[koglist] Fwd: Seven postdoctoral positions in the Dutch research consortium "Language in Interaction"

Seven postdoctoral positions in the Dutch research consortium "Language in Interaction" We are looking for highly motivated postdoctoral researchers to enrich a unique consortium of researchers that aims to unravel the neurocognitive mechanisms of language at multiple levels. The goal is to understand both the universality and the variability of the human language faculty from genes to behaviour. The Netherlands has an outstanding track record in the language sciences. This research consortium sponsored by a large grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific research (NWO) brings together many of the excellent research groups in the Netherlands with a research programme on the foundations of language. Our consortium counts four Spinoza Prize winners (van Benthem, Muysken, Cutler, Hagoort; the Spinoza Prize is the highest science prize in the Netherlands), three ERC Advanced Grant winners (Muysken, Levinson, Fernández), 17 VICI/Pioneer grant holders (these are the most prestigious personal grants that the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research provides; grant holders are: Bod, Ernestus, Majid, Desain, Van den Bosch, van Lambalgen, Roelofs, Bekkering, Fernández, Jensen, Medendorp, Toni, van Opstal, Murre, Ramsey, Schiller, Formisano), and numerous VIDIs and ERC starting grants. The proposal has representatives from eight universities and one research institute within the Netherlands. These are Radboud University Nijmegen (RUN), University of Amsterdam (UvA), University of Maastricht (UM), Leiden University (LU), Utrecht University (UU), Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), University of Twente (UT), Tilburg University (TiU), and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI). The applicant and co-applicants are internationally highly visible scientists in their respective fields. Moreover they are from institutes which are highly ranked internationally, such as the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (University of Amsterdam), the Centre for Language Studies (Radboud University Nijmegen) and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (Radboud University Nijmegen). In addition, the consortium provides state-of-the-art research facilities. Together, this consortium realizes both quality and critical mass for studying human language at a scale not easily found anywhere else in the world. In addition to the excellence in the domain of language and related relevant fields of cognition, the research team consists of researchers with excellence in the complex research methods that will be invoked to address the scientific questions at the highest level of methodological sophistication. These include methods from genetics, neuroimaging, computational modelling, and patient-related research. Moreover, experts in utilization of knowledge acquired in the relevant fields are part of our team as well. Next to the applicant and the co-applicants, our research team consists of 36 Principal Investigators. These Principal Investigators are distributed over seven so-called Work Packages (WPs). Each of the 7 WPs hereby advertised one postdoctoral position. This postdoctoral position will be for three years in the first instance, with a possible extension for two more years. Duties will include coordination of Work Package activities (together with the WP leaders) and development of an independent research programme within the framework of the WP, and may include supervision of PhD students. The position provides the opportunity for doing world-class research as a key member of an interdisciplinary team, and for acquiring experience in the management of a research group. Requirements for the postdoctoral positions are: - a PhD in any relevant field - excellent scientific track record - excellent organizational and communicative skills - strong motivation - excellent skills in written and spoken English Each WP postdoctoral position has its own requirements and profile, which are specified below. The appointment will be in one of the home institutions of the consortium, depending on the research profile of the postdoctoral researcher. In all participating institutions the research is conducted in an international environment by researchers from a large number of countries. WP 1: Speech perception and production in interaction. We seek a postdoctoral fellow with an established research profile that fits the main goals of WP1. These goals are (i) to understand the interplay between perceptual and motor processes in speech through innovative linkage of neural, psychological and linguistic levels of analysis and (ii) to specify the balance between what is language universal and what is language specific in speech processing. Key questions include (a) Are our auditory and motor cortices speech ready? (b) How does feedback support processing in speaking and in listening? (c) How do perception and production interact? WP1 will bring together expertise in the neurobiological foundations of perceptual and motor processes with psycholinguistic expertise in the perception and production of speech. The postdoctoral fellow would ideally have prior experience in bridging across these domains and should certainly be willing and able to engage in and stimulate interdisciplinary integration. The candidate should have as many as possible of the following: training in speech science, psycholinguistics and/or cognitive neuroscience; expertise in behavioural, computational and/or neuroscientific methods; and interests in linking speech perception to speech production. Contact information: Prof. James McQueen, james.mcqueen(a)mpi.nl WP2: Semantic and conceptual basis of language Memory structures underlie semantic content and conceptual knowledge of language users. The language system builds on existing memory structures, which co-determine the organization of linguistic knowledge. This work package plans to investigate interactions between the linguistic and mnemonic domains, with a special emphasis on the development of memory in its entanglement with linguistic behaviour. We are looking for an outgoing, interdisciplinary postdoctoral researcher who can bridge the gap between semantic modelling, computational paradigms for cognition, and functional neuroimaging. Knowledge of cross-linguistic differences in semantic systems or behavioural studies of language users would be an advantage. The ideal candidate has expertise in applying state of the art semantic and/or computational models to functional