PhD position in South American historical and comparative linguistics

Δημοσίευση:

Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics has a vacancy for a PhD position in South American historical and comparative linguistics

Vacancynumber: 19-469

Project description

The Descriptive and Comparative Linguistics group at the Leiden University Center for Linguistics invites applicants for a PhD position in South-American historical and comparative linguistics. The main task of the PhD candidate will be to reconstruct socio-historical relationships between Pano, Arawak, and Andean groups in central Peru, based on a comparison of lexical and structural linguistic data. In cooperation with the other team members, these linguistic data are supplemented with geographical, ethnological, and genetic data, in cooperation with the other members of the project.

The project is funded by Rik van Gijn’s ERC Consolidator grant. In the context of this project we offer a unique chance to work in a truly multi-disciplinary context, which gives you the possibility to expand your horizon to other disciplines, cooperate with experienced scholars, and contribute to creating new knowledge about the history of South America. We furthermore offer close supervision and support in developing, operationalizing, and presenting your ideas.

Key responsibilities

  • Completing a PhD thesis within four years;
  • Publishing at least one article in a peer-reviewed journal;
  • Participation in meetings of the project research group;
  • Presenting papers at conferences.

Selection criteria

  • MA degree in linguistics or related discipline (we will also consider degrees in anthropology and/or computational linguistics if affinity with historical linguistics can be shown).
  • Demonstrable training in comparative and historical linguistics, and an affinity with contact linguistics and South American indigenous languages and cultures.
  • Fluent in English, preferably also in Spanish; Portuguese is considered an advantage.
  • Experience with database work and programming skills are considered an advantage.

Research at our faculty/ institute

The Faculty of Humanities is rich in expertise in fields such as philosophy, religious studies, history, art history, literature, linguistics and area studies covering nearly every region of the world. With its staff of 995, the faculty provides 27 master’s and 25 bachelor’s programmes for over 7,000 students based at locations in Leiden’s historic city centre and in modern buildings in The Hague.

The Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (www.lucl.nl) has a longstanding tradition in research in the world’s languages and features unique linguistic expertise and its own Linguistics Labs. LUCL unites experimental linguistics with other linguistic subdisciplines such as general linguistics, historical linguistics, descriptive linguistics, and sociolinguistics in its research profile area “Language Diversity in the World”.

Terms and conditions

Appointment will be according to the terms of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten). The employment will be for a period of four years (first a contract of 18 months with an extension of 30 months after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility), starting 1 January 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment must lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. The gross monthly salary is set on € 2,325.- in the first year, increasing to € 2,972.- gross per month in the final year.

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More at http://www.workingat.leiden.edu/.

Diversity

Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Information

For further information on this project please contact Dr. Rik van Gijn, email e.van.gijn@hum.leidenuniv.nl, or on practical matters Maarit van Gammeren, email m.s.k.van.gammeren@hum.leidenuniv.nl.

Applications

Applications should be submitted no later than 15-11-2019 via the blue button in our application system (https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/vacancies/2019/q4/19-469-6464-phd-candidate-on-south-american-historical-and-comparative-linguistics).

Applicants should submit online:

  • A motivation letter
  • A detailed curriculum vitae
  • Names, positions and contact information of two referees (no reference letters).

Interviews are planned in the week of 2-6 December 2019.

You can apply via the application button; no applications will be processed on the email addresses.

Enquiries from agencies are not appreciated.