About the position

We have a vacancy for a postdoctoral fellow.

The position is a part of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience/Centre for Neural Computation.  The Centre for Neural Computation is a centre of excellence funded for 10 years by the Norwegian Research Council. We offer an international and multidisciplinary environment in which creativity and scientific discourse is valued and stimulated. See http://www.ntnu.edu/kavli and www.spinorkavli.org for detailed information.

You will report to Professor Yasser Roudi.

Duties of the position

The successful applicant will work on analyzing statistical properties of texts as a collaborative project between Yasser Roudi (SPINOr, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, NTNU) and Giosuè Baggio (Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, Department of Language and Literature, NTNU). The work involves applying recently developed data analysis techniques (Marsili, Mastromatteo, Roudi, 2013; Cubero et al., 2019 and 2020) to study the distributional properties of words, collocations, and syntactic structures in literary works and other texts, and how such statistics change across texts and through time.

Required selection criteria

Postdoctoral fellow:

• A doctoral degree (PhD) in linguistics, language science, neuroscience, mathematical sciences, statistics, or related subjects.
• The ideal candidate must have a strong track record in performing research in analysing texts or other complex data sets using quantitative methods.
• The candidate must be self-motivated and creative, and demonstrate their ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• The ideal candidate must have formal training in language science and excellent mathematical skills; candidates without either of these requisites may still be considered for the position, but must demonstrate strong motivation to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in the early phases of the project.
• If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant.

Preferred selection criteria

• The required qualifications above will be evaluated using the candidate’s CV and publications, their statement of research interests, and potentially an interview

Personal characteristics

• Strong motivation
• Creative
• Willingness to obtain knowledge

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

Postdoctoral fellowship:

The employment period is 2-4 years depending on the candidate.

Postdoctoral candidates are placed in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 542 400 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. 

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Statement of research interests (2-3 pages)
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up t
• Name and address of three referees

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact: Yasser Roudi, Professor, Kavli/CNC

Email: yasser.roudi@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Chief Executive Officer, Ole Kristian Indergård, e-mail: ole.k.indergard@ntnu.no

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI).

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters.

Application deadline: 20.12.2020

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU. It was established as a Centre of Excellence in 2002, and designated as a Kavli Foundation Institute in 2007 (www.kavlifoundation.org). The scientific goal of the Institute is to increase the understanding of neural circuits and systems along with their role in generating psychological functions.

Today, the Institute consists of the Centre for Neuronal Computation (CNC) as well as the Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits. In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two of the Institute’s professors, Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser. The Institute is responsible for an international master's programme and is affiliated with a doctoral programme in medicine. Through our widespread network of international collaboration, we offer unique career opportunities. For further information, see: www.ntnu.edu/kavli.

Deadline 20th December 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Fixed Term
Place of service