Ref 1513/23 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The building blocks of language: Words in Central Australian languages, School of Humanities and Communication Arts

• Campus Negotiable
• Remuneration Package: $39,341 to $46,421 pro rata rates
• Part-Time 0.3 FTE (10.5 hours), Fixed-Term position until 31st October 2025 

About Western
Western Sydney University is a modern, forward-thinking, research-led university, located at the heart of Australia’s fastest-growing and economically significant region, Western Sydney. The University is ranked in the top two per cent of universities worldwide, and as a research leader, over 85 per cent of the University’s assessed research is rated at ‘World Standard’ or above. The University’s clear mission is to create thriving communities by producing successful graduates and impactful research with a clear mission to create thriving communities by producing successful graduates and impactful research, driven by four values of boldness, integrity, fairness and excellence.

About the Team
The School of Humanities and Communication Arts offers programs in arts, communication and creative industries, design (visual communication), interpreting and translation, languages, music, TESOL, and creative music therapy. Innovative subjects focus on contemporary debates, perspectives, methods and technologies. Wherever possible, programs include practical training, often through involvement in community and industry-based projects.

The School of Humanities and Communication Arts manages a broad technical infrastructure including a television studio, music recording studios, specialist IT laboratories, sound and video post-production studios, a professional design studio, a television and radio journalism studio, and portable equipment stores.  The School of Humanities and Communication Arts is located on three campuses: Bankstown, Parramatta, and Penrith.

About the Role
The School of Humanities and Communication Arts is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join a linguistics research project at Western Sydney University. 

This Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is funded by an ARC Discovery grant, “The building blocks of language: Words in Central Australian languages” awarded to Chief Investigator’s (CI’s) Professor Robert Mailhammer at the School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, in collaboration with Chief Investigators from Macquarie University, University of Newcastle and the Australian National University.

This project seeks to model the structure of words and phrases in four indigenous languages of central Australia: Anmatyerr, Kaytetye, Warlmanpa and Warumungu. The project will advance our understanding of the different ways that words and phrases function as the building blocks of language: how words vary in complexity, and the different ways that they combine to generate higher levels of linguistic structure.  The project will preserve Indigenous language heritage and contribute to Indigenous cultural maintenance, a significant factor in advancing Indigenous well-being. The project will generate new insights into language structure that will advance linguistic theory, and inform language teaching and speech processing technologies.

In this role you will work with the team to develop a corpus of high-quality documentation for the Anmatyerr, Kaytetye, Warlmanpa and Warumungu communities. You will help conduct systematic studies with speakers of Anmatyerr, Kaytetye, Warlmanpa and Warumungu to comparatively assess existing and new theoretical predictions about linguistic constituency, advancing theoretical models of constituency and phrase structure. The goal is to develop a theory of how words and phrases are reliably different and relevant diagnostics that are informed by the project's findings.

This is a part-time 0.3 FTE (10.5 hours), fixed-term position until 31st October 2025.  Position location to be discussed at interview.

About You
The successful candidate will have a PhD in linguistics or a related area. Familiarity with Australian Indigenous languages is desirable.  You will be a team player with expertise or the ability to develop expertise in morphophonology and/or morphosyntax. 

For further information on this position, please read the attached position description.  If this sounds like an opportunity you are interested in, please apply and carefully address the selection criteria in your application.

Remuneration Package: Academic Level B $39,341 to $46,421 pro rata rates (comprising Salary of $33,243 to $39,254 pro rata rates, plus Superannuation and Leave Loading). 

Position Enquiries: Please contact Professor Robert Mailhammer via email [email protected]

Recruitment Enquiries: The Recruitment Team can be contacted 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday via email [email protected]

Closing Date: 8:30pm, Sunday 18 June 2023.

Work rights for Australia
Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. You must provide evidence of your working rights in Australia at time of application.

Please click here to view Position Description Opens in new window

Western Sydney University is committed to diversity and social inclusion. Applications from people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; equity target groups including women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ, and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are encouraged.

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