Job Announcement: Postdoctoral position in psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic aspects of lexical processing

Postdoctoral position in psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic aspects of lexical processing

Supervisors:

Roberto G. de Almeida, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
Gary Libben, Departments of Applied Linguistics and Psychology, Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on projects investigating the comprehension of words, focusing on morphological processes, using behavioral and/or neuropsychological methods (e.g., aphasia testing). Current projects in our labs employ diverse behavioural, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging techniques as well as computational modeling. Ideally, the candidate will have a theoretical background in cognitive science with emphasis on linguistic levels such as morphology or lexical-semantics and with training in experimental work and aphasia. Experience with brain-imaging/recording (fMRI, ERP) techniques will be an asset. Aphasia research will be conducted in clinical settings affiliated with the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), at the Psycholinguistics Lab (Libben) and the Psycholinguistics and Cognition Lab (de Almeida). The postdoc will be working with a dynamic group of faculty, postdoctoral fellows, clinicians, and graduate students across two universities, and spanning diverse research settings. 

For more information, please check 

https://brocku.ca/social-sciences/applied-linguistics/people/gary-libben/
https://mypage.concordia.ca/alcor/coglab/

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience, Linguistics or other Cognitive Science related field.

• Preference will be given to candidates with experience in psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic methods and analysis tools.

TIMELINE:

• Applications will be reviewed starting November 15, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled; starting date is flexible, preferably early Winter 2024.

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

• All documents must be submitted to Gary Libben (gary.libben@brocku.ca) and Roberto G. de Almeida (roberto.dealmeida@concordia.ca); subject line: “postdoctoral application (1023)”.

• Please include the reference number with your application.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST:

• One to three (1-3) page research statement demonstrating fit with the research area as well as describing research interests and skills.

• Curriculum vitae

• Two letters of reference from academic supervisors or current employers to be sent via e-mail directly to both, Gary Libben (gary.libben@brocku.ca) and Roberto G. de Almeida (roberto.dealmeida@concordia.ca); subject line: postdoctoral application (1023) reference letter

SALARY:

This one-year position (renewable) is funded by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Two postdoctoral positions: cognitive neuroscience of language and concepts (Concordia University, Montreal)

Two postdoctoral positions are sought for the Psycholinguistics and Cognition Lab, in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal. Position one is open to a variety of topics and techniques fitting the research themes of the lab. Position two is funded by a Horizontal Postdoctoral Fellowship and is tied to a particular topic within the semantics/pragmatics interface. Please see below for full descriptions.

POSITION 1

Research program title: The mapping between linguistic and conceptual representations

Reference number:  32022

Supervisor:  Roberto G. de Almeida, Department of Psychology, Concordia University

Program description:

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on projects investigating the mapping between linguistic and conceptual representations, employing a variety of experimental techniques. Projects include the representation of verb meaning, visual word recognition, category-specific semantic deficits, and the mapping between words and objects, as well as between sentences and events/dynamic scenes. Candidates should have a strong background in cognitive science and expertise in behavioral and/or neuroimaging techniques employed in psycholinguistics and cognitive neuroscience. Candidates with experience conducting research with clinical populations (e.g., aphasia, agnosia) are also encouraged to apply.

For ongoing projects in the lab please see https://psycholinguistics.weebly.com

This position is supported by grants from SSHRC and NSERC. The position is for one year with the possibility of renewal. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Review of applications will begin on February 15, 2022. Starting date: flexible but no later than August 31, 2022.

Requirements and instructions for applying are provided below and are similar for both positions. Candidates should make sure to include the reference number in the application materials and provide the application number to referees.

POSITION 2

Research program title: The neurocognitive bases of semantic and pragmatic composition

Reference number: 10002b

Supervisor: Roberto G. de Almeida, Department of Psychology, Concordia University

Program description:

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on projects investigating the comprehension of sentences that are either ‘indeterminate’ or are deemed ‘figurative’, and thus may require contextual enrichment. The projects employ diverse behavioural and neuro-imaging techniques as well as computational modelling. Ideally the candidate will have theoretical background in cognitive science with emphasis on semantics/pragmatics and with experimental work in brain-imaging/recording (fMRI, ERP) techniques.

Experience with computational modeling involving Recurrent  Neural Networks (RNN) is an asset. Other resources (e.g., clinical populations, MEG, eye-tracking) are also available at Concordia or other institutions in the Montreal area.

