Postdoc in Logic and Cognition

Faculty/Services: Faculty of Humanities

Educational level: PhD

Function type: Academic Staff

Closing date: 31 May 2023

Vacancy number: 11523

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) currently has a vacant Postdoc researcher position as part of the Nothing is Logical (Nihil) project, led by dr. M.D. Aloni. The ILLC is a research institute at the UvA in which researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities collaborate.

What are you going to do?

The Nihil project studies cases of divergence between everyday and logical-mathematical reasoning under the hypothesis that they are a straightforward consequence of a tendency in human cognition to neglect empty representations (neglect-zero tendency). In the project we (i) develop logics which formally represent the neglect-zero tendency and rigorously study its impact on interpretation [logic]; (ii) explore possible conventionalizations of neglect-zero effects in specific linguistic domains [language]; and (iii) experimentally investigate the impact of neglect-zero in ordinary reasoning and its conjectured suspension, for example, in the context of a mathematical proof [cognition].

The postdoc researcher will contribute to task (iii) [cognition] combining insights and techniques from (experimental) linguistics, psychology of reasoning, logic and philosophy. The candidate will work in close collaboration with other project members who focus more on logical and linguistic aspects of the neglect-zero tendency (tasks (i) and (ii)). A detailed description of the project can be found here:

https://projects.illc.uva.nl/nihil/.

The Nihil project is funded by an NWO Open Competition grant with Dr. Aloni as project leader.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• Independently carrying out research, including writing and publishing peer-reviewed articles;
• Regularly presenting research results at international workshops and conferences;
• Participating in meetings and events organized within the Nihil project;
• Contributing to teaching courses and supervising students;
• Participating in and contributing to the organisation of research activities and events at the UvA philosophy department and at the ILLC, such as reading groups, workshops and colloquia;
• co-organising knowledge dissemination activities.

What do you have to offer?

Your experience and profile:

• a PhD in Linguistics, Psychology, Philosophy, Logic or a related field;

• excellent research skills demonstrated by a track record of publishing in high-ranking journals or a demonstrable capacity to develop such a record;
• expertise in experimental methods applied to linguistics and/or to the psychology of reasoning;
• expertise or the willingness to acquire expertise in running behavioural experiments with children;
• expertise or the willingness to acquire expertise in running ERP experiments;
• a background or the willingness to acquire expertise in formal semantics and in the psychology of reasoning;
• interest in pursuing research in logic applied to phenomena in natural language and cognition;

• a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
• excellent command of English.

What can we offer you?

The Postdoc researcher will be appointed at the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and will conduct the research at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC). The employment contract will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with one more year. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week. Preferred starting date is 01 October 2023.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between €3,703 to €5,439. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer

• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team;
• the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world renowned.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 42,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) is a research institute at the UvA in which researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities collaborate. Its central research area is the study of fundamental principles of encoding, transmission and comprehension of information. Research at ILLC is interdisciplinary and aims at bringing together insights from various disciplines concerned with information and information processing, such as logic, mathematics, computer science, linguistics, natural language processing, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, music cognition, and philosophy.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact (during office hours):

• Maria Aloni

T: +31 20 5254537

Job application

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the link below. The deadline for applying for this vacancy is 31 May 2023.

Applications should include the following information (submitted in one .pdf):

• A letter of motivation (max one page, font size 12) explaining why you are a good fit to this position.
• A full academic CV, including a list of publications.
• The names and contact details of two references, who may be approached by the selection committee.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

The interviews will be held in June 2023. A research talk may be part of the application procedure.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.