37.1401, Support: Computational Linguistics, General Linguistics, Typology: PhD, University of Tübingen

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1401. Mon Apr 13 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1401, Support: Computational Linguistics, General Linguistics, Typology: PhD, University of Tübingen

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Date: 13-Apr-2026
From: Gerhard Jäger [gerhard.jaeger at uni-tuebingen.de]
Subject: Computational Linguistics, General Linguistics, Typology: PhD, University of Tübingen


Institution/Organization: University of Tübingen
Web Address: https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/291885

Level: PhD

Duties: Research, Teaching

Specialty Areas: Computational Linguistics; General Linguistics;
Typology

Description:

The project "Global Basic Lexicon" (GloBasLex) is a research project
of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities within the
framework of the Academy Program of the German Federal and State
Governments. It aims to compile a 1,000-concept basic lexicon across
most of the world's languages for which dictionaries are available.
The data will be uniformly transcribed in IPA and enhanced by
morphological annotation. Accompanying research will focus on modeling
large-scale patterns in lexical typology and historical linguistics.
The data will be made publicly available to facilitate research in
comparative linguistics, language technology, anthropology and other
fields. GloBasLex is projected to run until 2040. For more
information, see the project webpage at
https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/291885 .
For the GloBasLex project, the Department of Linguistics at Tübingen
University is seeking to fill the position of a
Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in computational comparative linguistics
(TV-L E13, 100% until end of 2029, 4 SWS teaching duties)
starting at the earliest possible date. The project is based at the
Linguistics Department of Tübingen University. The doctoral researcher
will participate in ongoing research within the GloBasLex endeavor,
and pursue a dissertation project within this wider framework.
The dissertation will be tailored to the successful candidate's
background and interests. Two directions are possible:
1. Lexical typology: The data from the first phase of GloBasLex  —
3,200 concepts across 248 typologically balanced languages, with full
morphological annotation — provide a uniquely rich basis for research
on cross-linguistic colexification and semantic maps. The dissertation
will build the infrastructure for processing the morphological
annotations and apply existing tools to extract and visualize a
large-scale loose colexification network, capturing not only synonymy
but also cross-linguistically frequent derivation and compound
patterns. The doctoral student will carry out a focused study on a
subtopic of interest emerging from these explorations. In the final
stage, an efficient inference algorithm will be applied to derive a
semantic map encoding implicational universals of colexification,
which will be evaluated against attested pathways of semantic change.
Candidates with a background in linguistic typology, lexical
semantics, or computational linguistics are particularly encouraged to
apply.
2. Lexical phylogenetics: The GloBasLex data afford the construction
of standardized computational phylogenies for a large number of
language families at once. The dissertation will develop an
algorithmic pipeline from GloBasLex word lists to distributions over
phylogenies, and apply it uniformly across families. Candidates with a
background in computational linguistics, historical linguistics, or
bioinformatics and an interest in phylogenetic methods are
particularly encouraged to apply.
Both projects require quantitative and programming skills (e.g., R,
Python, or Julia). Previous experience with lexical databases would be
a plus.
The position includes a teaching obligation of 4 semester hours per
week (4 SWS). The salary is figured according to the union contract
TV-L, E13, depending on professional experience.
The period of employment is limited to the first funding period, which
ends on December 31, 2029.
Applications should include a CV, a statement of research interests
and relevant experience, as well as names and addresses of up to two
references. Applications should be sent as a single pdf file by email
to the address below. The position will be filled as soon as possible.
Deadline for applications is May 15, 2026.
Disabled applicants will be preferred if they have the same
qualifications as non-disabled applicants. The University of Tübingen
strives to increase the proportion of women in research, and therefore
encourages qualified female scientists to apply.
Please send your application electronically as a single pdf file to
as at semsprach.uni-tuebingen.de.

Application Instructions:
Deadline for applications is May 15, 2026

Mailing Address for Applications:
        Germany
Web Address for Applications: https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/291885
Email Address for Applications: as at semsprach.uni-tuebingen.de

Contact Information:
Gerhard Jäger



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