About the role

Job Title: Pre-Doctoral Fellows (multiple positions), System 3 Reports to: One of the System 3 Principal Investigators Location: Bengaluru Experience (in years): At least 2 years of research experience Nature of work: Full-time fellowship, 18 to 24 months About the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change At the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC), we bring together behavioural scientists, policy experts, and researchers to develop novel insights and catalyse action. We partner with governments, non- profits, and corporations to embed behavioural science in programme design, creating solutions that work in practice and at scale. Established by Ashoka University with Gates Foundation support, we make development more people-centric through real-world applications of behavioural science. In recent years, CSBC researchers have contributed 25 peer-reviewed articles to top journals, advancing the nation’s behavioural evidence base and catalysing collaborations with leading institutions such as the University of Chicago, Yale School of Management, the University of Michigan, the Collegio Carlo Alberto, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For more information, please visit About System 3 System 3 is a new research lab under the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC). It will rest on two pillars. Basic science, from India: Most of what the world knows about how people think, trust and decide comes from a few narrow populations. India, with its range of languages, identities and institutions, is where those claims can be properly tested. We will run foundational, curiosity-driven research on cognition, judgement and behaviour, to learn which findings travel and which were only ever local. We take inspiration from the MIT Media Lab: open, accessible and joyful in the pursuit of credible science. AI and Behaviour: System 1 and System 2 describe the fast and slow thinking of the human mind, both shaped by the social and institutional worlds around us. System 3 will ask what happens to that mind in the age of AI. How do we learn, judge, trust and decide when intelligent machines are part of everyday life? What do we gain, and what do we quietly give away? This will be a major focus of our research agenda. The two pillars will reinforce each other. Understanding the human mind in all its diversity will let us study how AI changes it. We are a small team, early in our journey, based in Bengaluru. We are looking for people who like building something from scratch, who take ownership without waiting to be asked, and who are as comfortable rolling up their sleeves as thinking big. Role and Responsibilities System 3 is hiring two Pre-Doctoral Fellows to help build the lab from the ground up. The Fellows will run the lab day to day while learning how to design and run rigorous behavioural experiments. The fellowship suits someone who is considering a PhD, or who simply wants to learn research by doing it in a small, ambitious team. Reporting directly to one of the Principal Investigators, the Fellows will work as a team, sharing responsibility for the lab. What the Pre-Doc Fellows will do: 1. Run the lab

Take ownership of the lab’s day-to-day work, from scheduling and logistics to keeping studies running smoothly.
Help set up the lab’s systems and ways of working, and improve them as the lab learns.
Take ultimate responsibility for getting people to participate in the lab’s experiments, with the support of the wider team.
Guide and support Associates, helping them grow as researchers.

2. Learn to design and run experiments

Work with the Principal Investigators to turn research questions into well-designed experiments.
Programme studies, run them with participants and analyse the results.
Build the skills to design and lead their own studies.

3. Contribute to academic papers

Help prepare papers for peer review, including data, analysis and figures.
Document work clearly so that others can check it and build on it.

4. Open the lab to the curious

Help plan public lectures and discussions on behavioural and cognitive science.
Welcome anyone who is curious, whether or not they have a science background.

Qualifications

A four-year bachelor's degree, or a master's degree, in economics, computer science, psychology,cognitive science, neuroscience, statistics or a related field. Exceptional candidates from other disciplines with strong quantitative training are welcome.
At least 2 years of full-time research experience (a research-based master's may count towards this), ideally including programming and running an experiment (in a lab, online or in the field).

Technical Skills Required

Data collection through Qualtrics, SurveyCTO, oTree, z-Tree or similar.
Data analysis in Python, R, Stata, or Matlab, including regression and mixed-effects models.
Using agentic AI tools for research (coding, analysis, literature work), and checking what they produce.

