Offre d’emploi : doctorat, statistical modeling of linguistic evolution under varied conditions, Zurich
Institution/Organization: University of Zurich, Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution
Web Address: https://www.isle.uzh.ch/en/jobs/phd-statistical-modeling-linguistic-evolution.html
Level: Open
Duties: Research, Teaching, Project Work
Specialty Areas: Computational Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Neurolinguistics; Typology
Description:
The Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE) at the University of Zurich (UZH) offers a PhD training and research position in the statistical modeling of linguistic evolution under varied conditions. The work will be tightly integrated with the Diversification project of the NCCR Evolving Language (https://evolvinglanguage.ch/diversification-project/).
The successful applicant will acquire and/or deepen knowledge in the theory and methods of linguistic evolution (in particular using probabilistic programming languages such as Stan to develop explicit quantitative models), lead the development of at least three publishable papers jointly with supervisors and other collaborators, and submit a dissertation integrating these papers with a review of the state of the art. They will actively participate in lab meetings, NCCR events, and journal clubs.
You are trained in historical and typological linguistics and are familiar with the basics of statistics and data wrangling. Familiarity with Bayesian approaches and/or phylogenetic comparative methods are additional assets. You furthermore have a vivid interest in adjacent fields, in particular neurolinguistics and human population genetics. You have excellent communication skills in English.
Application Deadline: 01-Jun-2025
Web Address for Applications: https://www.isle.uzh.ch/en/jobs/phd-statistical-modeling-linguistic-evolution.html
Place of work
ISLE Institute, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland.
Start of employment
Start date: 1 September 2025, or by arrangement.
Further information
Review of applications will begin on 1 June 2025, and continue until the position is filled.
To apply, please prepare the following documents as a single PDF:
- A cover letter (ca. 1 page) describing your previous experience and research interests, with a motivation to apply for the present position
- A CV with a list of course work and grades
- One or two short writing samples/publications that demonstrate your qualifications for the position