POST DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE

The University of the Free State (UFS) invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for a postdoctoral fellowship in LINGUISTICS in the Department of Linguistics and Language Practice. We are looking for a linguist with expertise and a main research focus on one or more spoken or signed languages of Southern Africa and/or East Africa, including indigenous languages, contact varieties and languages of migrant communities but not English. We welcome researchers with a wide range of approaches to linguistics, in different subfields but our preference will be for appointing a researcher whose approach to linguistics is data-driven, including but not limited to language documentation, microlinguistics, experimental linguistics, corpus linguistics, language contact (past or present) and variationist sociolinguistics. Our Department is committed to the Transformation and Decolonisation of Linguistics and Higher Education and our ideal candidate will support our team’s efforts in this area.

The fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis, taking into account the applicants' academic achievements, publication outputs and research potential, as well as the relevance of prior experience and expertise. The fellowship is available for a period of one year, renewable for up to three years subject to satisfactory performance.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Open to all South African and foreign nationals for full-time research at the University if the Free State.
• Graduated with a PhD degree in a relevant discipline within the last five years
• Successful applicants may not hold full-time salaried employment during the fellowship
• Successful applicants must be able to relocate to the UFS for the duration of the fellowship. This is a residential fellowship: the successful applicant is required to spend 80% of her/his postdoctoral period at the UFS.
  

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO:

• Conduct innovative research in the following areas: Linguistics of spoken or signed languages of Southern and/or East Africa.
• Contribute to research events and other relevant Departmental activities
• Author/co-author at least three (3) publication outputs per year in the form of DHET– accredited scholarly journal articles or books/chapters in books. The renewal of the fellowship beyond the first year depends on satisfactory performance and the submission of an annual progress report.
• Register and reside as postdoctoral research fellow at the UFS and participate in relevant activities of the School of Postgraduate Studies and the Directorate of Research
  

VALUE OF THE FELLOWSHIP

• R 220 000 annual fellowship
• R 30 000 additional research expenses fund
  

To apply, please email the following documentation by 21 November 2022 to  riedelk@ufs.ac.za 

• Motivation letter, including a 1-2 page outline of relevant expertise and experience
•  Full CV including a list of research publications, conference papers and other scholarly output
•  Full transcripts of academic record and copy of doctoral degree certificate
• Copy of ID document (or copy of passport in the case of foreign applicants) 

Closing date:  21 November 2022

Commencement of fellowship: 1 February 2023

For enquiries please contact Dr Kristina Riedel via email riedelk@ufs.ac.za