Postdoc Position: Social Interaction and Language Technology

Are you interested in social interaction and language technology? As a postdoctoral researcher, you will investigate topics at the intersection of human language and interactive interfaces. You will be able to design your own research projects and form part of the core staff of a transdisciplinary project aimed at better understanding how language and technology shape each other.

The position is part of the Futures of Language project, in which we study interactive language use as it adapts to major sociotechnical transitions. Questions we ask in the project include: What are the interactional foundations of language? How do current and future language technologies augment or exploit them? And how can we reimagine our linguistic futures? Many current language technologies bear the mark of a legacy that privileges text over talk, information over interaction, and automation over agency. Futures of Language aims to understand what happens when we invert those priorities.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will conduct and publish original research on topics at the intersection of language, social interaction and technology. You will also carry out academic service in the context of the project – from co-organising workshops to carrying out science communication – and you will be able to contribute to supervision. There is a significant degree of freedom in terms of research questions and methods, but in general we are interested in interactive interfaces (text and voice) as places where language and technology co-evolve, and in global linguistic diversity as a reservoir of humanity’s artisanal technologies of language.

• You have a PhD in Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Communication and Information Sciences, or a related discipline pursuing empirical research on social interaction (e.g. HCI, STS, linguistic anthropology, sociology).
• You are eager to engage with fundamental questions about language and technology. You bring solid technical skills and deep, critical understanding that you wield for thoughtful analyses of empirical data.
• You possess excellent communications skills in English, with a talent for connecting people and transformative science-society communication.
• You are enthusiastic about transdisciplinary research. A background in empirical work on social interaction is considered an asset.
• You are passionate about supervising students and interested in collaborating closely with PhD candidates and other project members.
• You have experience publishing in scientific journals and an enthusiasm for reading widely and writing well.

We are interested to hear from highly motivated candidates even if they do not check all the boxes of the requirements. Do feel free to get in touch if you have any questions beforehand.

• We will give you a temporary employment contract for 1 year at 0.8 FTE, with the prospect of an extension for another 2 years (so the position can last up to 3 years total). In case full time employment is preferred the total contract duration would be reduced accordingly.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) is a research institute dedicated to the understanding of language and the way we use it. Our researchers study this topic from different perspectives and in several contexts, using a variety of innovative research methods. CLS aims to conduct language science that matters: fundamental research that sheds new light on language and that provides value to organisations and audiences outside the academic world.

Futures of Language is part of a vibrant research environment, which includes the CLS research groups Language and Social Interaction (LANSI) and Language and Speech Technology (LST), the interdisciplinary hub on digitisation and society (iHub), and the Critical AI Literacy project at the Faculty of Social Sciences. This postdoctoral position is funded by a Vici grant awarded to PI Dingemanse and will be embedded in the AI: Language and Communication Technologies’ section of the Language and Communication department. Key collaborators in the research include Dr Marlou Rasenberg and Dr Andreas Liesenfeld.

Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is committed to the development of knowledge with a strong scientific and social impact. With over 500 academic and support staff, we teach and conduct research in the fields of art, history, language, culture and communication, using innovative methodologies and collaborating closely across disciplines. Our research is embedded in two research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) and the Radboud Institute for Culture & History (RICH). Approximately 2,500 students are currently enrolled with us across our three departments: the Department of History, Art History and Classics, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and the Department of Language and Communication. The faculty is characterised by a pleasant and open culture with various opportunities for the professional development of our staff.

Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.

If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Mark Dingemanse. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

You will be asked to provide a Research Statement (max. 800 words excluding references) outlining your possible research contributions and how these will build on your expertise. Project members are united in their fundamental interest in language and social interaction and a critical and technically informed perspective on AI and language technology. To help ground your research statement, we recommend you study the Futures of Language project description and identify which strands you are most passionate about.

The first interviews will take place on 11 September. Any second interview will take place on 25 September. You will preferably start your employment as soon as possible.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.