Academic qualifications required:

PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience, or other Cognitive Science related field.

Horizon Postdoctoral Fellow Eligibility requirements:

  • Applicants must not currently hold a postdoctoral appointment at Concordia
  • Priority will be given to postdoctoral fellows who have obtained their PhD from another university although in exceptional cases Concordia graduates may be considered
  • Applicants must adhere to the postdoctoral fellow eligibility criteria outlined in Concordia University’s Postdoctoral Policy

Timeline:

Applications will be reviewed starting February 15 and will continue until the position is filled; starting date is flexible, preferably in the Spring or early Summer 2022; however, following the fellowship rules, the Horizon Postdoctoral Fellow must start their appointment by August 31, 2022.

Value: The prestigious two-year Horizon Postdoctoral Fellowships are valued at $50,000 per year plus benefits and full access to Concordia’s services, including GradProSkills.

https://www.concordia.ca/sgs/postdoctoral-fellows/funding/horizon/descriptions/10002.html

Submission process for both positions:  

All documents must be submitted to Roberto G. de Almeida (roberto.dealmeida@concordia.ca); subject line: postdoctoral application (10002b) or (32022).

Please include the reference number with your application.

Application checklist for both positions:

  • One to three (1-3) page research statement demonstrating fit with one of the programs described above
  • Current curriculum vitae demonstrating research excellence and a capacity for leadership in the domain (maximum 5 pages)
  • Two letters of reference from academic supervisors or current employers to be sent via e-mail directly to: Roberto G. de Almeida (roberto.dealmeida@concordia.ca); subject line: postdoctoral application reference ((32022) or (10002b))

Concordia University is a vibrant research and teaching environment, with state-of-the-art research facilities and many research centers. Concordia is located in Montreal, Canada, a diverse and creative city, often ranked as offering one of the best quality of living experiences in North America. Concordia University is committed to Employment Equity and encourages applications from women, Aboriginal Peoples, visible minorities, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities.

PhD Positions (2): Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Dr. Fritz Günther is looking for PhD students to join the DFG-funded research group “What’s in a name?” at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in the Department of Psychology.

The aim of this project is to examine why individuals pick certain names instead of others when naming (new) objects or concepts are the subsequent consequences of those choices. This will be investigated from a computational as well as cognitive perspective, combining methods and approaches from computational linguistics/NLP, cognitive science, and experimental (social) psychology.

Successful applicants will have a strong background in computational linguistics/NLP and genuine interest in cognitive science, or a strong background in cognitive science/psychology and solid base of computational skills. Ideal candidates have a degree in a relevant scientific field, such as computer science, computational linguistics, NLP, cognitive modelling, cognitive science, experimental psychology, or social psychology. Coding experience (for example, in R, MATLAB, Python, or C++) is expected.

For more information about how to apply, view the announcement here: https://www.personalabteilung.hu-berlin.de/de/stellenausschreibungen/research-fellow-m-f-d-with-part-time-employment-75-e-13-tv-l-hu-thirdparty-funding-fixed-term-until-30-11-2024

and the full call for PhD students here (pdf): https://www.lingexp.uni-tuebingen.de/z2/Call_PhD%20students_v3.pdf

Applications are due by November 3, 2021.

Announcement: Doctoral Candidate position – English Linguistics, Language Acquisition, Language Processing

Full time doctoral position at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 3 year term, to start as soon as possible. The deadline for application is August 31, 2020. The official job announcement can be found here: https://uol.de/stellen/?stelle=67489.

The cluster of excellence Hearing4all and Prof. Dr. Marcel Schlechtweg at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg invite applications for a 3-year doctoral position. Candidates with an interest in contributing to the cluster’s first research thread, auditory processing deficits throughout the lifespan, and who are interested in extending that research to include connections with phonetics, phonology, and/or morphology, are particularly welcome.

Requirements:

  • Degree in psycholinguistics, linguistics, or a related discipline
  • Ability to perform excellent scientific work
  • Expertise in psycholinguistics and the following core areas of linguistics: Phonetics, phonology, and/or morphology
  • High working knowledge of English

Desirable competencies:

  • Experience in experimental linguistics and/or psycholinguistics and experimental software (e.g., reaction-time (Eprime), production (Praat), eye-tracking, ERP studies)
  • Experience in statistical analysis
  • Expertise in further core areas of linguistics (e.g., syntax, semantics, pragmatics)

The complete job announcement and application guidelines can be found here: https://uol.de/stellen/?stelle=67489

Announcement: Full-Time Postdoctoral Researcher Position, Fixed-term 1 year (with possibility of one year extension) – Psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics

Full-Time Position, Fixed-term 1 year (with possibility of one year extension)

Application deadline: 01/08/2020
Starting date : 01/09/2020 (flexible)

The Language and Communication Research Lab/McGill University and Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital-Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and the Mental Lexicon Lab/CRIUGM and University of Montreal are offering a joint postdoctoral position for 1 year, with a possibility of a 1-year extension.

