Postdoctoral Research Associate Romance Syntax/Semantics (Fixed Term)

Salary: £33,966 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 27 May 2024

The Role

We are seeking to appoint a second Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the Leverhulme Trust funded project,  ‘How autonomous is syntax? A case study of Romance causation and perception’.

The post will run from 1 September 2024 to 31st August 2027, the length of this three-year project.

The project is led by Professor Michelle Sheehan in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University, in collaboration with Professor Sonia Cyrino, State University of Campinas, Professor Adam Ledgeway, University of Cambridge and Professor Robert Truswell, University of Edinburgh. In addition to this position, the project will also host a funded PhD student and another postdoctoral Research Associate, both also based in Newcastle. Project members will work together to investigate the transparency of the syntax/semantics mapping in relation to causative (‘make’/‘let’) and perception verbs (‘see’/‘hear’/‘watch’) across Romance varieties. Comparing closely related varieties in this way allows a focus on ‘microparametric’ grammatical differences (Kayne 2005) and their concomitant semantic effects. Because this area of grammar displays rich syntactic variation both within and across Romance varieties, it is the perfect testing ground for theories of the syntax/semantics interface.

The project will investigate this issue with data from three main sources: online corpora, work with language consultants and online acceptability judgement tasks. A key contribution of the project will be to collect parallel data from (at least) nine Romance varieties: Italian, French, Catalan, European and Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, and the Southern Italian Dialects Gallicianò Calabrian and Calimera Salentino.

You will be responsible for the collection of data from several Romance varieties. Language expertise in at least two such varieties is essential. Additional language expertise in any of the other languages listed above (or in other Romance varieties) would also be a distinct advantage. A knowledge of Romance syntax is essential and an understanding of semantics is also highly desirable. While it is not expected that applicants will have worked previously on Romance causative and perception verbs, demonstrable potential to make a research contribution in this area of syntax/semantics is essential.

You will be expected to attend regular in-person project meetings in Newcastle, participate fully in the research life of the School, work collaboratively with other project members, (co-)present papers at international conferences and (co-)author journal articles, as well as contributing to a planned project monograph.

It is envisaged that you will hold a doctorate in Romance syntax and/or semantics and be able to demonstrate some postgraduate-level training (or have equivalent experience) in the use of corprora and/or online acceptability judgements, including statistical analysis of results. 

You will be based at Newcastle University and will work primarily under the direction of Professor Michelle Sheehan, but also in collaboration with the project Co-Is, the other PDRA and the project PhD student.

For further inquiries please contact: Professor Michelle Sheehan (michelle.sheehan1@newcastle.ac.uk).

Interviews will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 25th June 2024.

Key Accountabilities

• To conduct primary research on the syntax and semantics of causative and perception verbs in Romance varieties
• To collect data by working with consultants, using online corpora and devising online acceptability judgment tasks
• To present on aspects of the project at relevant conferences and seminars
• To co-author journal articles with project members and contribute to a project monograph
• Participate in other project-related activities as agreed with the PI and Co-Is

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Research expertise which demonstrably aligns with the project and the specific responsibilities of the position
• Excellent organisational abilities and time management skills, and the ability to prioritise workload and work to deadlines
• A publication / presentation record commensurate with career stage and experience
• Language expertise in at least two Romance varieties
• Familiarity with analysing data from corpora and/or acceptability judgement tasks using statistical method or a willingness to develop these skills

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Willingness and ability to engage with both academic and non-academic audiences and partners

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Romance syntax or semantics

 Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27015

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