The University of Helsinki – among the best in the world
Founded in 1640, the University of Helsinki is one of the best multidisciplinary research universities in the world. The University of Helsinki is an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. It operates on four campuses in Helsinki and at 15 other locations. The high-quality research carried out by the university creates new knowledge for educating diverse specialists in various fields, and for utilisation in social decision-making and the business sector.

The Faculty of Arts (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-arts) of the University of Helsinki is Finland’s oldest institution for teaching and research in the humanities and the largest in terms of the structure and range of disciplines. It is also a significant international community fostering research, education and cultural interaction.

For the project ‘Individuation in the grammar: singulatives at the intersection of morphology and semantics’ the Faculty of Arts currently invites applications for the position of a

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE

in Linguistics for a fixed term of 3 years, starting preferably in April 2020 (but the start date is negotiable until August 2020). The deadline for applications is 17 February 2020.

The doctoral candidate will be conducting full-time research and work towards the completion of a PhD-thesis within the field of linguistic typology. The position may include some teaching or administrative duties (no more than 5%).

The project ‘Individuation in the grammar: singulatives at the intersection of morphology and semantics’ (led by Dr Silva Nurmio) seeks to understand the formation, distribution, meaning and usage of singulatives (derived noun forms denoting ‘one’ or ‘a unit’) cross-linguistically. The doctoral candidate will be working with a sample of languages, creating a database of singulative forms and examining specific research questions within this project. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the objectives and research questions of the project and address these in their application letter: see https://blogs.helsinki.fi/singulatives/.

The ideal applicant is a highly motivated student with a background in linguistic typology, morphology, or a closely related field, and a completed MA-degree (or equivalent) by the start of the position. Preference will be given to candidates wishing to work on the singulative in African languages. An interest in theoretical linguistics and the philosophy of language is also an asset.

The University of Helsinki offers a salary dependent on qualifications and work experience. The salary will be based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee shall be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. The salary will be EUR 2130–3500 per month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and work experience. The appointment starts with a probationary period of six months.

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following English-language documents as one pdf file:
(1) Your CV (max. 3 pages);
(2) A letter of motivation addressing the project’s research questions (max. 2 pages);
(3) One or two representative pieces of your writing (if possible, including you MA-thesis);
(4) The name and contact details of at least one referee.

Please name the pdf file with your last name and the initials of your first name.

Please submit your application, together with the required attachments, through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the link Apply for the position. Applicants who are currently employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application via the SAP HR portal https://saphr.it.helsinki.fi/irj/portal.

Any queries regarding the project should be directed at Dr Silva Nurmio (silva.nurmio(at)helsinki.fi).

For information on the University of Helsinki as an employer please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university.

In case you need support with the recruitment portal, please contact recruitment(at)helsinki.fi.