PhD Student in Natural Language Processing: The Department of Computational Linguistics at the University of Zurich invites applications for a PhD position in Natural Language Processing. The successful candidate will join a vibrant research group and collaborate with the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Evolving Language. The research will focus on understanding how multilingual language models represent knowledge, with an emphasis on cross-lingual transfer and the integration of neuroimaging data.
- 🏢 Department of Computational Linguistics
- Join a department with 5 faculties and around 40 researchers in text technologies, phonetics, and speech.
- Collaborate closely with NCCR Evolving Languages, especially with James Henderson.
- Research stay at Idiap is expected as part of the doctoral program.
- 🌐 Your Responsibilities
- Conduct research on how multilingual language models represent knowledge.
- Study conditions for cross-lingual representations of world knowledge and cross-lingual transfer.
- Use interpretability methods to disentangle world knowledge and linguistic knowledge.
- Access to neuroimaging data to test language models’ ability to predict brain activity of bilinguals.
- Position part of NCCR Evolving Language, aiming to create Evolutionary Language Science.
- 🧑🎓 Your Profile
- Recent or imminent Master’s degree in computational linguistics, computer science, AI, or related discipline.
- Strong academic track record in machine learning and/or natural language processing.
- Strong programming skills in Python.
- Strong communication skills (English essential; German desirable).
- Commitment to gender balance and diversity in hiring decisions.
- 💼 What We Offer
- Varied and interesting work in a dynamic research group.
- University of Zurich, one of Europe’s top research universities.
- Zurich ranked among cities with the world’s highest quality of life.
- Remuneration per Swiss National Science Foundation Guidelines.
- Funding guaranteed for 4 years, with formal employment at 80%, expected to pursue PhD full-time.
- 📍 Place of Work
- Institut für Computerlinguistik, Andreasstrasse, Zürich, Switzerland.
- 📅 Start of Employment
- Employment starts September 2024.
- Application deadline: January 5, 2024.
- Application requirements: Motivation letter, CV, transcripts, two references (English or German).
Designation: PhD Student
Research Area: Natural Language Processing
Location: Institut für Computerlinguistik, Andreasstrasse, Zürich, Switzerland
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Recent or imminent Master’s degree in computational linguistics, computer science, AI, or a related discipline
- Strong academic track record with a background in machine learning and/or natural language processing
- Strong programming skills (Python)
- Strong communication skills (English: essential; German: desirable)
Job Description: The successful candidate will conduct research on how multilingual language models represent knowledge, specifically focusing on cross-lingual transfer. Responsibilities include using and developing interpretability methods to disentangle world knowledge and linguistic knowledge in language models. The project will also involve utilizing neuroimaging data to test language models’ ability to predict brain activity in bilinguals. The position is part of the NCCR Evolving Language consortium, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration across various academic domains.
What we offer:
- Varied and interesting work in a dynamic research group
- Association with the University of Zurich, one of Europe’s top research universities
- Competitive remuneration according to Swiss National Science Foundation Guidelines
1st year CHF 48,686.40 2nd year CHF 50,238.90 from 3rd year CHF 51,791.40
Funding is guaranteed for 4 years. The position is formally employed at 80%, with a commitment to pursuing the PhD full-time.
Place of work: Institut für Computerlinguistik, Andreasstrasse, Zürich, Switzerland
Start of employment: September 2024. Application deadline: January 5, 2024.
How to Apply: To apply, submit a single PDF document including:
- Motivation letter (up to one page)
- CV
- Transcripts from previous studies
- Two references (name, position, and e-mail address)
Further information: Please check the details on the official website.
Disclaimer: This job post is derived from a reliable source. Applicants are advised to verify information from the official website for the most accurate and up-to-date details. The University of Zurich reserves the right to make changes to the program as necessary.
