About the position
A 100 % position is available at the University of Agder, Faculty of Humanities and Education as a PhD Research Fellow in linguistics, affiliated to the Department of Foreign Languages and Translation, for a period of three years. The position is located at Campus Kristiansand. The starting date is 1.1.2027 or as agreed with the Faculty.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Translation has 23 permanent academic staff members and approximately 300 students enrolled on the various study programs at the department. The department’s core activities are teaching and research linked with study programs in English, French, German, Spanish, teacher education, and translation studies.
About the Faculty: https://www.uia.no/en/about-uia/faculties/faculty-of-humanities-and-education
Responsibilities
The position is connected to the project Category shifts, the periphery, and the structure of linguistic categories (CatS) (2026-2030). An overarching goal of the CatS project is to generate a formal theory of categories, category shifts, and category boundaries, which links together semantic, pragmatic, and morphosyntactic properties of shifting lexical items. The project focuses on the category Noun in five languages (English, Norwegian, Spanish, Polish, one classifier language) and investigates (a) how nouns shift out of the core towards functional categories like QUANTIFIER, (b) how similar shifts are across categories and languages, and (c) how nouns intersect with other categories like verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. The project integrates generative and cognitive-functional perspectives, so it is important that the candidate is familiar with at least one of these approaches and open to working with the other.
The candidate will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data on one of the following languages: Norwegian, Spanish, Polish, OR a language with a classifier system (e.g. Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, etc., see project description for more information), and will also work with a research assistant on a second language in the project.
The complete project description can be read here.
A prerequisite for employment is that the candidate is to be admitted to UiA’s PhD program at the Faculty of Humanities and Education. More information is to be found here (in Norwegian): https://www.uia.no/studier/program/phd-program-i-humaniora-og-pedagogikk/
Required qualifications
- Master’s in linguistics, language, or another relevant subject domain
- Demonstrated experience in generative, cognitive, OR functional linguistics
- Good knowldge of English, both written and oral
- General proficiency in at least ONE of the following languages: Norwegian, Spanish, Polish, OR a language with a classifier system (e.g. Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, etc., see project description for more information)
- Candidates who are in the final stages of their master’s degree can also apply.
Criteria for positions as PhD Research Fellow (in Norwegian).
Desired qualifications
- Experience with the use of corpora for linguistic research
Personal qualities
- Ability to work both independently and in a team
- Ability to work systematically and goal-oriented
- Curiosity-driven, with an openness to exploring new perspectives
Personal qualities and suitability for the position will be emphasised.
We offer
- professional development in a large, exciting and socially influential organisation
- a positive, inclusive and diverse working environment
- modern facilities and a comprehensive set of welfare offers
- membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
More about working at UiA.
The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.515, code 1017 PhD Research Fellow, NOK 550 800 gross salary per year. A compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is deducted from the pay according to current statutory provisions.
General information
UiA is an open and inclusive university. We believe that diversity enriches the workplace and makes us better. We, therefore, encourage qualified candidates to apply for the position independent of gender, age, cultural background, disability or an incomplete CV.
The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with the current regulations for the position, and organisational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position must be expected. The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning the acts relating to Control of Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology.
Appointment is made by the University of Agder’s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions. A background check may be conducted to verify information that appears in available documents. Background checks are always done with the applicant's consent, and employment in the position requires an approved background check. Relevant applicants will receive further information.
Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview. With the applicant’s permission, UiA will also conduct a reference check before appointment. Read more about the employment process.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act § 25 (2), applicants may request that they are not identified in the open list of applicants. The University, however, reserves the right to publish the names of applicants. Applicants will be advised of the University’s intention to exercise this right. In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.
Application
The application and any necessary information about education and experience (including diplomas and certificates) are to be sent electronically. Use the link "Apply for this job".
The following documentation must be uploaded electronically:
- Certificates with grades
- Master’s thesis
- References
- Academic work and R&D projects, as well as a list of these
- Project description of 3-5 pages, including reference list. The outline should present and discuss possible research questions, theory perspectives, material, a progress plan, and methods within the given framework
- Any other relevant documentation
The applicant is fully responsible for submitting complete digital documentation before the closing date. All documentation must be available in a Scandinavian language or English.
Application deadline: 01.09.26
Contact
For questions about the position:
For questions about the application process:
- Personnel coordinator, Hilde Anett Krossen, tlf. 38 14 11 14, e-post [email protected]
PhD-coordinator Lise Moss, tlf. 38 14 20 58, mobil 932 34 051, e-post [email protected]
