PhD: Agent-based modelling for reconstructing the history of culture & language

Job title:

PhD: Agent-based modelling for reconstructing the history of culture & language

Company:

Utrecht University

Job description

Combine agent-based simulation modelling and geographical data to understand how biophysical and social factors shape language evolution and diversity.Job descriptionThe aim of this project is to understand and quantify the roles of sociocultural and biophysical factors in the evolution of linguistic diversity using an agent-based modelling approach. The spatial agent-based model should simulate how and where languages (agents) change, merge, and split over time. You will use linguistics theory in combination with large datasets of environmental, demographic, sociocultural and linguistic variables to define the model rules.Your job
The project is a geoinformation and data science challenge and at the same time uses domain-specific knowledge from linguistics. In this project, you will:

• analyse data on biophysical and demographic variables across South America since 20,000 years ago;
• develop a spatial agent-based simulation model of language evolution;
• use this model to quantify the relative role of biophysical and sociocultural factors in shaping language diversity in South America.

You will work in a multi-disciplinary team consisting of modellers, data scientists, research software engineers, linguists, and geographers from the Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University. You will closely cooperate with a PhD candidate in linguistics at Leiden University. Both of you will work on the same case studies in South America.To support academic and personal development, PhD candidates follow courses and assist in teaching at Bachelor’s and Master’s level. Together these activities amount to twenty percent of the contracted time.Language is a unique proxy for culture. A language family arises as a result of the diversification over time of the speech variants of groups that once spoke one and the same language but followed differential historical trajectories. These socio-historical processes took place all over the world, but they have led to radically different patterns of linguistic diversity from one area to another. This fully-funded NWO Open Competition L project is a collaboration between Utrecht University faculty of Geosciences and Leiden Centre for Linguistics to understand the interplay between .RequirementsWe look forward to your application if you have the following qualifications:

• MSc in geoinformatics, computer science, (spatial / geographic) data science, or alternatively in a thematic domain, such as geography, linguistics, ecology, social science, with a considerable component of computational science or data science;
• interest in the historical dynamics of culture and language;
• experience in handling spatial data;
• programming and modelling experience, preferably in Python;
• proficiency in English;
• strong communication skills;
• ability to work independently as part of an interdisciplinary research team.

Conditions of employmentWe offer:

• a position for one year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,872 and €3,670 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating , leave schemes and schemes for , as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit .EmployerUniversiteit UtrechtA better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At , the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major . Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. .Utrecht University’s studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.The team of the excels in research and education on BSc, MSc and PhD level. We research processes, patterns and dynamics of Earth’s systems from the mountains to the sea, and the interaction in between. This knowledge is essential for the sustainable management of our planet and to guarantee the availability of resources for the next generations. We are a lively department that hosts an active early career community (PhD candidates, researchers and lecturers). We organise a warm welcome for every new member.Additional informationFor more information, please contact via .Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Expected salary

€2872 – 3670 per month

Location

Utrecht

Job date

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 22:43:47 GMT

To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your email/cover letter where (vacanciesineu.com) you saw this job posting.