PhD or postdoc position in experimental and/or computational psycholinguistics, 3-years, no teaching obligation

The research group for Psycholinguistics and Cognitive Modeling at University of Stuttgart is seeking to hire a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher. The successful candidate will conduct research on a topic of their choice related to language comprehension broadly defined. The research group emphasizes research methods, particularly eye-tracking and large-scale online experiments, Bayesian data-analytic methods, cognitive models of language processing, and similar. We do not expect applicants to be experts on any of these methods, but a demonstrated interest in a subset of these methods is a big plus. We provide structured training in all of these areas. So this position is a great opportunity for you to improve your methods skills.

There is no teaching obligation, but the opportunity to teach is available if desired (topic and format largely free). The successful candidate will assist in the management of the lab. Postdocs will occasionally supervise BA or MA theses.

English is our standard language. Solid spoken and written English skills are therefore required. Knowledge of German is not needed.

The position is remunerated according to pay-grade E13 of the German collective agreement for the public service (TV-L). Postdocs will be offered a 100% contract, PhD students will be offered a 75% contract (which is still pretty decent and includes health insurance and other benefits). In addition, the lab provides funding for participation in workshops and conferences and a budged for childcare during conference travel.

The start date is flexible but preferably October 2022 or earlier. The PhD position can be extended by one year.

Lab and larger academic environment

University of Stuttgart is one of the oldest and most renowned technical universities in Germany. The research group for Psycholinguistics and Cognitive Modeling is directed by Titus von der Malsburg and is part of the Institute of Linguistics. Our lab has multiple eye-trackers (1 × TrackPixx3, 1 × SMI iView X, and 3 × GazePoint GP3) and access to high-performance computing infrastructure. Access to an EEG/co-registration lab (ANT Neuro, EyeLink 1000+) is possible through a partner at the university.

One theme we care deeply about is open, robust, replicable, sustainable, and efficient science, and we are actively working to improve the workflows, practices, and software tools that support it. The lab is family friendly and we strive to foster a vibrant and friendly community while respecting and accommodating personal constraints.

Several neighboring departments conduct research in related fields, such as the Institute for Natural Language Processing, and the Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. Stuttgart is also home to the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Cluster of Excellent for Simulation Science (SimTech), and the Cyber Valley Initiative, Europe’s largest research collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence. Stuttgart’s academic ecosystem also maintains close ties with the nearby University of Tübingen and other research institutions in Tübingen.

Stuttgart

Stuttgart is one of the largest cities in Germany and a major business, industrial, tourism and publishing center, known as the home of companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Bosch. Located in southwestern Germany near the Black Forest, France, and Switzerland, Stuttgart has a high percentage of residents with a migration background (40%) and is consistently ranked high for quality of life. Stuttgart is also centrally located within Europe, well connected to the German high-speed rail system, and has an international airport.

Application

Applications are open to people of any origin, background, gender, and orientation. Applications from severely disabled persons will be given preferential consideration in case of equal suitability.

Applications should be written in English and include:

  1. Cover letter with desired starting date (1 page)
  2. Full curriculum vitae including teaching experience (if any)
  3. Research statement (1 page)
  4. Up to three representative publications (primarily relevant for postdoc applications)

Applications should be sent as a single PDF to: titus.von-der-malsburg@ling.uni-stuttgart.de

Application deadline is April 15, 2022, but the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to in-person or online interviews.

Before applying and contacting me with detailed questions, please have a look at my publications to get a sense of what we’re working on. To make this a good fit and worthwhile for everyone, your research interests should align somewhat with ours.

For questions, please contact me via e-mail or dm me on Twitter.


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