26 January: fyi -- phd funding (syntax), Leiden

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2 PhD STUDENTS in Italian Linguistics and Dialectology

Two positions for PhD students in Italian linguistics and dialectology are
available at the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics within the NWO VIDI
project Splitting and clustering grammatical information.

The project Splitting and clustering grammatical information is a five-year
research program to be carried out at Leiden University. The project is funded
by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). It intends to
investigate the theoretical status of syntactic feature splits and clusters and
the correlation between southern Italian dialects and split-ergative languages.
The research team will be composed of the project supervisor/principal
investigator (Roberta D'Alessandro) and two PhD candidates.

We invite applications for two 4-year PhD positions in the research program.

PhD Project 1 (Historical syntax/dialectology)
THE RAISE AND FALL OF SPLITS
The historical subproject will investigate the genesis and disappearance of
feature splits, as well as their development, to identify the characteristics of
the language systems at the moment when splits were emerging or disappearing,
thereby unveiling their syntactic function.

PhD Project 2 (Microcomparative syntax/dialectology)
THE SYNTAX OF SPLITS IN SOUTHERN ITALIAN VARIETIES
The micro-comparative subproject will deal with the comparison of linguistic
systems in which splits are present and study the way in which such splits are
instantiated (for instance, by means of auxiliary selection or case marking).

Tasks:
- attendance of the Research MA programme of LUCL;
- presentation of research results at international conferences;
- helping to organize a conference on the project topic;
- writing articles for international journals;
- writing a dissertation under the direction of the project supervisor;
- collaboration with the members of the research team.


The interested candidate should:
- hold an MA degree (or laurea di secondo livello) in Linguistics, or Italian
with specialisation in linguistics;
- have a native or near-native knowledge of Italian;
- be able to work independently but in close collaboration with the other team
members and the project supervisor;
- have a curious, enterprising, and creative mind and excellent analytical skills;
- have good writing skills and an excellent command of English;
- be ready to do fieldwork in southern Italy;
- be interested in relating intricate language data to advanced linguistic
theorizing;
- have an outstanding record of undergraduate and Master's level work.

For project 1, knowledge of Latin is desirable; for project 2, knowledge of one
or more southern Italian varieties is desirable.

Appointment
Successful applicants will be appointed for a period of 18 months with an
extension of 30 months after positive evaluation of capabilities and
compatibility. The gross monthly salary will be in accordance with the
Collective Agreement of Dutch Universities for academic personnel, and will
range from € 2.042,- per month in the first year, gradually rising to
€ 2.612,- in the final year.

In order to apply, the applicant must submit the following:
- a curriculum vitae;
- a statement of interest (no more than 250 words) briefly detailing background,
research aspirations and interests;
- names and email contact details of two referees.

Please refer to the following webpage for application number:
http://www.vacatures.leidenuniv.nl/wetenschappelijk/

Application Deadline: 31-Mar-2010

Web Address for Applications: vacature@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Contact Information:
Prof. Roberta D'Alessandro
r.dalessandro@hum.leidenuniv.nl

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