Are you interested in social interaction and language technology? As a PhD candidate, you will investigate a topic at the intersection of human language and interactive interfaces. You will be able to co-design your own research project as part of a larger team effort to better understand how language and technology shape each other.
The research project is part of the Futures of Language project, in which we study interactive language use as it adapts to major sociotechnical transitions. Questions we ask in the project include: What are the interactional foundations of language? How do current and future language technologies augment or exploit them? The project is interested in global linguistic diversity as a reservoir of humanity’s artisanal technologies of language, and in interactive interfaces as places where language and technology co-evolve. Many current language technologies bear the mark of a legacy that privileges text over talk, information over interaction, and algorithms over agency. In Futures of Language, we aim to understand what happens when we invert those priorities.
As a PhD candidate, you will investigate a topic at the intersection of language and technology. Your research may address questions such as how people carry out social action in interaction with human and non-human others; how pervasive technological mediation (e.g. through live translation) may affect language use and linguistic diversity; or how we can build better evaluation methods for language technology based on insights into human interaction, with room for human judgement and analysis.
We offer you the opportunity to develop and carry out your own PhD project within the areas of expertise of your promotor Mark Dingemanse and the larger Futures of Language team, which includes Dr Marlou Rasenberg and Dr Andreas Liesenfeld. The project is funded by a Vici grant awarded to PI Dingemanse.
As a PhD candidate at the Centre for Language Studies (CLS), you will be part of the Graduate School for the Humanities (GSH). Up to 75% of your time will be devoted to the research for and writing of your PhD thesis. The remaining 25% will be spent on training and academic service to the Faculty of Arts, including teaching.
Would you like to learn more about what it is like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate.Â
Profile
- You hold an MA or Research MA degree in Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Communication and Information Sciences, or a related discipline pursuing empirical research on social interaction (e.g. HCI, STS, linguistic anthropology, sociology).
- You have experience with the analysis of conversational structure, including qualitative (conversation analysis) and quantitative (corpus) research or are highly motivated to acquire these skills.
- You have a demonstrable interest in language, social interaction and language technology.
- You are proactive and have a proven ability to conduct independent academic research and work in a collaborative research environment.
- You have an excellent command of English and an enthusiasm for reading widely and writing well.
- You are willing to perform teaching and service duties.
We are interested to hear from highly motivated candidates even if they may not check all the boxes of the requirements. Do feel free to get in touch if you have any questions beforehand.
Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University’s primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
We are
The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) is a research institute dedicated to the understanding of language and the way we use it. Our researchers study this topic from different perspectives and in several contexts, using a variety of innovative research methods. CLS aims to conduct language science that matters: fundamental research that sheds new light on language and that provides value to organisations and audiences outside the academic world.
Futures of Language is part of a vibrant research environment, which includes the CLS research groups Language and Social Interaction (LANSI) and Language and Speech Technology (LST), the interdisciplinary hub on digitisation and society (iHub), and the AI department. This postdoctoral position is funded by a Vici grant awarded to PI Dingemanse and will be embedded in the ’AI: Language and Communication Technologies’ section of the Language and Communication department.
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is committed to the development of knowledge with a strong scientific and social impact. With over 500 academic and support staff, we teach and conduct research in the fields of art, history, language, culture and communication, using innovative methodologies and collaborating closely across disciplines. Our research is embedded in two research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) and the Radboud Institute for Culture & History (RICH). Approximately 2,500 students are currently enrolled with us across our three departments: the Department of History, Art History and Classics, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and the Department of Language and Communication. The faculty is characterised by a pleasant and open culture with various opportunities for the professional development of our staff.
Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.
If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.
Practical information and applying
You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Mark Dingemanse. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.
You will be asked to submit a brief research proposal (max. 800 words excluding bibliography) in which you describe your own perspective related to one or more of the topics mentioned above and formulate tentative research ideas. We favour methodological approaches and theoretical lenses that are observational more than experimental and are rooted in empirical work on social interaction. This could be informed by conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, participatory observation or a combination of those. We recommend you study the Futures of Language project website to contextualise your application.
The first interviews will take place on Wednesday 10 September. Any second interview will take place on Tuesday 23 September. You will preferably start your employment on 1 October 2025.
We can imagine you’re curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.
