PhD student in linguistics

at Department of linguistics . Closing date: 15 April 2022.

The Department of Linguistics is offering one doctoral position in linguistics with a profile in language documentation and description. The Department of Linguistics conducts research and offers education in the areas of general linguistics, computational linguistics, phonetics, child language development, sign language and multilingualism in the deaf and hard of hearing. Within the area of general linguistics, the department constitutes a leading environment for linguistic diversity and typology, nationally as well as internationally. Several doctoral studies and research projects based at the department have contributed to the documentation and description of little studied and potentially endangered languages in widely different parts of the world

Project description
The PhD student’s dissertation work will be conducted within the framework of the project Gawarbati – Documenting a vulnerable linguistic community in the Hindu Kush (funded by the Swedish Research Council, 2020-01500), see Research Project: Gawarbati. The project works towards annotating, analysing and making available data for the Indo-Aryan language Gawarbati, spoken in the border area of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The project’s primary goals are to build a searchable corpus based on audio/video recordings and to set up a lexical database. Further, the collected and analysed data will be used to produce a typologically informed language description and contribute to the establishment of a reliable phylogenetic and areal classification of Gawarbati. The project is carried out in close collaboration with the speaker community and a language centre based in Pakistan. The local team of trained employees work mainly with data collection and transcription, while the focus of the work in Stockholm is to process, analyse and disseminate the data.

The doctoral student will work in close collaboration with the principal investigator, and the dissertation work is expected to have a focus with direct relevance to the project's focus, objectives and issues, as set out above. There is some flexibility in the specific research profile, depending on the applicant’s previous studies, qualifications and research interests, but the data generated by the project should be used in a justifiable way. It is of the utmost importance that the connection between the intended dissertation work and the research project within which it is to be conducted is given prominence in the applicant’s dissertation plan.

Please note that the doctoral student is not expected to conduct fieldwork within the framework of the project, and that there are no special funds set aside for such activities or travel. The position consists of 80% degree-related work and 20% departmental duties. The latter are not part of the doctoral programme, but form a basis for extending the total number of months/years available for degree work (equivalent to four years full-time work). The departmental duties will initially consist in project assistant work which may not relate directly to the dissertation topic, and may be replaced by teaching or administration work in the department at a later stage of the PhD studies. The total time to complete the doctoral programme is estimated to be five years under these conditions

Qualification requirements
In order to meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

In order to meet the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in linguistics, the general syllabus stipulates that an applicant must have received a passing grade on course work of at least 30 higher education credits from the second cycle in Linguistics, including a degree project of at least 15 credits on a topic relevant to the proposed research plan. In addition, the applicant is required to be proficient in the language of the proposed doctoral thesis (English or Swedish). Proficiency is demonstrated in the research plan and other relevant parts of the application (such as undergraduate theses, publications, grades and certificates). The entry requirements can also be met by students who have acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

Selection
Selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. Selection is made by the Department Board, applying the following assessment criteria:

• Education in general. Assessment is made with regard to both depth and breadth in previous education.
• Scholarly production. On the basis of the applicant’s degree projects from the first and second cycle and, where applicable, other scholarly production, the applicant’s ability to benefit from the training is assessed according to the following criteria: critical ability, analytical skills, creativity, independence and scholarly precision. The time aspect is also considered, that is, to what extent the applicant has demonstrated an ability to complete previous academic projects within specified time limits. In addition, based on a comparison of previous academic output, an assessment is made of the applicant’s academic development.
• Research plan. The applicant must describe his/her proposed field of research in a research plan. The research plan  should contain one or more research problems and an outline of the research project. The research plan is assessed on the basis of: relevance, originality, and potential for completion within the specified time limits (i.e. a period equivalent to four years of full-time study for a doctoral degree).
• Teamwork skills. The applicant's ability to collaborate is assessed on the basis of, for example, references, certificates or interviews.

In addition to the above selection criteria, the following will be of great importance in the assessment:

• A strong general linguistic foundation in the form of completed courses in core subjects such as phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.

Other qualifications considered particularly meritorious, although not necessary to qualify for the position, are:

• Documented experience of annotation and processing of primary language data (e.g. using ELAN, FLEx and Praat).
• Documented competence (in the form of completed courses, project participation and/or publication) in subject areas such as Indo-European languages, historical linguistics (especially Indo-European), language documentation/description, areal linguistics or typology - these will be considered in relation to the focus of the dissertation plan.
• Language skills (especially reading) in Urdu, Pashto or other languages that use Arabic-based scripts.

When selecting and admitting applicants to third-cycle programmes in Linguistics, the Department Board should heed Faculty guidelines.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University are available at: www.su.se/rules and regulations .

Terms of employment
Only a person who will be or has already been admitted to a third-cycle programme may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.

The term of the initial contract may not exceed one year. The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study.

Doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their own education, but may engage in teaching, research, and administration corresponding to a maximum of 20 % of a full-time position. For this particular position, the doctoral student is expected to perform departmental duties corresponding to 20 % of full time. Where applicable, the total time of the appointment is extended to correspond to a full-time doctoral programme for four years. The proportion of departmental duties may be unevenly distributed across the duration of the doctoral programme.

Please note that admission decisions cannot be appealed.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
For more information, please contact the project leader, Henrik Liljegren, telephone: +46 8 16 12 45, [email protected] . For questions about the doctoral programme, contact the Director of Studies for postgraduate education, Sofia Gustafson-Capková, +46 8 16 34 88, [email protected] .

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, [email protected] , Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/Lärarförbundet), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, [email protected] , [email protected]  (SEKO), and PhD student representative, [email protected] .

Application
Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
• Dissertation plan/research proposal, inclusive of the following:
  o   research question(s)
  o   brief background (research context and relationship to own interests/qualifications)
  o   method and data
  o   expected results (specify the scope, especially if the results are mainly descriptive)
  o   time plan
  Note that the proposal must address the following questions:
  o   why you are interested in the project described in the advertisement
  o   why and how you wish to contribute to the project
  o   what makes you particularly suitable for the project and to achieve your proposed contribution to it
  o   how the data generated by the project will be used in your proposed dissertation work
• Project proposal/Research proposal describing:
  – why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
  – why and how you wish to complete the project
  – what makes you suitable for the project in question
• Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
• Degree projects/theses (no more than 6 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position .

You are welcome to apply!

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.

Closing date: 15/04/2022

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