Postdoctoral Fellow at the language acquisition and language processing lab

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Trondheim; On-site; NZD 103,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentor programme

Pension fund

Norwegian language training

International and inclusive work

Job summary

NTNU’s Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow (100%) for a 3-year contract, starting late 2026, to advance visuo-perceptual and language research in toddlers at risk for autism. You will recruit participants, run studies with eye-tracking and EEG, and contribute to data analysis and manuscript preparation.

You will collaborate with US/UK/Germany/France partners, join an active lab, and report to the Head of Department.

Qualifications

• PhD in cognitive science, psychology or computer design/programming.
• Experience with at least one technical research method for gathering or analysing data (eye-tracking, EEG/ERP, etc.).
• Background in methods/models for automatic identification of behavioural cues and analyses of video/speech data.
• Excellent statistical skills.
• Experience in autism research, especially with infants/toddlers.
• Good oral and written English presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct studies of visuo-spatial and language skills in toddlers at elevated autism risk.
• Recruit and test participants.
• Analyse datasets and prepare manuscripts for submission.
• Support NTNU SHAPE PIs in implementing the NTNU team SHAPE agenda and join consortium-wide datasets analyses.
• Actively participate in LALP Lab activities.

Skills

Cognitive science/psychology

Statistics

Data analysis

Multimodal AI

Education

PhD in cognitive science/psychology/computer science

Tools

Eye-tracking

EEG/ERP

Praat

Job description

About The Position

The purpose of a postdoctoral position is to build up a researcher profile that qualifies for a position as associate professor. The position may also offer additional skills that are relevant to the postdoctoral fellow's future career. Apply for this position to become part of our research environment and take the next step in your career with us.

The Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab (NTNU) are looking to hire a postdoctoral fellow (100%) for a temporary position. The timeframe for the position is three years and we are planning for the position to start late 2026.

The lab is located in the Department of Language and Literature (ISL) at the Faculty of Humanities (HF), NTNU. The LALP Lab is the oldest and best equipped experimental lab in Norway with a 20 year history. The equipment includes Tobii eye-tracking systems and EyeLink 1000; EEG and fNIRS; FURHAT Robot and allows for studying language behavior (time-course and quantity of gaze/eye-movements), neuro-physiology of language processing in the brain and neuro-imaging.

One of the main responsibilities of the postdoc will be to conduct research in the newly awarded ERC Synergy grant SHAPE. This will involve (but is not limited to) designing behavioural and other studies of visuo-perceptual and language skills in toddlers at risk for autism, recruiting and testing participants, as well as data processing and analysis. The main goals of SHAPE are to map out the relationship between the visual perception of shape and its encoding across languages in the world and to identify the factors which constrain the observed cross-linguistic variation. SHAPE is also concerned with developmental trajectories in these domains and relies on tight collaboration with leading researchers in the field in the USA, the UK, Germany and France.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• Designing and conducting studies of visuo-spatial and language skills in toddlers at elevated likelihood for autism in comparison with neuro-typically developing children
• Recruiting and testing participants
• Analysing datasets and preparing manuscripts for submission
• Supporting the NTNU SHAPE PIs in implementing the NTNU team SHAPE research agenda in collaboration with the external ERC Synergy teams and participating in consortium-wide large datasets analyses
• Active participation in LALP Lab activities

Required Selection Criteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in cognitive science, psychology or computer design/programming
• Training and experience with at least one technical research method for gathering or analysing data (e.g., eye tracking, EEG/ERP, acoustic analysis in Praat)
• Background in, and experience with, methods and models (e.g., deep learning methods, multimodal AI) for the automatic identification of behavioural cues during ecological interactions with people and the environment and analyses of video and speech/language data
• Excellent statistical skills
• Experience in research on autism, and specifically infants and toddlers
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English

Preferred Selection Criteria

• Previous relevant work experience will weigh positively (e.g., previous postdoc positions, relevant research experience in the domain of the position etc.)
• Good written and oral Norwegian language skills will weigh positively

Personal characteristics

• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Collaborative and team-work skills

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important social mission
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance throughout the postdoctoral program and together with you we will prepare a career plan, which contains the skills and knowledge you will acquire
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 633 400,- per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years, depending on whether there is a need to include courses within educational competence.

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About The Application

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and is committed to follow evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA and the obligations in CoARA (responsible assessment of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

The Application Must Include

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's-, Master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or confirmation that your PhD thesis has been submitted. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• An updated CV in Jobbnorge.no
• A copy of one publication you deem best represents your scholarly achievements so far
• A 5-page document with reflections on studying and/or analyzing data from visuo-perceptual cognition and early vocabulary skills in children at risk for autism
• Name and contact information of three referees

If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of the candidates.

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public list of applicants, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Mila Dimitrova Vulchanova, email: [e-mail]. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Martin Jakobsen, email: [e-mail].

Application deadline: 11.09.2026

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

NTNU

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Language and Literature

We conduct research and teaching in comparative literature, English, French, Spanish, German, Scandinavian studies, linguistics, phonetics, applied linguistics, sign language and interpreting, and cultural history. We are also responsible for the five-year master’s programmes in teacher education (lektorutdanning) in language subjects. The Department has an active research environment with responsibility for several large research projects. The Department of Language and Literature is one of six departments in the Faculty of Humanities.