Desirable

Programming behavioural experiments with precise timing in PsychoPy, jsPsych, lab.js, or Psychtoolbox (MATLAB).
Power analysis and simulation, and preregistration (OSF, AsPredicted).
Adapting tasks and measures across languages and populations (translation, back-translation, measurement invariance).
Running online studies through platforms such as Pavlovia.
Experience with cognitive paradigms and measures (reaction time, accuracy, psychophysics, working memory or attention tasks) and their analysis, e.g. signal detection theory.
Computational modelling of behaviour (e.g. drift diffusion, reinforcement learning models) or Bayesian analysis (brms, PyMC, Stan).
Eye-tracking or pupillometry (EyeLink, Tobii) or physiological measures (EEG, EDA, heart rate, fMRI), and their processing pipelines (e.g. MNE-Python, EEGLAB).

Professional Skills

Interest in AI, cognitive science or behavioural science.
Comfort with reaching out to people and encouraging them to take part in research, or a real willingness to learn how.
Ability to work with and develop junior colleagues.
A preference for flat teams, where a good idea counts for more than a title.
Willingness to do whatever a research start-up needs, from analysing data to setting up a room for a public talk.

Application Submission Process We invite you to embark on this journey by submitting your application to the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change. To ensure your candidacy receives the attention it deserves, kindly follow the application submission process outlined below: Prepare Your Materials: Please put together the following three items.

An updated CV: Showcase your professional accomplishments, skills, and experiences.
A one-page summary of your favourite lab experiment: Explain what the researchers did, what they learnt and why it’s your favourite.
A code sample: Share code you wrote for a research project, with a short summary of the research.

Include Essential Details: Along with your materials, kindly provide the following information:

Last compensation received: We value your expertise and acknowledge the importance of fair compensation.
Expected salary: Share your aspirations for growth and remuneration.
Notice period: Inform us of the time required to transition from your current role, if applicable.

Pursuit of Excellence: At Ashoka University, we strive for excellence in all aspects of our operations. Therefore, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted as part of our rigorous selection process. Adherence to Deadlines: Applications should be submitted by 25 October 2026, 5:00 pm IST. While late applications will not be considered, eligible applications may be reviewed and shortlisted on a rolling basis prior to the deadline. We look forward to receiving your application as we embark together on a remarkable journey of professional growth and development. Join our exceptional community at Ashoka University, where excellence is nurtured, and aspirations are transformed into reality. ABOUT ASHOKA UNIVERSITY Ashoka University is India's premier interdisciplinary higher education and research-focused institution, offering world-class opportunities in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Established in 2014 by leaders, thinkers, academics, and philanthropists from diverse fields, it operates on a unique model of collective philanthropy, integrating exemplary governance standards with cutting-edge pedagogy and a faculty body of international acclaim. Today, the University has a community of 3000+ students and operates seven Schools imparting industry-oriented education, professional skills, and values-based learning to prepare students for global careers. The University espouses principles of inclusivity and diversity, having more than 57% women, 4% international scholars, 100+ students with disabilities, and over 47% students on scholarships. Since its inception, Rs 723 crores have been awarded in scholarships with over 2,000 students receiving full-tuition fee waivers cumulatively and 5400+ students being supported through scholarships. In addition, nearly 5500 of Ashoka's alumni are pursuing careers of their choice in reputed organisations and leading universities across the world. Ashoka University continues to reaffirm its commitment to building an inclusive institution of excellence in teaching and research, nurturing responsible leaders for India and the world. In 2025, Ashoka University was honoured with the 'University of the Year (Emerging)' award at the 20th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2025 - one of India's notable industry platforms celebrating excellence in academia and innovation. The University also secured the first position in the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) 2025 in two prestigious categories. The Ashoka advantage will continue to equip its students with the skills to see the big picture - to critically analyse, question, interpret, craft compelling arguments, and find sustainable solutions. It is a collective effort towards nation-building. This is where tomorrow's leaders are born. Check out the Ashoka Website to know more :

Pre-Doctoral Fellows - System 3 - Centre for Social and Behaviour Change

About the role

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