A new research project at the Department of Linguistics of the University of Leuven is looking for applicants for a fully funded four-year PhD fellowship in Spanish historical linguistics (starting date: October/November 2018).
The PhD fellowship is part of a larger collaborative project entitled »Beyond the clause: Encoding and inference in clause combining », funded by the Research Council of the University of Leuven. The team heading the project is composed of Bert Cornillie, Kristin Davidse, Elwys De Stefani and Jean-Christophe Verstraete. The supervisors of this fellowship are Bert Cornillie and Malte Rosemeyer.
The aim of the PhD project is to analyse the diachronic development of que- deletion in Spanish complement constructions, as in, e.g., Por ende vos rogamos le dedes entera fee y creencia (anon. 1497) lit.: ‘therefore we ask you you give him total faith and belief’. The project will focus on the origin, extension and demise of que-deletion, in interaction with developments in clause-internal marking (especially mood marking and subject expression), as well as contact influence (contact with Latin, Discourse Traditions). The project will examine whether que-deletion is part of a more general process of restructuring of the complementation system from medieval Castilian to modern Spanish. More information about the project can be requested by e-mail to one of the supervisors (see below).
Applications are invited from candidates with the following qualifications:
– An MA in linguistics or philology (or equivalent, e.g. BA Hons), with academic distinction
– Strong analytical skills and the motivation to pursue creative work in linguistics
– A (near)native command of Spanish and a good command of English
– Experience with historical corpus linguistics, preferably in Spanish
– Willingness to acquire the necessary statistical know-how for the analysis of the data
– A cooperative attitude and the capacity to actively participate in project activities (e.g. in data sessions) and in events of the research units involved in the project (including their seminar series)
– The ability to present research results at international conferences, and to publish in peer-reviewed journals
Motivated candidates meeting these criteria are invited to apply online at the application web address below.
Please include a cover letter, a CV, the names of up to three referees we may contact, and a sample piece of academic writing. The deadline for applications is 1 July 2018.
Interviews will be held with shortlisted candidates on 9-10 July (in person or online for overseas applicants). A decision will be communicated by mid-July.
The fellow will receive a salary of approximately 2000 EUR/month (after taxes) for a period of four years and all regular provisions for PhD fellows at the University of Leuven. In addition, s/he will be allocated office space and a laptop, and receive funding for research activities like attending conferences abroad and organizing workshops and conferences in Leuven or elsewhere. For more information on the application process, working conditions and career opportunities as a PhD fellow at the University of Leuven see https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/phd.
The successful candidate may be asked to provide (limited) assistance with teaching, student supervision and data management. S/he will join a dynamic research team (faculty members, postdoctoral fellows and PhD students).
For further information, please contact one of the supervisors using the contact information below.
Starting date: October/November 2018
End date: September 2022
Applications Deadline: 01-Jul-2018
Web Address for Applications: https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/54680873
Contact Information:
Cornillie , Bert
bert.cornillie@kuleuven.be
Rosemeyer, Malte
malte.rosemeyer@kuleuven.be
