Offer Description
The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a position as PhD Fellow in Multilingualism and Cross-linguistic Influence at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Department of Culture and Language. The position is available from [contact details available in the full listing].
The PhD fellowship leads to a doctoral degree and gives you the opportunity to develop research expertise in an active and stimulating academic environment. Through the doctoral education, you will acquire knowledge, skills and experience that qualify you for a further career in research, higher education, and other knowledge-intensive sectors.
The successful candidate will be admitted to the PhD programme in Educational Science and Humanities. The programme includes an independent research project culminating in a doctoral thesis, participation in national and international research communities, and the dissemination of research findings. For more information about the PhD education at UiS, please visit our website.
The position is for three years of pure research training or four years with research training combined with other career-promoting work. The final arrangement will be clarified during the recruitment process.
As a PhD Fellow at UiS, you will receive supervision and support for your academic and professional development through mentoring, skills development, and career planning.
Research Topic
The successful candidate will be affiliated with the research group FLUENT (Multilingual Development and Change in Contemporary Society) and the Department of Culture and Language. FLUENT investigates multilingualism from different perspectives, including language acquisition, formal linguistics, and educational sciences. The research group is interdisciplinary and welcomes a range of theoretical and methodological approaches.
This PhD position is an open call for doctoral projects in multilingualism, with a particular focus on cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in bilingual and multilingual speakers. The overall aim is to increase our understanding of how languages influence one another in the multilingual mind, and to what extent grammatical systems are shared across languages.
Although cross-linguistic influence is a well-established phenomenon, many questions remain unanswered. In particular, more research is needed on how language-specific properties and linguistic distance between languages affect cross-linguistic influence. Further research is also needed on how different types of multilingual speakers (for example, children and adults, early and late bilinguals) and individual factors such as language proficiency, language exposure and language use influence these processes. Because much previous research has relied on offline methods, such as grammaticality judgment tasks, relatively little is known about how cross-linguistic influence manifests itself while multilingual speakers process language in real time.
The PhD project should contribute new empirical knowledge on cross-linguistic influence using offline, online or combined methodological approaches. Applicants are encouraged to develop their own project within this broad research area.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- the extent to which cross-linguistic influence varies as a function of linguistic distance between languages
- the extent to which cross-linguistic influence varies across different linguistic domains, such as syntax, morphology, vocabulary and phonology
- the extent to which cross-linguistic influence varies across different types of multilingual speakers, for example children and adults, early and late bilinguals, or third language learners
- the extent to which individual factors, such as language proficiency, language exposure and language use, influence cross-linguistic influence
- the extent to which cross-linguistic influence manifests itself similarly or differently in multilingual speakers' linguistic knowledge and in real-time language processing
Projects may investigate a broad range of language combinations. Projects including Norwegian in combination with one or more other languages are particularly encouraged, although projects involving other language combinations are also welcome. Stavanger's multilingual population provides excellent opportunities for recruiting participants with diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The dissertation will be written in English.
Requirements
You must have a strong academic background with a five-year master's degree in linguistics, multilingualism, psycholinguistics, applied linguistics, Nordic linguistics, English linguistics, or equivalent qualifications that provide a basis for undertaking doctoral studies, preferably obtained recently.
Your master's thesis grade and weighted average grade for the master's degree must both correspond to a grade of B or better.
If you have completed your education at an institution that uses a grading scale other than A-F, please provide documentation explaining how your grades correspond to the Norwegian grading scale. You may use these conversion tables to calculate your admission score.
We will also place emphasis on whether you:
- interest in research on multilingualism, language acquisition and/or language processing
- experience in linguistic research, preferably including experimental or quantitative methods
- demonstrate high academic integrity and a strong commitment to quality in your work
- are curious and motivated to carry out the research project and contribute to academic communities and collaboration across disciplines
- demonstrate potential for research within the field and have the personal qualities required to complete the doctoral programme within the employment period
- are able to work effectively both independently and in collaboration with other researchers
- demonstrate the ability for critical reflection, innovative thinking, and independent problem-solving, and work in a structured and goal-oriented manner
- have good collaboration and communication skills and contribute to a constructive working environment
- have good command of English, both written and spoken
English Language Requirements
Proficiency in English, both written and spoken, is required for admission to the PhD programme.
International applicants who do not qualify for one of the exemptions listed below must document their English language proficiency by submitting a valid test result from one of the following tests:
- TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language): minimum score of 90/4.5
- IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System): minimum score of 6.5
- Cambridge English: Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
- PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic): minimum score of 62
You are exempt from this requirement if you:
- have completed at least one year of university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States
- have completed a master's degree taught in English in an EU/EEA country or in India
- qualify for an exemption according to the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) GSU list
- do not fall within any of the exemption categories listed above, but have resided in Norway for the past five years.
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Good
Additional Information
Benefits
As a PhD Fellow at UiS, you will receive
- a PhD education at a university with a strong societal mission and ambitious academic goals
- an ambitious and inclusive research environment. We strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure.
- free Norwegian language courses if you do not have proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at level A2 at the time of employment.
- access to Lifekeys, a digital service that supports mental health and well-being
- salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, code 1017, NOK 580.000 gross per year, with salary progression during the employment period. A statutory 2% contribution is deducted for membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
- membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens pensjonskasse), which provides favourable pension and insurance schemes
- favourable membership terms at SiS Sports Centre and the university sports club
- employment with an Inclusive Workplace organisation committed to reducing sick leave and promoting and inclusive working life
- access to the Hjem-jobb-hjem programme, offering discounted public transportation to and from work
- relocation support
- access to comprehensive health services, generous parental leave arrangements and a well-developed welfare system.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity is a strength at the University of Stavanger. Different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds contribute to better solutions and a positive working and learning environment. We welcome applicants with diverse qualifications, life experiences and perspectives, and encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of gender, age, disability, cultural background, or whether they have experienced periods outside the workforce. UiS is committed to supporting employees in different stages of life and to providing reasonable accommodation for employees with individual needs.
In accordance with applicable regulations, at least one qualified applicant with a disability, a gap in their CV, or an immigrant background will be invited for an interview. If this applies to you, you may indicate this in the application portal. Read more about the scheme here.
How to Apply
Apply for this job by clicking "Apply for this job" button on this page.
In Jobbnorge, you must register at least your application, relevant education and work experience, as well as language skills. In your application letter, please describe your research interests, your motivation for applying for the position, and how your background is relevant to the research project.
The following documentation must be uploaded as attachments to your application:
- project proposal, see template available on our website.
- CV with a complete overview of your education, experience, and any scientific or scholarly work
- diploma and transcript of records documenting completion of a master's degree. If you have not yet completed your master's degree, you must submit an up-to-date transcript of records
- Diploma Supplement or equivalent documentation, and a confirmed grade conversion scale if required
- documentation of English language proficiency, if required
- publications or other relevant research work
- references and other documentation considered relevant to the application
The documentation must be provided in a Scandinavian language or in English.
Applications will be assessed based on the information available in Jobbnorge when the application deadline expires. Please ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements described in the announcement, and that all required documentation has been uploaded. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 100 MB, the files must be compressed before upload.
UiS only considers applications and attachments submitted through Jobbnorge.
Information about applicants may be made public even if an applicant has requested not to be included on the public list of applicants, cf. Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. If such a request is not granted, you will be notified.
