Department of Linguistics and Philology conducts research and education in language science and text studies, focusing on Asian languages and cultures, Europe's classical languages, linguistics, and computational linguistics.
Education is offered at undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels. The department has around seventy employees who, together with students and partners, create an international and intellectually vibrant environment.
Center for the Human Past. CHP is a groundbreaking initiative that unites the three research areas of archaeology, genetics, and linguistics. Each discipline has collected significant amounts of information and developed various research methods for analysis. Researchers at the center will focus on bringing together these unique data types and methods to strengthen the interdisciplinary development of the field. A central goal of the center is to educate a new generation of students and doctoral candidates with skills and insights into the different theoretical models and analytical methods used in these research areas, as well as the ability to work with developing databases. The center's purpose is to illuminate and understand various aspects of human development over the past 10,000 years, thereby creating a comprehensive picture of human prehistory regarding language, culture, and genetic evolution in Africa, Oceania, and Eurasia.
Job Description
We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher with primary expertise in linguistics who will contribute to the center's overall goal of illuminating and understanding various aspects of human development over the past 10,000 years. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to combine different methods, including historical-comparative reconstruction, computer-based analytical methods, and large databases to develop theory and method for using aggregated data from genetics, archaeology, and linguistics, thereby developing innovative interdisciplinary research on human history. The postdoctoral project should highlight various aspects of human history at the intersection of genetic, cultural, and linguistic evolution.
Qualification Requirements
- Eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher is someone who has completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree in linguistics or a related field. The degree must be completed at the time of the employment decision but no more than three years before the application deadline unless special circumstances exist. Special circumstances include leave due to illness, parental leave, union assignments, or similar circumstances.
- Applicants must have demonstrated independence and high research quality through high-quality research publications. Excellent oral and written skills in English are required.
- Ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with others is necessary. Great importance will be placed on personal qualities, so interviews and reference checks may be part of the selection process.
Selection
- Previous interdisciplinary studies in Africa, Oceania, and Eurasia, or a combination of studies from these areas, are desirable.
- Knowledge and skills in working with database management and quantitative historical linguistics will be highly valued. Additionally, a background in mathematics, computer science, and/or statistics is meritorious.
- Documented skills in historical linguistics related to one or more language families in Africa, Oceania, and Eurasia will be highly valued. Research experience in historical-comparative reconstruction is meritorious.
- Demonstrated ability to contribute according to open science principles, especially regarding the creation of open and reusable research data.
- Experience working in international and interdisciplinary research contexts is desirable.
Application should include:
- A project plan of max 3 pages (excluding references)
- A CV
- A letter describing the applicant and their qualifications, research interests, names and contact information for at least two references, and a publication list
- A copy of the applicant's doctoral thesis or a draft of this
- Copies of relevant degrees
About the Position
The position is time-limited for two years according to central collective agreement. Full-time employment. Start date: February 15 or by agreement. Location: Uppsala.
Information about the position can be obtained from: Head of Department Dimitrios Iordanoglou,
[email protected] or Professor Harald Hammarström, +46707184339,
[email protected].
Welcome with your application by December 15, 2025, UFV-PA 2025/3380.
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