Institution/Organization: University of Tübingen

Level: PhD

Duties: Research

Specialty Areas: Pragmatics; Semantics

Description:

The following position is available in the newly established Collaborative Research Center 1718 “Common Ground: Cognition – Grammar – Communication” (funded by the German Research Foundation, DFG)

PhD Researcher in Semantics and Pragmatics (m/f/d, E13 TV-L, 75%)

(The salary corresponding to a 75%, TV-L 13 scale, position is approximately €3.400 per month before taxes and obligatory insurances for career starters).

The position is associated with project B2 Common Ground Management Interactions: Evidentials in Romance of the CRC 1718 (PI: Paula Menéndez Benito). The project aims to contribute to our understanding of how linguistic devices update the Common Ground by carrying out a systematic description and analysis of the evidential uses of verbal morphology (future and conditional) in Spanish, Italian and French. On the empirical side, the project will deliver a theoretically informed cross-linguistic description based on data collected via complementary methodologies (corpus data and offline experimental measures). On the theoretical side, the project will develop a formal compositional model that generates the observed parameters of variation and predicts the interactions of the evidentials with different types of speech act and syntactic contexts.

The position begins on October 1, 2025 (or shortly after) and will run until June 30, 2029.

The ideal candidate for this position holds an MA/MSc-degree or equivalent with a focus on Linguistics and above-average qualifications, has strong familiarity with formal semantics and pragmatics, and excellent English language skills. (For the purposes of this advertisement, degrees with a primary focus on Translation, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, or Applied Linguistics do not count as linguistics-related). Fluency in, and willingness to work on, one of the languages of the project (preferably, French) is expected. Familiarity with corpus and experimental methods would be welcome but is not required. Ability to work independently and as a member of a team is essential.

The PhD researcher will receive systematic training and will benefit from a cohesive interdisciplinary environment at the level of the CRC. We will support the PhD researcher in gaining any skills essential for the successful completion of the project, and we offer the opportunity to obtain additional skills related to interdisciplinary language science research more generally.

Applications must be written in English and should consist of a motivation letter discussing the applicant’s suitability for the position, an academic transcript, a detailed CV, and the contact details of three potential referees. Applications should be addressed to the project’s principal investigator, Paula Menéndez Benito, at [email protected]. Enquiries may also be sent to this email address.

Application deadline: July 20, 2025

Equally qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference in the hiring process. The University of Tübingen is committed to equity and diversity and actively promotes equal opportunities.

The University of Tübingen seeks to raise the number of women in research and teaching and therefore urges suitable qualified women academics to apply for this position.

The employment will be handled by the central administration of the University of Tübingen.

Email Address for Applications: [email protected]

Contact Information:
Paula Menéndez Benito