neuroimaging data. Working with our group of logical semanticists, cognitive psychologists, and neuroscientists, he/she will investigate and develop state of the art semantic-computational models with a view to neurobiological plausibility, which will generate predictions that can be used to analyse neuroimaging data. Contact information: Prof. Guillén Fernández, guillen.fernandez(a)donders.ru.nl WP 3: Compositionality and contextuality One of the major challenges in understanding the language system is to unify abstract computational level descriptions and neurobiologically plausible network implementations of the combinatorial aspects of language processing. The postdoctoral researcher in this workpackage is expected to bridge the gap between computational modelling and experimental neuroscience. We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in formal and computational modelling at the level of sentence processing (and beyond) who has also experimental skills and neurobiological expertise. You will develop and investigate computational models with neurobiological plausibility (e.g., spiking recurrent networks), which are used to generate specific predictions about the processing steps involved in sentence processing and about their neurobiological instantiation in the brain. The successful candidate will connect formal analysis and computational accounts with empirical studies on binding in the language domain. Current computational approaches (e.g., data-oriented parsing, logic programming or unification-based models) will have to be translated into accounts with a stronger connection to the brain and should be unified with current theories on neural processing. Contact information: Prof. Rens Bod, rens.bod(a)gmail.com WP4: Language in action Language interacts with other cognitive functions such as perception, action, and cognitive control. Moreover, language is situated in a highly dynamic context provided by multimodal sources of information. The objective of this WP is to understand language processing and its variability during social interactions in its multimodal settings. We aim to achieve a better understanding of the cognitive and neural infrastructures involved in language use in social context, which requires establishing common ground and action coordination. We look for a postdoctoral researcher whose main interests and expertise include topics such as multi-modal integration, simulations of action and goals and/or cognitive control. Methodological expertise should include computational, experimental, observational, neurobiological and/or developmental approaches preferably within the language and/or action domain. Contact information: Prof. Asli Ozyurek, asli.ozyurek(a)mpi.nl WP5: Language evolution and diversity The goal of this WP is to contribute to a better understanding of the biological underpinnings of linguistic universality as well as diversity, both at the population level (between languages and between species) and at the individual level (within a language). We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in this area. The preferred area of specialization is evolutionary modelling of language with respect to diversity in communication. Other possible areas of expertise may include language diversity, individual differences in language abilities, animal communication, and genetic influences on speech and language. Contact information: Prof. Pieter Muysken, p.muysken(a)let.ru.nl WP6: Toolkit We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a strong technical background, ideally in developing Neuroimaging Analysis Methods for integrating genetics with brain imaging approaches (e.g. MRI, fMRI, and MEG). The main task of the post-doctoral position is to develop and apply innovative analysis methods for linking complex genome-wide association data and neuroimaging data within a statistical framework. The successful candidate will have experience in relevant research areas, a track record of high-quality reviewed journal publications, strong experience in programming, ability to work in a team, and in sharing technical know-how and ideas. It would be desirable if the candidate has experience in Medical Imaging (e.g. NeuroImaging) technical research, in computational modelling of the brain, in machine learning and/or statistical methods. Contact information: Prof. Jan Buitelaar, j.buitelaar(a)psy.umc.nl WP7: Utilization We seek an enthusiastic, multi-disciplinary researcher with a keen interest to help translate scientific discoveries into practical applications and to generate different kinds of value for society. Within the university environment you will help to build ICT and other services needed to speed and ease this process. You are required to help build awareness, translate ideas into demos and apps, therapies or services. The job entails project management of developers and coaching and advising of fellow scientists. Preferably you have experience with public-private co-operations, national and European grant schemes, clinical applications of neuroscience, and hopefully you bring a network of industry contacts. Next to managing the wide range of utilization activities in the project, there is a possibility to actively take part in a few of the developments, preferably around mobile applications (Apps) or web services. The candidate has a backgound in computer science, e-science, artificial intelligence, computational linguistics, computational modelling, or experience in programming languages and practices for mobile platforms and/or web. Contact information: Prof. Peter Desain, p.desain(a)donders.ru.nl What we offer: - full-time postdoctoral research positions - salary dependent on experience, gross salary between € 3.227 and € 4.778 - starting date preferably September 2013 - the primary workplace will be determined in agreement with your profile Applications should include: - a cover letter specifying the specific WP to which you apply, your motivation, research experience, interests and plans. - a curriculum vitae - a list of publications - the names of two persons who can provide references The deadline for applications: May 15, 2013 Applications should be sent electronically to: Prof. Peter Hagoort Radboud University Nijmegen vacatures(a)dpo.ru.nl -- Karolina JANACSEK Assistant Professor Department of Clinical Psychology and Addiction, Eötvös Loránd University Address: H-1064 Budapest, Izabella street 46. Office 417. Email: janacsekkarolina(a)gmail.com Phone: +3614614500/5687 Web: www.memory-and-language.com, https://sites.google.com/site/karolinajanacsek/home<https://sites.google…