36.2700, Support: Cognitive Science, Phonetics, Sociolinguistics: PhD, University of Bern (Switzerland)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-36-2700. Thu Sep 11 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.2700, Support: Cognitive Science, Phonetics, Sociolinguistics: PhD, University of Bern (Switzerland)

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Date: 10-Sep-2025
From: Erez Levon [erez.levon at unibe.ch]
Subject: Cognitive Science, Phonetics, Sociolinguistics: PhD, University of Bern (Switzerland)


Institution/Organization: University of Bern (Switzerland)

Level: PhD

Duties: Research

Specialty Areas: Cognitive Science; Phonetics; Sociolinguistics

Description:

A PhD position is available at the Center for the Study of Language
and Society at the University of Bern. The successful candidate will
conduct research on the perceived credibility of foreign-accented
speakers in courtroom contexts (the specific accent/language
combinations studied to be determined in consultation with the
successful applicant). Using virtual reality to elicit attitudinal
responses within information-rich environments, the PhD project will
identify how social and role-linked stereotypes interact with
individual listener factors to constrain how foreign accents are
evaluated in legal settings. The goal of the project is to better
understand the cognitive processes and reasoning methods that leads to
foreign accent bias and the individual and context factors that
moderate it. Project methods include experimental sociolinguistics and
quantitative, variationist analysis.
The Doctoral Candidate (DC) will be part of an international network
of 13 research labs located throughout Europe who work on the
EU-funded HUM.AI.N-ACCENT project. The full consortium includes a
total of 24 academic and non-academic partners in Europe, Canada and
the US. As part of their training, the DC will attend regular events
across Europe and conduct short stays (secondments) with at least two
Beneficiary/Partner Organizations. The funding for the project in Bern
will be provided directly by the Swiss State Secretariat for
Education, Research, and Innovation, as stipulated in the funding
guarantee of the Swiss government for EU-funded projects.
HUM.AI.N-ACCENT is an interdisciplinary research network that explores
the neurocognitive and social impacts of foreign-accented speech in
human-human and human-AI interactions. With millions of new arrivals
to the European Union each year, there is an urgent need to understand
how foreign accents influence communication, decision-making, and
social dynamics. Research has shown that foreign-accented speech can
generate biases and increase cognitive load, yet the origins and
consequences of these effects are still poorly understood. The
HUM.AI.N-ACCENT network aims to fill this gap by combining insights
from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, AI engineering,
human-computer interaction, and social science, with lifespan
perspectives. Using advanced methodologies like neuroimaging,
eye-tracking, virtual reality, and neural tracking, the project will
investigate how foreign-accented speech affects neural responses,
attention allocation, and social judgments. By studying both
human-human and human-AI interactions, the project will provide
critical insights into how accents shape communication and behaviour
in diverse contexts.
Job Description
The successful candidate will receive interdisciplinary training in
theories and methods for the study of linguistic variation, accent
perception, cognitive processing, and accent bias, as well as general
professional training for an academic career. Training will be
delivered by both local and network-wide events and other
(international) training opportunities.
The Center for the Study of Language and Society (CSLS) at the
University of Bern is an interdisciplinary research center located in
the Faculty of Humanities. CSLS research focuses on exploring how
social changes affect languages and language use, how social beliefs
and ideologies are reproduced and transmitted through language, and
how, conversely, beliefs about language and language users have
lasting social impacts. The CSLS offers a comprehensive research
training programme, including advanced training in sociolinguistic
field methods, quantitative and qualitative linguistic analysis,
instrumental phonetic analysis, behavioural experiments, social media
analysis, and research ethics. The CSLS maintains two state-of-the-art
linguistic labs, featuring professional-grade audio recording,
eye-tracking, VR and behavioural experiment stations.
Candidate Profile and Selection Criteria
Essential Criteria:
 - A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Linguistics, Sociolinguistics,
Social Psychology, or a related field
 - The candidate must not have resided or carried out their main
activity (work, studies, etc.) in Switzerland for more than 12 months
in the 36 months immediately before their appointment.
 - The candidate must not already be in possession of a doctoral
degree
Desirable Criteria:
 - Prior experience with sociolinguistic experiments
 - Knowledge of statistical data analysis and modelling
 - Familiarity with theories of social (and sociolinguistic) cognition
 - Familiarity with virtual reality environments
 - Good command of academic English (oral and written)
 - Desire to be part of an international research network
 - Ability to travel across Europe/North America for research training
and secondments
 - Experience working in a team, ability to work independently and to
meet agreed deadlines
 Working Conditions
 - Gross salary: ca. CHF 73'733 per annum
 - Mobility allowance: ca. CHF 7'970 per annum
 - Family allowance (if applicable): ca. CHF 7'409 per annum
Values listed are indicative. Final salary will follow MSCA guidelines
and be determined during the recruitment process. Gross salary
includes mandatory employer social security contributions.
Training Opportunities and Career Development Plan
The successful candidate will be given an opportunity for professional
development and for improving their employability through access to a
Personal Career Development Plan which includes:
1) Training through individually personalized research project under
senior supervision
2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general
public
3) Network-wide training in theory and methods
4) Complementary training courses
5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination
6) Development of skills for the organization of training and
scientific events
The University of Bern seeks to promote an inclusive and collegial
environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender,
sexuality, age, race, ethnicity, cultural background, nationality or
disability. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or
support, please contact us.
Language
The primary working language of the HUM.AI.N-ACCENT network is
English. The main administrative language of the University of Bern is
German. Familiarity with German is an asset, but not a requirement.

Application Deadline: 25-Oct-2025

Email Address for Applications: erez.levon at unibe.ch

Contact Information:
Erez Levon



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