This position is offered within the context of the Words in the World Initiative funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Words in the World website to determine the extent to which their research interests fit within the initiative’s research program. Prospective candidates are expected to conduct psycholinguistic and/or neurolinguistic original research not only in the lab, but also in real world environments. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to actively contribute to ongoing Words in the World research in the two labs and to be involved in lab and research centre activities across the two sites.  Primary tasks include conceptualizing, designing, and conducting research projects, and preparing findings for publication.
 

General qualifications:

• Completed PhD (within past 3 years and before the start date)

• Academic excellence, as determined by the quantity and quality of presentations, publications and awards.

• Previous or current research activities in psycholinguistics and/or neurolinguistics, linguistics, communication sciences and disorders, neuroscience. Conducting research across languages and populations is an asset.

• Feasibility of the proposed Words in the World project

• Ability to work independently and to carry out duties in an efficient and timely manner

• Good communicative, writing and social skills

• English proficiency (spoken and written) at advanced level; knowledge of French is an asset.

• Candidates need not be Canadian citizens to apply

Recommended qualifications:

• Experience with experimental and other data collection methods, using behavioural methods, EEG/ERP, and/or eye tracking

• Experience with software, e.g., E-Prime, PsychoPy

• Background in current statistical methods (e.g., linear mixed-effects models in R) is an asset


This is a full-time position starting in September 2020 (flexible).
Gross annual salary: 45,000$

Applications should include: 

• Cover letter 

• CV  

• Copy of the PhD diploma (to be submitted before the starting date)

• Statement of interest 

• One representative recent publication  

• The names and contact details of three referees  

Applications should be sent as a single pdf file via e-mail to Drs. Eva Kehayia and Gonia Jarema

Contact Names: Eva Kehayia & Gonia Jarema 

Application emails: eva.kehayia@mcgillgonia.jarema@umontreal.ca

For further questions and application submissions, please feel free to contact us.

Call for Applications: Postdoctoral positions (2) in Psychology at the University of Alberta

Applications are solicited for up to two, one-year postdoctoral fellowships, with the potential for renewal, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta, supervised by Christina Gagné and Thomas Spalding. This project is supported by SSHRC and NSERC funding to the supervisors.

The supervisory team is looking for postdoctoral researchers who have demonstrated expertise in psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, or cognitive psychology. Experience in and knowledge of the literature on compound processing is particularly sought. Experience with databases, corpora, and programming in various languages is a benefit.

The successful candidate(s) will be expected to contribute to the following:
1) Design, programming, and analysis of psycholinguistic experiments.
2) Preparation of publications and presentations.
3) Supervision of undergraduate and graduate students and general lab management.
4) Management and programming for a large-scale database.

Candidates should begin with an introductory email to Drs. Gagné (cgagne@ualberta.ca) and Spalding (spalding@ualberta.ca). Formal applications will include a CV, publication list, brief statement of research interests, and three letters of reference. Applications will be assessed as they arrive. Position open until filled, however, a start date no later than August 30, 2018 is expected.

Call for applications: Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Cognitive Science of Language

Applications are solicited for a postdoctoral fellowship in the Cognitive Science of Language graduate program at McMaster University and the Department of Applied Linguistics at Brock University. The postdoctoral position is made open under the aegis of the Words in the World SSHRC partnership training grant and will also be supported by NSERC and other Canadian federal and provincial funding sources. The supervision will be conducted jointly by Dr. Victor Kuperman (McMaster) and Dr. Gary Libben (Brock).

The supervisory team is looking for a postdoctoral researcher who can make substantial contributions to one or both of the following research projects:


1. Individual variability in visual and auditory processing of morphologically complex words, and

2. Executive functions, serial fluency, and statistical learning as predictors of efficient reading comprehension.


For details on the position, compensation and application procedure, see the full job posting here.

For personal inquiries about the position please contact Victor Kuperman at vickup@mcmaster.ca.