Friedrich Schiller University is a traditional university with a strong research profile rooted in the heart of Germany. As a university covering all disciplines, it offers a wide range of subjects. Its research is focused on the areas Light—Life—Liberty. It is closely networked with non-research institutions, research companies and renowned cultural institutions. With around 18,000 students and more than 8,600 employees, the university plays a major role in shaping Jena’s character as a cosmopolitan and future-oriented city.

The Department of English (Section: Linguistics) invites applications for the position of a

Doctoral Candidate

commencing on February 1st, 2025 (or later). We offer a full-time position (40 hours per week) as a fixed-term position for a maximum of 3 years.

The position is part of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network funded by the European Commission that investigates Spatial Communication and Ageing across Languages (SCALA) (https://scala-project.eu/). The project at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena is concerned with “Egocentric spatial language across ages and generations”. The principal investigator and PhD supervisor of this project is Prof. Holger Diessel (https://holgerdiessel.uni-jena.de/).

Your responsibilities:

• You will use methods of corpus- and computational linguistics to investigate the use of spatial expressions in different languages and their development across the lifespan from early childhood to old age.
• You will enroll in the PhD program of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and will describe the results of your research in a doctoral thesis.
• You will publish the results of your research in international peer-reviewed journals together with the PI or as a single author.
• You will attend the regular meetings of the doctoral network and will spend some time at one of the partner universities during a secondment.
• You will attend international conferences and participate in the research activities in linguistics at FSU Jena.

Your profile:

• You have a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in linguistics or a related discipline (e.g. computational linguistics, psycholinguistics, cognitive science). It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• You have a solid background in corpus- and/or computational linguistics and are familiar with advanced methods of statistics.
• Ideally, you will also have a background in psycholinguistics and/or linguistic typology.
• German language skills are a plus, but not a requirement to apply.
• At the time of recruitment, the candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the last 3 years. Short stays such as holidays and/or compulsory national service are not taken into account.

We offer:

• An interesting position at an international level with participation in an international training program.
• The position includes (i) living allowance of about €3,400 (country correction coefficient applies), (2) mobility allowance of about €600, and (3) family allowance (€660), if applicable (https://scala-project.eu/recruitment/)).
• Training on topics in linguistics, psycholinguistics and cognitive science and workshops on various academic skills.
• An interdisciplinary research environment where you will meet internationally renowned researchers in various disciplines from several European countries.
• A stimulating research environment at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena offering colloquia and seminars in addition to those offered by the Doctoral Network.

How to apply:

• The application procedure consists of two steps (https://scala-project.eu/recruitment/): an optional eligibility check (deadline September 15th, 2024) and the mandatory application at the FSU Jena (deadline October 15st, 2024).
• Please send your application materials for the eligibility check to the following address: eligibility.check.scala@uni-muenster.de
• If your eligibility has been confirmed by the central selection committee, please submit your application to the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena using the link below.
• Contact information: holger.diessel@uni-jena.de

Candidates with severe disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.

Are you eager to work for us? Then apply by October 15st, 2024 using our online form.