Postdoc in NLP for Computational Social Science

The Pioneer Centre for AI and Department of Computer Science at the University of Copenhagen invites application for a 2-year postdoctoral full-time research position in the domain of Natural Language Processing.  

Project
NLP is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for social scientists. Yet, the intersection between the two disciplines is still poorly explored, with research in the two disciplines often being conducted as separate streams. The goal of this project is to research methods which can more directly be useful for downstream social science applications. One such application is to analyse common narratives in news, which requires methods including (interpretable) topic modelling, framing detection, social media analysis, etc.

The successful candidate will be affiliated with a larger initiative on narrative analysis, spanning different content modalities, with the autonomy to define their project in this larger context.

Inquiries about the position can be made to Professor Isabelle Augenstein ([email protected] ).

The position is for 24 months and open from 1 September 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background. It is a high priority at the Pioneer Centre for AI and the Department of Computer Science to foster environments of the highest excellence, allowing people from diverse backgrounds to thrive.

Working environment
The research will be conducted in collaboration with researchers at the Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence’s Speech and Language Collaboratory, CopeNLU and the Belongie Lab .

You will be part of both the Pioneer Centre for AI and the Department of Computer Science, offering a vibrant, international research community working across disciplines. The department is a member of the ELLIS unit Copenhagen , and Prof. Augenstein is an ELLIS Scholar.

The Department and Pioneer Centre for AI offer its researchers generous support for career development, own fundraising, travel, and visitors, as well as support for and access to computing facilities.

International applicants
The University of Copenhagen offers international researchers and their families a broad variety of services, such as support before and during relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Most international candidates qualify for a special foreign-researcher-tax scheme. Please find more information about these services as well as practical information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/ .

Copenhagen is continuously ranked among the top-5 livable cities in the world with clean air, beautiful architecture, a rich cultural life and dedication to work-life balance and “hygge”. Employees are offered 6-weeks of vacation annually, generous parental leave and Copenhagen offers great childcare facilities, international schools and is a very family-friendly city. 

Terms of employment
The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

Application
The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below. Please include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (copy of Bachelor, Master and PhD degree certificate or equivalent)
• Research plan – description of current and future research plans
• Complete publication list
• Separate reprints of 3 particularly relevant papers

The deadline for applications is 14 April 2024, 23:59 CEST.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.

Interviews will be held in late April.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.