Prospective Graduate Students
We are looking for 1-2 new PhD students in the current application cycle. Please consider applying if you are interested in morality, social dilemmas, societal decision-making, rationality, or altruism. We especially encourage applications from people interested in studying these topics using a combination of behavioral experiments and computational modeling. Prior experience with computational methods is helpful, but not required.
If you are interested in potentially doing your Ph.D. in the Rational Altruism Lab, please apply to UCLA’s Ph.D. program in psychology, select the Cognitive Area, and indicate Dr. Lieder as a potential mentor. The application deadline is December 1. For more information about how to apply, please consult Application & Instructions.
Note: The application deadline for the 2024-25 cycle has passed.
Post Doctoral Positions
The Rational Altruism Lab will have openings for postdoctoral researchers in the future. If you would like to be notified when a postdoc position is posted, please fill in the Rational Altruism Lab Interest Form.
Another avenue to a postdoc position in our lab is to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship. Securing a postdoctoral fellowship will allow you to pursue your scientific interests with a greater degree of independence and flexibility, and it is also a great way to build career capital. If you are considering applying for a postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research in our lab, please reach out to Dr. Lieder at altruismlab@g.ucla.edu.
Unpaid Research Opportunities
Research Assistant Positions
We regularly advertise several unpaid research assistant positions for specific projects in our lab. These positions are a great opportunity to gain research experience and earn co-authorships on scientific publications.
UCLA students can earn course credit. Bachelor’s and master’s students from other universities are also welcome to apply.
***Applications are now open***
The early-bird application deadline for Spring 2025 is Feb 5. The application remains open until Feb 15. To be considered, please complete the research assistants recruitment form.
Honors Theses, Bachelor’s Theses, and Master’s Theses
Dr. Lieder is available to supervise honors theses, bachelor’s theses, and master’s theses on projects aligned with the research program of the Rational Altruism Lab. We usually have a list of several potential thesis projects for interested students to choose from; our current list includes projects on moral learning, decision-making in social dilemmas, procrastination, and moral reflection. We advertise thesis projects twice a year, in January/February and in September/October. Students are selected through a competitive application process.
This opportunity is available for students in UCLA’s honors program, as well as bachelor’s and master’s students from other universities whose programs allow them to write their thesis at another institution. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are eligible to write a thesis and that their program allows them to choose Dr. Lieder as the scientific supervisor of their thesis. If you might want to write your thesis in our lab later, we highly recommend that you join the lab as a research assistant first.
Expression of Interest
If you are interested in working in the lab as a research assistant or writing your thesis in our lab, please fill in the Rational Altruism Lab Interest Form to get notified when you can apply.
Paid Postbac Research Assistant Positions
Currently, there are no openings for paid, full-time, professional research assistants. If you would like to be notified when a research assistant position is posted, please fill in the Rational Altruism Lab Interest Form.
Lab Manager Position
Our lab manager position is filled (at least) until the end of Summer 2025. If you would like to be notified when the position becomes available, please complete the Rational Altruism Lab Interest Form.
Other Opportunities
If you would like to be notified when a position is posted, please fill in the Rational Altruism Lab Interest Form.
If you have any questions, please email us at altruismlab@g.ucla.edu