PhD Scholarship - Creativity and Co-operation in the Lexicon

The ‘Wordovators’ project is a three-year project funded by the John Templeton Foundation.   The project will conduct large-scale experiments in the form of computerized word games.  These games will be designed to probe the factors underpinning morphological productivity and lexical creativity, and how these develop through the life-span.    We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join the team, and work on a thesis which falls within the goals of the overall project.  The questions pursued by the thesis are likely to relate to one or more of the following research questions:

1. What factors make words maximally learnable?
2. What factors facilitate the emergence of morphological structure, and the productive creation of new words?
3. How are the factors identified in (1) and (2) mediated by or influenced by the participants’ age?
4. How are the factors in (1) and (2) mediated by language experience, and/or the perceived regional origin of the language being learned?
5. Does social similarity between participants facilitate increased alignment in words or word creation strategies?

This project is a collaboration between University of Canterbury, New Zealand and Northwestern University, USA.  The PhD candidate will enroll for a PhD degree in the Linguistics Department at University of Canterbury, and will be primarily supervised by Professor Jen Hay (NZILBB).  Janet Pierrehumbert (Northwestern University / Adjunct Professor NZILBB), will act as Associate Supervisor.  Other associated faculty are Professor Stephanie Stokes (NZILBB), and Dr Christoph Bartneck. (the HIT Lab NZ). 

You should hold a Masters degree in Linguistics, or a 4 year Undergraduate degree with relevant research experience.  You must meet the criteria for admission into the UC PhD Degree. 

The Linguistics Department at the University of Canterbury is part of the New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour (NZILBB).  NZILBB is a multi-disciplinary centre dedicated to the study of human language. The researchers come from a wide range of disciplines, forging connections across linguistics, speech production and perception, language acquisition, language disorders, social cognition, memory, brain imaging, cognitive science, bilingual education, and interface technologies.

Christchurch
Christchurch is the second largest city in New Zealand and offers an exciting and easy lifestyle for students. It is the most affordable major city to live in. It easy to get around whether you are biking, walking, driving or using the excellent public transport system. Christchurch also offers outstanding opportunities for outdoor activities, and is close to both surf beaches and ski-fields.

Appointment and Scholarship Support

The PhD scholarship is full time for a duration of three years with an annual scholarship of $25,000 NZD.   The scholarship will also cover the tuition fees.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Jen Hay. 

• Please email your application materials to NZILBB
• Your application must include a letter explaining your specific interest in the project,
• an extensive curriculum vitae,
• your academic records,
• contact details for two referees.

Applications will be accepted until November 23, 2012 or until position is filled.

International applicants will be required to arrange for their NZ student visa after an offer of a place. Please check for information about what type of visa might be most suitable and the process of acquiring it. The university has various types of accommodation available on campus. Please check for information about the options and prices. International students should also consult the International Student website to learn about the cost of living, fees, and insurances.