PhD Degree in Descriptive and Documentary Linguistics
Fully funded PhD positions at Leiden University focusing on the documentation and automated analysis of endangered languages.
Best for:Best for linguists and researchers with a strong background in field linguistics, language documentation, and an interest in computational linguistic tools.
Overview
Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) invites applications for fully funded PhD positions dedicated to the documentation, description, and automated analysis of endangered and underdocumented languages. The selected candidates will work closely with speaker communities in eastern Indonesia to build comprehensive text collections, lexicons, and grammatical descriptions. Additionally, researchers will test and evaluate emerging AI tools designed for automated transcription, translation, and morphological segmentation. Successful applicants will join an active international research environment, contributing both to descriptive linguistic science and technological innovation in low-resource language processing.
What you'll do
- Conduct fieldwork and linguistic research for the documentation and description of unwritten endangered languages.
- Collaborate directly with speaker communities to build rich naturalistic text collections and extensive lexicons.
- Perform grammatical analysis covering phonology, morphology, and syntax.
- Test and evaluate AI tools for automated transcription, translation, and morphological segmentation.
- Prepare transcribed and annotated corpora for academic publication and community archiving.
Requirements
Degree required: Master's degree in Linguistics or a closely related field
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; excellent written and spoken proficiency
Instruction: English
- Strong background in descriptive or documentary linguistics
- Experience or willingness to conduct intensive fieldwork
- Proficiency in linguistic analysis including phonology, morphology, or syntax
- Ability to work collaboratively with indigenous or local speaker communities
- Open to qualified international and national applicants meeting university PhD admission criteria
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-10-25
Interested candidates should submit their application online through the Leiden University careers portal by the specified deadline. Ensure all required documentation including academic transcripts, CV, and a statement of research interests are uploaded as part of the submission.
- CV
- Cover letter
- Research statement
- BSc + MSc transcripts
- Reference letters
Contact
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