Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences create a unique environment for multidisciplinary, inspirational and high-impact research and education. Our universities community has its competitive edges in technology, health and society. www.tuni.fi/en 

Speech and Cognition research group (SPECOG) is part of Computing Sciences at Tampere University within the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences. SPECOG focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of speech and language technology and cognitive science. We combine advanced signal processing and machine learning methods with empirical large-scale infant data to the study of child language development. We also study how human-like perceptual learning can be applied in artificial intelligence (AI) systems. SPECOG collaborates with several internationally leading research groups within and across disciplinary boundaries, including joint research with psychologists, linguists, phoneticians, and computer scientists. 

More information on SPECOG: https://webpages.tuni.fi/specog/index.html 

Job description

We are inviting applications for the position of a postdoctoral research fellow on the topic of computational modelling of child language development. The position is associated with a project titled “Modeling Child Language Development using Naturalistic Data at a Scale (L-SCALE)”, where the aim is to develop new practices to training and evaluation of computational models of infant language learning using realistic infant data. These data may include long-form child-centred audio recordings, infant-caregiver interaction transcripts, and meta-analyses conducted across a range of behavioural experiments. While the job is located in Finland, the project has a notable emphasis on international collaboration with key partners around the world.

The work will be conducted as a member of the SPECOG research group led by Dr. Okko Räsänen. We are looking for candidates who are interested in human and/or machine language processing, and who are willing to contribute to our cross-disciplinary research efforts in understanding language learning in humans through computational means.

In this position, the candidate is expected to:

1) carry out high-quality postdoctoral research on computational modelling of early language development and contribute to the development of ecologically plausible model training and evaluation practice.

2) work in close collaboration with other members of the research group, and

3) advise undergraduate/graduate projects on topics related to your own research (with flexibility according to personal interests and career aspirations).   

Requirements

The candidate should hold a doctoral degree (e.g., PhD or D.Sc.) in language technology, psycholinguistics, cognitive science, computer science, or other relevant area. Candidates who have already completed their doctoral research work but have not yet received their doctoral certificate may also apply.

A successful candidate has strong expertise in a) speech and/or language technology or in b) child language development research with quantitative methods (e.g., developmental psychology, psycholinguistics, cognitive science). Fluent programming (at least Python, Matlab, or R) and oral and written English skills are required. Strong motivation towards understanding the underpinnings of human language learning and processing is a must. Experience from computational modelling or use of statistical models in empirical research are considered as an advantage. 

Potential candidates must be capable of carrying out independent academic research at the highest international level. Competence must be demonstrated through several existing publications in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals and conferences. 

We offer

The position will be filled for a fixed-term period of up to 3.5 years, but is negotiated according to applicant’s career plans. Starting date is also negotiable, but should not be later than March 2023. A trial period of 6 months is applied to all new employees.

We offer competitive academic salary, typically between 3500–3600 € per month for a starting postdoc, generally depending on experience and merits achieved (the position is placed on job demand levels 5–6 in accordance with the Finnish University Salary System). The position also includes possibilities for short-term researcher mobility to other international research labs. Traveling costs to presenting peer-reviewed work in major international conferences are covered by default. In addition, the position comes with extensive benefits such as occupational healthcare, on-campus sports facilities, flexible working hours, and several restaurants and cafés on the campus with staff discounts. The job is associated with 1612 h annual working time, which translates to approx. 6 weeks of holiday per year. 

How to apply

Deadline for applications is 9th of October 2022 at 23.59 (GMT+2). Note that we may start interviewing applicants already before the deadline. We reserve the opportunity to decide to not to fill the position in case a suitable candidate is not found during the process.

The application should contain the following documents (all in .pdf format):

• A free-form letter of motivation for the position in question (max. 1 page)
• Academic CV with contact information
• A complete list of publications
• A copy of doctoral degree certificate 
• Potential letters of recommendation (max. 3)

Please name all the documents as surname_CV.pdf, surname_list_of_publications.pdf … etc.  Only the applications sent through the university application portal and containing the requested attachments in the instructed format will be considered in the recruitment process. 

The most promising candidates will be interviewed in person before the final decision. 

For more information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Okko Räsänen (firstname.surname@tuni.fi; no umlauts) by email. For more information on our group activities and recent publications, see https://webpages.tuni.fi/specog/index.html. 

About the research environment

Finland is among the most stable, free and safe countries in the world, based on prominent ratings by various agencies. It is also ranked as one of the top countries as far as social progress is concerned. Tampere is the largest inland city of Finland, and the city is counted among the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries, offering a dynamic living environment. Tampere region is one of the most rapidly growing urban areas in Finland and home to a vibrant knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community. The city is an industrial powerhouse that enjoys a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. Despite its growth, living in Tampere is highly affordable for housing. In addition, the excellent public transport network enables quick, easy, and cheap transportation around the city of Tampere and university campuses. Tampere is also surrounded by vivid nature with forests and lakes, providing countless opportunities for easy-to-access outdoor adventures and refreshment throughout the year. 

Read more about Finland and Tampere: 

• https://www.visitfinland.com/about-finland/  
• https://finland.fi/   
• http://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/161193/MEAEguide_18_2018_TervetuloaSuomeen_Eng_PDFUA.pdf 
• https://visittampere.fi/en/  

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Tutkijatohtori / Puheen ja kognition tutkimusryhmä

Tehtävänkuvaus: 

Haettava tehtävä on tutkijatohtorin tehtävä Puheen ja kognition tutkimusryhmässä Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunnassa. Tehtävä liittyy hankkeeseen nimeltä "Varhaisen kielenoppimisen laskennallinen mallinnus suuren mittakaavan realistista kieliaineistoista", joka keskittyy lasten varhaisen kielenoppimisen mallinnukseen laskennallisin keinoin. Tehtävään valitulta odotetaan 1) korkeatasoisen postdoc-tutkimuksen tekemistä varhaisen kielenkehityksen aihepiirista, erityisesti keskittyen aiempaa realistisempien laskennallisten mallien opetusaineistojen sekä arviointimenetelmien kehitykseen, 2) yhteistyötä muun tutkimusryhmän kanssa, sekä 3) kandi- ja maisteritason tutkimusprojektien ja opinnäytetöiden ohjaamiseen osallistumista oman aihepiirin osalta (opetuksen ja ohjauksen määrä neuvoteltavissa hakijan omat uratavoitteet huomioiden).

Tehtävä täytetään 3.5 vuoden määräajaksi, mutta lyhyempi määräaikaisuus on myös neuvoteltavissa tarpeen mukaan.

Edellytykset

Tehtävään valittavan hakijan on osoitettava pätevyytensä tutkimusalaan liittyvien aiemmin julkaistujen ja korkeatasoisten lehti- ja konferenssiartikkeleiden sekä hyväksytyn väitöskirjan muodossa. Aihealueeseen perehtyneisyyden lisäksi hakijalta odotetaan sujuvaa ohjelmointiosaamista sekä englanninkielen suullista ja kirjallista osaamista.

Hakuohjeet: 

Lue tarkemmat hakuohjeet sekä hakukriteerit yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta.

Lisätiedot: 

Tehtävänkuvaan liittyviä lisätietoja antaa Tenure track professori Okko Räsänen (etunimi.sukunimi@tuni.fi,  ilman ääkkösiä).