested, and 3) policies to limit the recruitment activity of organised crime and terrorist networks to be explored.

Mathematical modelling and programming skills are essential.

Knowledge of agent-based simulation platforms, for example NetLogo, and statistical analysis platforms, for example R, is a plus.

While highly desirable, a PhD is not an essential requirement. We will also consider candidates who are nearing the end of their PhDs.

The successful applicant is expected to join the team as soon as possible. The kick off meeting of the project is scheduled for October 27-28 2016, to which the successful applicant should be able to attend.

The LABSS hosts a highly interdisciplinary research group working at the intersection among cognitive, social and computational sciences. It is situated within the ISTC (Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies) at the Italian National Research Council, and located nearby the central train station in Rome, Italy.

The call will be opened officially in the next few days online on the ISTC-CNR website “Opportunities” section (to be linked here also).