36.707, Jobs: Computational Linguistics, Phonology: Research Fellow in Computational Phonology & Cultural Evolution, University of Surrey

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-36-707. Tue Feb 25 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.707, Jobs: Computational Linguistics, Phonology: Research Fellow in Computational Phonology & Cultural Evolution, University of Surrey

Moderator: Steven Moran (linguist at linguistlist.org)
Managing Editor: Justin Fuller
Team: Helen Aristar-Dry, Steven Franks, Joel Jenkins, Daniel Swanson, Erin Steitz
Jobs: jobs at linguistlist.org | Conferences: callconf at linguistlist.org | Pubs: pubs at linguistlist.org

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org

Editor for this issue: Justin Fuller <justin at linguistlist.org>

================================================================


Date: 25-Feb-2025
From: Erich Round [e.round at surrey.ac.uk]
Subject: Computational Linguistics, Phonology: Research Fellow in Computational Phonology & Cultural Evolution, University of Surrey


Job Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Web Address: https://www.smg.surrey.ac.uk/
Job Title: Research Fellow in Computational Phonology & Cultural
Evolution
Job Rank: Post Doc

Specialty Areas: Computational Linguistics; Phonology

Description:

Postdoctoral position in computational phonology & cultural evolution
on "Rational Evolutionary Phonology"
Prof Erich Round is seeking qualified applicants for a fully-funded
two-year postdoctoral project on “REVOLUPHON: Rational Evolutionary
Phonology". This postdoctoral project contributes to the core
cultural-evolutionary and modelling components in the ERC-selected,
UKRI-funded project "Rational Evolutionary Phonology", 2024–2029.
The position is based at the Surrey Morphology Group at the University
of Surrey, and provides the opportunity to work in the vibrant and
highly collegial research environment for which SMG is renowned.
Application deadline: 24 March 2025.
Start date: mid September 2025, or shortly thereafter.
Background
REVOLUPHON is an ambitious project in computational cognitive science,
cultural evolution and phonology theory, which seeks deeper
explanations for human phonology. Though phonological theories are
diverse, they contain recurrent axioms and atoms: segments, features,
prosodic units, et cetera. We hypothesise that these units of
representation are explicable in terms of the interaction of phonetics
with resource limitations on human cognition (resource rationality).
Separately, recent decades show that phonologies can be reasonably
well modelled as optimisation problems, with optimisation imputed to
the mind. We hypothesise that apparent optimisation, and its
exceptions, arise because phonologies undergo cultural evolution, an
optimising process. REVOLUPHON tests these hypotheses through
computational modelling of cognition and cultural evolution, to
develop new foundations for phonological theory.
Responsibilities
The candidate will be a core member of a research team focused on
achieving the REVOLUPHON project aims, and will participate in the
broader activities both of the REVOLUPHON group and of the Surrey
Morphology Group (SMG). The candidate will have opportunities at SMG
to develop their research leadership profile while interacting with
world-class researchers.
Key responsibilities:
- Conduct phonological research into optimisation as an evolutionary
phenomenon and the diachronic coupling of lexicon and grammar, using
theoretical and computational modelling approaches. This research will
be at times independent and in close collaboration with other project
researchers.
- Contribute to the formal operationalisation of project objectives in
the computational and theoretical modelling of phonological cultural
evolution and cognition.
- Contribute to the design and development of linguistically
sophisticated synthetic datasets.
- Analyse and scientifically interpret research results; present
outcomes at scientific conferences; and prepare co-authored research
publications.
- Collaborate with other team members in an ambitious and
multidisciplinary project, and participate in the vibrant, collegial
activities of SMG.
Requirements
Suitable candidates trained in theoretical and computational phonology
are strongly encouraged to apply.
Essential criteria:
- A PhD in linguistics, with a focus on computational approaches to
phonology.
- Track record of both independent and team-based research.
- Track record of research applying agent based models to questions of
language learning and/or language change.
- Track record of creating scientific software (scripts or packages).
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirable criteria:
- Track record of published research.
- Track record of research on phonology and the lexicon (e.g.
phonological stratification/exceptionality; the lexicon in learning
and generalisation; statistical effects in phonology).
- Familiarity with concepts and methods in: the theory of programming
languages; machine learning techniques; probabilistic grammars;
computational cognitive science; evolutionary theory; modelling of
cultural evolution.
Apply here: https://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/012125

Application Deadline: 24-Mar-2025
Web Address for Applications: https://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/012125
Contact Information:
        Prof Erich Round
        Email: e.round at surrey.ac.uk



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

********************** LINGUIST List Support ***********************
Please consider donating to the Linguist List to support the student editors:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=87C2AXTVC4PP8

LINGUIST List is supported by the following publishers:

Bloomsbury Publishing http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/

Cambridge University Press http://www.cambridge.org/linguistics

Cascadilla Press http://www.cascadilla.com/

De Gruyter Mouton https://cloud.newsletter.degruyter.com/mouton

Elsevier Ltd http://www.elsevier.com/linguistics

John Benjamins http://www.benjamins.com/

Language Science Press http://langsci-press.org

Multilingual Matters http://www.multilingual-matters.com/

Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics / Landelijke (LOT) http://www.lotpublications.nl/

Oxford University Press http://www.oup.com/us

Wiley http://www.wiley.com


----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-36-707
----------------------------------------------------------