Introduction

Would you enjoy working in an interdisciplinary research setting on sign language translation and avatar technology? The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation is looking for a talented PhD candidate. Your research will be part of the project Questions in Sign Language at SignLab Amsterdam (https://www.signlab-amsterdam.nl/).

What are you going to do?

You will work on avatar technology for Dutch Sign Language (NGT) and other sign languages, with a specific focus on the expression of questions. In NGT and many other sign languages, different kinds of questions involve subtly different facial expressions. A major challenge is to develop avatars which can display such facial expressions in a natural way. In developing avatar technology for sign languages it will be crucial to interact with a wide range of stakeholders, including end users, sign language linguists, and technology experts.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• conducting independent as well as collaborative research, resulting in academic publications in peer-reviewed international journals and/or conference proceedings;
• actively interacting with relevant academic and non-academic stakeholders;
• assisting in the teaching activities of the institute, including in the supervision of Bachelor and Master thesis projects;
• contributing to community events and outreach activities, including the organization of workshops, maintenance of the lab's website, etc.

You have experience with avatar technology, and preferably also computer vision and machine learning. You are familiar with at least one sign language, preferably NGT, and deaf culture. You are a team-player and can communicate with a wide range of relevant stakeholders. You are persistent and self-critical, always want to reach the best result possible.

Your experience and profile:

• MSc in AI or closely related field;
• Familiarity with at least one sign language, preferably NGT, and deaf culture.
• Readiness to participate in interdisciplinary collaboration;
• High command of academic English.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is January 1, 2023. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching and supervising undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 2,541 to € 3,247 (scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD Candidate is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the '30% ruling', may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you're moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.

Faculty of Science

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Amsterdam in which researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities collaborate. Its central research area is the study of fundamental principles of encoding, transmission and comprehension of information. Research at ILLC is interdisciplinary, and aims at bringing together insights from various disciplines concerned with information and information processing, including linguistics, cognitive science, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence. ILLC offers an international research environment with world-class faculty in all of its areas of specialization.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Floris Roelofsen, f.roelofsen@uva.nl