10 December: fyi -- typology, Australia

Index of December 2000 | Index of year: 2000 | Full index


Three Year Research Fellowship (Level A). This position attracts a
remuneration package of $39,815 to $54,031 per annum which includes
17% superannuation with a salary component of $34,030 to $46,181 per
annum.

Applications are invited for a three-year Research Fellowship in the
Research Centre for Linguistic Typology. This is to commence between 1
March and 1 July 2001.

Applicants should have a PhD in linguistics or be close to the award
of a PhD (they will have to have submitted their dissertation before
taking up this position). They should have experience of linguistic
fieldwork and will, ideally, have already completed a grammatical
description of some previously undescribed language (not their native
language) in terms of basic linguistic theory.

The successful applicant will work as part of a team with Professor
R.M.W. Dixon, Professor Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, and other members of
the Research Centre, on a topic relating to languages from (a) South
America, or (b) the New Guinea region (primarily relating to Papuan
languages), or (c) Aboriginal Australia. They will undertake extensive
fieldwork and will either (i) produce a comprehensive description of
some previously undescribed language; or (ii) pursue an in-depth study
of a language contact situation. Option (ii) will be suitable for
someone who already has good knowledge of one or more of the languages
involved in a suitable contact situation. The choice of project will
be made after discussion between the successful applicant and
Professors Dixon and Aikhenvald.

The Research Centre for Linguistic Typology consists, at any one time,
of about twenty scholars, working on a variety of languages. Besides
the permanent staff we have an array of Research Fellows and PhD
students; each year a number of senior scholars from across the world
spend from three to six months with us as Visiting Fellows. Our
personnel this year includes specialists on spoken languages from the
following families and areas: Uto-Aztecan, Siouan, Arawak, Barbacoan,
Macro-Je, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan,
Tibeto-Burman, Papuan, Austronesian and Australian, in addition to
sign languages.

RCLT works in close cooperation with the Department of Linguistics in
La Trobe University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, which
has a full program of teaching and research. Faculty members in the
department are: Professor Barry Blake, Associate Professor David
Bradley, Associate Professor Kate Burridge and Dr Hilary Chappell. The
university library has an excellent collection in linguistics and
related fields.

Salary will be at step 6 on the Academic Level A scale, $43,022 per
annum. An allowance will be made to cover travelling expenses to
Melbourne at the beginning of the period of employment. A suitable
allowance will be made to cover the expenses of linguistic fieldwork.

Further information about RCLT will be found at our website:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/www/rclt. Prospective applicants are invited
to write to us at linguistic.typology@latrobe.edu.au if they have any
queries.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS:

Applications should be marked Private and Confidential and forwarded
to:
Office of the Director (Personnel)
La Trobe University
Victoria 3086

PLEASE QUOTE REFERENCE NUMBER: 50005809

Applications should address the selection criteria and include a curriculum
vitae, list of publications, and the names of three referees (plus
addresses, e-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers). A copy of the
application should also be sent direct to Ms Siew Peng Condon, Executive
Officer, Research Centre for Linguistic Typology, La Trobe University,
Victoria 3086, Australia.

COPIES OF WRITTEN WORK SHOULD BE SENT DIRECT TO MS CONDON AND NOT TO
PERSONNEL.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Tuesday 23 January 2001

SELECTION CRITERIA:

1. Thorough professional training in linguistics, with special
reference to language description and linguistic typology.

2. Applicants should either already have a PhD or be in the final
stages of a Doctoral Program (the dissertation must be submitted
before taking up the appointment), with their dissertation dealing
with a topic in descriptive linguistics in terms of basic linguistic
theory (not in terms of any non-basic formalism).

3. Ability to work, under direction, as a member of a research team.

4. Ability to work to a timetable, and produce results on time.

5. Ideally, to have produced a description of a language, preferably
(a) a language for which there had previously been no good
description; and (b) a language other than that of which they are
native speaker.

6. Ideally, some training in anthropology.

7. Knowledge of Spanish and/or German will be an advantage.


Professor Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
Associate Director
Research Centre for Linguistic Typology
Institute for Advanced Study
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Vic
Australia 3083

e-mail a.aikhenvald@latrobe.edu.au

phone: 61-(0)3-9467-3079 Uni
61-(0)3-9455-0020 home

fax: 61-(0)3-9467-3053

Administrator: 61-(0)3-9467-3128

Index of December 2000 | Index of year: 2000 | Full index