Doctoral position in Computational Linguistics and/or Cognitive Science, one or several


 The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science at the Faculty of Humanities has around 100 employees and a teaching volume that includes around 350 full-year students. Many large national and international research projects are underway here. Our education includes philosophy, logic, linguistics, language technology, theory of science and liberal arts. The department also conducts research training and development work in these areas.

At the department, there is also the Centre for Linguistic Theory and Studies in Probability (CLASP), funded by a 10 year grant from the Swedish Research Council (2015-2025). CLASP is devoted to research and advanced training in the application of probabilistic modelling and machine learning methods to core issues in linguistic theory and cognition.

The successful applicant will be employed by the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Theory of science (FloV), as a doctoral candidate in the ERC Starting Grant Project: DivCon: Divergence and convergence in dialogue: The dynamic management of mismatches. The project is led by Christine Howes and starts in May 2023. For a description of DivCon see website via: Christine Howes | University of Gothenburg (gu.se)

General information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg can be found on the university's doctoral student pages. 

https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/doktorand/?languageId=100001&skipSSOCheck=true   

 

Subject

Computational Linguistics and/or Cognitive Science

 

Job assignments   

The successful candidate is expected to devote her or his time primarily to the completion of obligatory course work and to write a doctoral dissertation in a subject that is part of the DivCon project. He or she may, however, also undertake a limited amount of teaching, administration or research not directly connected to her or his dissertation topic. Such duties extend the position accordingly.

As more and more of our interactions take place through digital channels, it has become increasingly important to understand how we communicate and interact with others via computers and digital devices. In this context, the DivCon project, funded by the European Research Council, aims to transform our understanding of human interaction, particularly in computer-mediated communication. It will create a novel experimental platform for live multimodal interactions using avatars and virtual reality and develop a precise theory of divergence and convergence in interaction that unifies verbal and non-verbal dialogue phenomena. Ultimately, the project’s findings will pave the way for more adaptive conversational AI systems that can better simulate human-like communication. Specifically, the project will use the following methods:

  • Corpus collection, annotation and analysis
  • Computational and experimental methods in cognitive science
  • Formal models of dialogue and interaction
  • Type Theory (or logics) and probability
  • Combining logical, computational and psycholinguistic approaches

Applicants with interests in these or related domains are encouraged to apply. The doctoral student is also expected to participate in the department's activities, such as workshops, seminars and conferences.

  

Eligibility   

The general entry requirements for third-cycle (doctoral) programs are: a second-cycle qualification/degree and at least 240 higher education (HE) credits for courses of which at least 60 HE credits are awarded in the second-cycle; or equivalent training either in Sweden or abroad.

In addition, admission to the third-cycle programmer in Computational Linguistics at the University of Gothenburg also requires:

At least 30 credits from second-cycle courses in subject area 1 (Computational Linguistics, Language Technology, or Natural Language Processing), including a thesis of at least 15 credits, or equivalent qualifications,

or

At least 30 credits from second-cycle courses in subject area 2 (Linguistics or Cognitive Science), including a thesis of at least 15 credits, plus at least 30 credits from first or second level courses in subject area 1 (Computational Linguistics, Language Technology, or Natural Language Processing) or subject area 3 (Computer Science, Logic, or Mathematics), or equivalent qualifications

or        

At least 30 credits from second-cycle courses in subject area 3 (Computer Science, Logic or Mathematics), including a thesis of at least 15 credits, plus at least 30 credits from first or second-level courses in subject area 2 (Linguistics or Cognitive Science) or subject area 1 (Computational Linguistics, Language Technology, or Natural Language Processing), or equivalent qualifications.

The necessary English skills that are needed in order to be able to benefit from compulsory parts of the course and to be able to actively participate in seminars and similar activities, are also required.

For further information about the general and specific requirements please refer to study syllabus at the following link:

https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/internal-flov/phd-students-at-flov/general-syllabi-at-flov/

 

Assessment    

Following the Higher Education Ordinance Ch.7, applicants will be assessed based on their estimated ability to benefit from the study programme and on the Department's resources to supervise them.

To facilitate the selection process, applicants must submit:

  1. Theses, degree projects and any publications. These are assessed based on the following five quality criteria, of which the final two have the heaviest weighting: Suitable subject definition, relevant questioning, suitable command of the subject and structuring of the thesis, suitable use of language, formalities, academic quality and independence.
  2. A short project draft of a maximum of 1200 words (excluding bibliography) in which the applicant formulates preliminary ideas about how his/her thesis work could be designed, and discusses which theories, methods and materials that may be relevant.

Admissions and selections are conditional on the Department's resources to supervise within the doctoral student's focus of research as well as the compatibility of the candidate's project proposal with DivCon. In addition to the assessment of the submitted application the process may also include interviews. For a more detailed account of the selection process please refer to the study syllabus above.

  

Employment   

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment, HF 5 kap 7§ Doctoral position

Extent: 100 %

Location: Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, Gothenburg

First day of employment: By agreement

 

Once you have been admitted for education at third-cycle level, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg.   

The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.    

Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time.  

 A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at third-cycle level for four years.   

The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.   

  

Selection process   

Selection, interviews and assessment is made by a recruitment group at the department. A list of top-ranked applicants is then presented based on the information provided by the applicants (based on merit, quality of submitted works, quality of research proposal, and availability of qualified supervisors). The top-ranked candidates may be invited to interviews (in Gothenburg or via video link).

 

Contact information 

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Christine Howes, Senior Lecturer, christine.howes@gu.se  


If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Jennifer Stråle, HR officer, jennifer.strale@gu.se

If you have any questions about Third Cycle Studies, please contact Johan Söderberg, Head of Third Cycle Studies, 

johan.soderberg@sts.gu.se

 

Unions 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here:   
https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande   

  

Application   

In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. The selection of candidates is made on the basis of the qualifications registered in the application.

Complementary documents, such as publications/books should be sent in two copies to the following address and marked with reference number. University of Gothenburg, Att: HR officer, FLoV, Box 200, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.

  1. An introductory letter of 1.000 words maximum (approx. 2 pages). The letter should consist of three paragraphs in the following order: a) a short presentation of yourself, b) a short presentation of your merits, c) a short account for why the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science is of interest to you.
  2. A CV, including a list of publications (if applicable).
  3. Theses, degree projects and any publications. These are assessed based on the following five quality criteria, of which the final two have the heaviest weighting: Suitable subject definition, relevant questioning, suitable command of the subject and structuring of the thesis, suitable use of language, formalities, academic quality and independence.
  4. A short project draft of a maximum of 1200 words (excluding bibliography) in which the applicant formulates preliminary ideas about how his/her thesis work could be designed, and discusses which theories, methods and materials that may be relevant.
  5. Verified copies of academic transcripts and possibly evidence of other relevant qualifications, if applicable.

We welcome applications written in English, since non-Swedish speaking persons may be part of the recruitment group.

  

Applications must be received by: June 1, 2023

 

 

Information for International Applicants 

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit: 

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services 
https://www.movetogothenburg.com/ 

  

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.

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