PhD position in Linguistics, specifically multilingual language development

PhD position in Linguistics, specifically multilingual language development (Ukrainian/Russian/Swedish)

The Department of Linguistics and Philology conducts research and education in linguistics and text studies in a number of different languages ​​and language-related subjects. The department’s activities cover many of the classical and modern languages ​​and cultures of Europe and Asia, as well as general linguistics and computational linguistics. Education is offered at undergraduate, advanced and postgraduate level. The department has around eighty employees and constitutes an international and intellectually lively environment.

The linguistics subject area at the department is research-heavy, with several ongoing major externally funded interdisciplinary projects. Current research areas include historical linguistics and linguistic diversity, language documentation and typology, as well as child language development, language impairment, bilingualism/multilingualism and second language acquisition. Research is done in collaboration with international scholars abroad and colleagues in other departments of the Faculty of Languages, where Slavic languages is one of the subject areas.

Doctoral studies extend over a 4-year period during which the PhD student receives a salary as an employee of the department. The PhD student is expected to engage in designated study and research activities on a full-time basis, contribute to and engage in departmental activities and in the faculty-wide research network Language & Learning (Språk & Lärande).

To qualify for this particular PhD position, candidates must have the particular skills necessary for carrying out research in the project described below, geared to the multilingual language development of Ukrainian refugee children and their families in the Nordic-Baltic region, with a focus on Sweden.

Project description

The announcement concerns a PhD position in Linguistics that is affiliated with the Nordic-Baltic research project LINC: Linguistic integration of refugee children and their families (NordForsk 191524, starting 2025). The project investigates the multilingual language development of Ukrainian refugee children and their families in four countries (Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden) in relation to environmental and individual-level background factors. It also maps, compares and evaluates language policies and practices of linguistic integration across countries. Professor Ute Bohnacker directs the subproject based in Sweden. Designated research activities of the doctoral student include sociolinguistic interviews and the collection of language production data from children and their families from Ukraine who now live in Sweden, which involves fieldwork and travel to different locations. Methods and materials (e.g. questionnaires, interview protocols, language assessment materials) will be developed in collaboration with our Nordic-Baltic research cooperation partners. For more information on the project, see https://en.uit.no/project/linc. The precise details of the doctoral project will be decided upon in consultation with the supervisor.

Requirements

• fulfil the general requirements for qualifying for a PhD position in linguistics (i.e. hold, or shortly expect to obtain, a master’s degree in the field of linguistics/language sciences or equivalent, have completed at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits at the advanced level, including at least 15 credits for an individual piece of work, or have acquired qualifications roughly equivalent or comparable to this in some other way). Note that a degree in English language teaching, literature or translation is not considered an equivalent by itself.
• have excellent oral and written language skills in Ukrainian, Russian and English,
• have sufficient knowledge of Swedish to be able to carry out data collection,
• have the personal qualities necessary to fully carry out the duties of the position. Such qualities include the ability to work both independently and a member of a team, good communication skills, flexibility and responsibility. Personal suitability will therefore carry particular weight in the selection process.

In addition, the following qualifications will be considered meritorious

• expertise in working with children, adolescents and/or people in vulnerable situations
• excellent oral and written language skills in Swedish
• (near-)native proficiency in Ukrainian and Russian
• expertise in data collection, processing and analysis methods relevant for the project, incl.
  • conducting sociolinguistic interviews
  • transcription of Swedish, Ukrainian or Russian spoken language
  • Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN)
  • statistical programming skills (SPSS or R)
• expertise in child language acquisition, multilingualism, and/or sociolinguistics
• expertise in Swedish linguistics and/or Ukrainian linguistics
• a high-quality BA or MA thesis or other scholarly publication of relevance to the research project

Application

Applications may be submitted in Swedish or English and must include the following:

• a personal letter (max 2 pages) in which the applicant (i) briefly describes her/himself, (ii) summarizes relevant qualifications, and (iii) provides a motivation for the application,
• a CV (max 4 pages) which documents the applicant’s (i) training and education, (ii) academic merits, (iii) written scholarly work (BA/MA thesis, publications), (iv) relevant work experience, (v) language skills, and (vi) relevant technical and statistical skills,
• a description of the applicant’s research interests and reflections on the LINC research project (2-5 pages incl. references),
• degree documents, transcripts, certificates and other relevant documents that prove the merits claimed,
• a copy of the applicant’s BA/MA thesis/theses; in case the thesis is not written in English or Swedish, an English- or Swedish-language summary (max 10 pages) should also be supplied.
• names and contact details of 2-3 referees,
• any other relevant documentation that the applicant wishes to cite in support of her/his application, such as letters of recommendation.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

About the position

The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 2025-09-01 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala. The PhD student is expected to have her/his main working hours on the campus premises of the department.

Information about the position is provided by Professor Ute Bohnacker, tel. +46 (0)18-471 7008 (ute.bohnacker@lingfil.uu.se), and Head of Department Dimitrios Iordanoglou, tel. +46 (0)18-471 6846 (dimitrios.iordanoglou@uu.se).

Please submit your application no later than 2 May 2025, UFV-PA 2025/884.