LINGUIST List 14.967

Wed Apr 2 2003

Jobs: Event Representation: PostDoc, Netherlands

Editor for this issue: Heather Taylor <heatherlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Edith.Sjoerdsma, Jobs: Event Representation: Post Doc, Max Planck Inst., Netherlands

University or Organization: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
Rank of Job: Post Doc
Specialty Areas: Cognitive Science, Language Acquisition, Event Representation

Description:

Scientific staff position in the field of 'Event Representation'

The Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics has an opening for a
post-doctoral staff position in the Institute's research project on
'Event Representation'. This project is dedicated to the study of the
linguistic and cognitive representations of events, the
cross-linguistic variation in these structures and how children
acquire them. Event Representation, a joint undertaking between the
research groups "Language and Cognition" and "Language Acquisition",
brings together two dozen researchers in the fields of language
typology, child language research, and cognitive psychology.

Current subprojects deal with issues including participant encoding
and argument marking in language acquisition; the interaction of
lexical and constructional meaning; complex predicate structures; the
coding of reciprocal and reflexive relations between event
participants; the semantic typology of causative constructions; the
perception of causality; segmentation and granularity in event
descriptions; and the role of language in event categorization. These
subjects are pursued especially by comparison across languages and
cultures, and by the study of child development and language
learning. Both naturalistic observation and experimental methods are
employed. For more detail see the project description at
http://www.mpi.nl/world/research/research.html, and the annual report
of the Institute (http://www.mpi.nl/world/research/research.html).

The staff member to be recruited should play a leading role in this
project. Expertise can lie in one of two directions: 

(a)expertise in theoretical approaches to the syntax/semantics
interface, combined with fieldwork experience in a non-Indo-European
language; 

(b)expertise in experimental methods for investigating properties of
event perception and cognition, with a background in developmental
psychology, including language acquisition, an advantage.

The position, which is available from August 2003, is remunerated on
the German Bat IIa scale, according to experience, age and marital
status; the contract is for 3 years, further extendable by 2
years. The position carries many additional benefits including funds
for field research, lab access and subject fees, technical support and
student research assistance. Teaching possibilities exist, but the
position is primarily for research. Daily office presence is required
except during field research.

Applications should include a C.V., a cover letter describing research
interests and how they might fit with the project description, and
three letters of recommendation which may follow the application. The
PhD must be in hand by the start of employment. Two examples of
published work should be included if available.

Applications - titled ''Staff position in Event Representation
project'' should be sent electronically to the following address, to
arrive not later than May 1 2003: Edith.Sjoerdsmampi.nl.

Address for Applications:

	Attn: Edith Sjoerdsma
	by email to Edith.Sjoerdsmampi.nl
	Netherlands 
	Applications are due by 01-May-2003


Contact Information:
	Edith Sjoerdsma.
	Email: Edith.Sjoerdsmampi.nl

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