Fully Funded PhD: Agent-Based Language Evolution

Comses; Utrecht; Hybrid; EUR 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded PhD

Job summary

Utrecht University invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in agent-based modelling to reconstruct the history of culture and language in South America. The project blends geosciences, linguistics and data science within a multidisciplinary team.

The PhD candidate will analyse datasets spanning 20,000 years, develop a spatial ABM, and quantify the roles of biophysical and sociocultural factors shaping language diversity, under supervision from geographers and linguists.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in geoinformatics, computer science, data science, geography, linguistics, or related field with computational/data science component.
• Strong programming and data analysis skills.
• Fluency in English and ability to work in multilingual, interdisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop an agent-based model to study language evolution.
• Analyse sociocultural and biophysical factors using large datasets.
• Collaborate with Utrecht University and Leiden University teams.
• Contribute to teaching and support PhD candidates (≈20% of time).

Skills

Python programming

Spatial data handling

English proficiency

Independent work

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Education

Master's degree in geoinformatics / CS / data science / geography / linguistics

Job description

Utrecht University invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in agent-based modelling to reconstruct the history of culture and language in South America. The project blends geosciences, linguistics and data science within a multidisciplinary team.

The PhD candidate will analyse datasets spanning 20,000 years, develop a spatial ABM, and quantify the roles of biophysical and sociocultural factors shaping language diversity, under supervision from geographers and linguists.