Postdoctoral Researcher in Individual Differences in Language Skills

We are offering a position for a postdoctoral researcher in the Psychology of Language Department at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands.

The post is available from July 2023 onwards. Funding for the post will end in May 2026. 

• Project: Development and validation of a test battery of language skills for adult speakers of Dutch, German and English.We have developed a new test battery of language skills for adult speakers of Dutch (https://www.mpi.nl/idlas-nl). Preparation of a German version is in progress. The task of the postholder will be to participate in the further development and validation of these batteries and, most importantly, take the lead in developing and validating an English version of the battery. 

Requirements 

Essential

• A PhD in Psychology or Cognitive Science.  
• Expertise in advanced statistical modelling of human behaviour using R
• Experience in development of psychological tests
• Good knowledge of psycholinguistics and/or linguistics
• Experience in disseminating research through conference presentations and publications
• Experience managing confidential information provided by participants, dealing with ethical and administrative issues, and efficiently managing and cataloguing data
• Experience supervising and/or teaching undergraduate or postgraduate students
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English. This is critical for the development of the English version of the battery. As the language of the institute is English, knowledge of Dutch is not required. 

Desirable

• Expertise in at least one other statistical package and/or programming language used to model behaviour.
• Experience in working with large datasets.
• Experience in applying exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, or network analysis. 

Conditions of employment

• The position is available from 1 July onwards. The start date is negotiable but should be no later than October 2023. The contract will end on 31 May 2026 at the latest.
• The candidate must work on-site (at the MPI) at least 3 days/week.
• Full-time (39 hours per week) and part-time employment (minimally 24 hours/week) are possible.
• The salary is determined according to the German TVöD (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst) and is classified in salary group E13. Depending on the experience of the applicant, the salary is between EUR 4,187.45 and EUR 6,089.52 gross per month plus a holiday bonus of 8% of the gross salary. This equates to EUR 54,269.34 – EUR 78,920.18 per year, including holiday bonus.
• All research staff have access to state-of-the art research and training facilities and a generous conference and travel budget.   

Application procedure

Informal enquiries should be addressed to Antje Meyer, antje.meyer@mpi.nl 

The deadline for applications is April 11, 2023. Please submit your application by clicking the 'Apply' button.

Applications must include:

• A 2-page application letter that includes information about your research interests, why you are interested in this post, and why you consider yourself a good match for the post.
• A CV and a list of publications
• MA or MSc degree certificate with grades
• Contact details for three referees (referees will not be contacted unless you are invited to interview). 

Zoom-interviews will be held in the week of April 24. 

The employer

The Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psycholinguistics is entirely devoted to psycholinguistics – the study of how we produce and understand language, and how we acquire these skills as first or second language learners. Our goal is to understand how our minds and brains process language, how language interacts with other aspects of mind and with other agents, how multiple modalities (as in speech, gesture and sign) shape language and its use in diverse languages, and how we can learn languages of quite different types. We are situated on the campus of the Radboud University and have close collaborative links with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University.  We also work closely with other child development researchers as part of the Baby and Child Research Centre.

Staff and students at the MPI have access to state-of-the art research and training facilities (including audio-visual equipment, EEG, fMRI, eye tracking, virtual reality labs, molecular biology labs and a child-friendly child development lab). 

The Institute is part of the Max Planck Society, an independent non-governmental association of German-funded research institutes dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The MPI for Psycholinguistics recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We are committed to redressing systemic problems with diversity in science, and therefore welcome applications from individuals from minority groups and from groups that are otherwise under-represented.