Last application date Jul 15, 2025 23:30
Department LW06 - Department of Linguistics
Contract Limited duration
Degree You hold a Master’s degree relevant to conducting research in linguistics. You must have obtained the degree by the time the position starts.
Occupancy rate 100%
Vacancy type Research staff
Job description
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
For the Faculty of Arts & Philosophy, Department of Linguistics, Multiples Research Group we are looking for a m/f/x for the FWO-Vlaanderen funded project “Changing Signs & Signs of Change”:
The focus of this FWO-Vlaanderen funded project is on the dynamics of language change in Flemish Sign Language (VGT). The innovative design of this project is to approach the topic from two interrelated angles: 1) variation in VGT and 2) contact, with the surrounding majority spoken language, i.e. Dutch and with the historically related French-Belgian Sign Language (LSFB). We hypothesize that the unique linguistic characteristics of sign languages (SLs), coupled with ongoing contact and pressure from majority spoken languages (SpLs), contribute to the rapid pace of change observed in SLs compared to SpLs. By investigating these phenomena in a signed language, we aim to provide insights into the complex interplay between variation, contact, and the dynamics of language change in (minority and face-to-face) human languages in general, and to make a unique contribution to language policy discussions within the domain of sociolinguistics.
The research team will consist of Prof. Dr. Mieke Van Herreweghe (Ghent University) and Prof. Dr. Myriam Vermeerbergen (KU Leuven), as applicants and supervisors of the project, two part-time postdoctoral researchers, a part-time technician, and two doctoral fellows. We are currently looking for the two doctoral fellows: one will focus on the study of language contact and will be based at Ghent University under the supervision of Mieke Van Herreweghe; the other will focus on variation in Flemish Sign Language and will be based at KU Leuven, Antwerp Campus, under the supervision of Myriam Vermeerbergen. The current job description concerns the first doctoral fellow.
Doctoral fellow
YOUR JOB
- You will conduct academic research within the framework of this project, with the aim of obtaining a doctoral degree.
- You will be enrolled as a PhD student at Ghent University.
- You will publish academic articles related to your research project.
- You will present your research findings at national and international conferences.
- You will also present your findings to the (Flemish) Deaf community.
- You will take on a limited number of teaching and teaching-support tasks.
Job profile
- You hold a Master’s degree relevant to conducting research in linguistics. You must have obtained the degree by the time the position starts.
- You have advanced proficiency in at least one sign language, preferably Flemish Sign Language.
- You have advanced academic reading and writing skills in English and Dutch.
- You have strong theoretical understanding and analytical skills in the field of linguistics.
- You are able to work independently and also function well within a team.
- Previous experience with (sign) linguistic research is an asset.
- Experience with ELAN is an advantage.
We encourage applications from deaf signers who meet the required qualifications and have a strong interest in the project.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
- The fellowship preferably starts on 1 October 2025.
- You will share an office with fellow researchers at the Ghent University Campus Book Tower, Blandijnberg.
- The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
How to apply
Send your CV, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to [email protected] before 15 July 2025.
We do not accept late applications.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Mieke Van Herreweghe ([email protected], +32(0)9/2643014)
