English & 1 Phd Position in Semantics: PhD Student, UiL OTS, Netherlands

Institution/Organization: UiL OTS
Department: Faculty of Humanities
Web Address: http://www-uilots.let.uu.nl/

Level: PhD

Duties: Research

Specialty Areas: Semantics

Required Language(s): English (eng)

Description:

Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS is now offering
1 PhD position in semantics (1,0 fte)

Programme.
The PhD position is part of a five-year research programme funded by The
Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The programme,
supervised by Dr. Rick Nouwen, investigates gradability in natural language. The
main goal of the project is to broaden the perspective on gradability by
investigating degree phenomena that lack the use of specialised degree
vocabulary. Rather than focusing on prototypical degree phenomena, like those
involving adjectives and degree morphology (tall-er), this project turns to more
outlandish cases of gradability, including for instance degree-modified nouns (a
big fan) or determiners (quite some), as well as to modifiers which have both
degree and non-degree applications (amazingly). The rationale behind turning to
this larger data set is that it provides insight into the general (syntactic,
semantic and pragmatic) mechanisms that govern the capacity of speakers to
qualify their statements.

Job description

The current opening is for:

The role of scales in a broader view on gradability (vacancy number 68853;
preferable starting date September 1st 2009):

This project focuses on the role of scales in gradable expressions. It is known
that the scale structure involved in the semantics of adjectives determines the
ways in which they are degree-modifiable. This project investigates cases of
degree modification of which the underlying structures are unknown (like
degree-modified nouns, determiners, etc.) and seeks to develop a comprehensive
theory of scalar aspects of degree.

A full description of the project is available at:
http://www.let.uu.nl/~Rick.Nouwen/personal/vidi.html

Goal
The PhD project involves training in research and completion of a PhD
dissertation. As part of her/his training, the PhD student will take courses
offered by the National Graduate School in Linguistics (LOT).

Required qualifications
We are looking for an ambitious student who is willing and able to work in a
closely collaborating team. The candidate must have an MA degree in hand by the
starting date.

Information
For further information, please contact the project supervisor at the UiL OTS,
Dr. Rick Nouwen (see contact information below), or the
UiL-OTS PhD coordinator Dr. Maaike Schoorlemmer, telephone +31-30-2536183,
e-mail M.Schoorlemmer at uu.nl.

How to apply?
Applications should include:
- a letter of motivation
- a curriculum vitae including contact and personal details
- transcripts of academic results
- an MA thesis or (if the thesis is not available yet) some alternative piece of
written work
- the contact details of two referees (names, affiliations and phone numbers or
e-mail addresses).
- preferably: two reference letters

E-mail applications in pdf or doc format should be sent to Humanitiesjobs@uu.nl,
and should specify the applicant's name and the vacancy number (68853) in the
topic as well as the message text. Please also include a list of attachments in
the message, and specify your name in the filename and text of each attachment.
E-mail applications have our preference.

Hard copy applications (or partial applications) should be sent to the Personnel
Department, attn. Ms Marlies Kluver (see mailing address below)

Application Deadline: 07-Oct-2009

Mailing Address for Applications:
Attn: Ms M. Kluver
Kromme Nieuwegracht 46
Utrecht Utrecht 3512 HJ
Netherlands

Contact Information:
Dr Rick Nouwen
R.W.F.Nouwen@uu.nl
telephone +31-30-2538313