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Our broad range of subjects, the dynamic development of our main research areas and our central location in Cologne
make us attractive for students and researchers from around the world. We offer a wide range of career opportunities in
science, technology, and administration.
The Cologne-based Collaborative Research Centre 1252 “Prominence in
Language” is a dynamic research environment with 21 research projects
in linguistics and related fields. Our vision is to investigate prominence
relations in larger discourse segments and dialogue. More information
can be found here: https://sfb1252.uni-koeln.de/en/ Project A08 “The
Role of Pauses in Prominence Marking” investigates how pauses func-
tion as cues to prosodic prominence in German and French. As pauses
are still an under-studied aspect of prosodic prominence, we will first
analyze production data from longer monologues and spontaneous
dialogues to establish whether and how pauses co-occur with prosodic
prominence. In addition, we will test the relevance of pauses for the
perception of prominence.
YOUR TASKS
» Conduct research on prominence in language
» Analyze data from speech corpora and perception experiments
» Visualize and statistically evaluate the data
» Design and run perception experiments in Germany and France
» Present the project results at international conferences and in
academic journals
YOUR PROFILE
» Excellent academic record
» Master’s degree in linguistics, phonetics, or a related field
» Familiarity with research in experimental phonetics or phonology
» Experience with annotation software, e.g., Praat or ELAN
» Experience with basic statistical methods
» Basic programming skills
» High proficiency in German, English, and French
» Strong motivation and commitment
» Good communication skills and team-oriented mindset
WE OFFER
» A vibrant research environment with an international collaborative
team
» Participation in the a.r.t.e.s. doctoral training programme
» A diverse working environment with equal opportunities
» Support in balancing work and family life
» Extensive advanced training opportunities
» Occupational health management offers
The University of Cologne promotes equal opportunities and diversity.
Women will be considered preferentially in accordance with the Equal
Opportunities Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landesgleichstellungs-
gesetz – LGG NRW). We also expressly welcome applications from all
suitable candidates regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnic and
social origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, and identity.
The position is available from 1 August 2026 on a part-time basis
(25,89 hours per week). The position is to be filled for a fixed term
until 31 July 2029. If the applicant meets the relevant wage require-
ments and personal qualifications, the salary is based on remune-
ration group 13 TV-L of the pay scale for the German public sector.
Please submit a cover letter describing your qualifications and motivation
for applying for this position, CV and copies of the relevant university
degree(s) including transcripts as well as your Master‘s thesis. In case
your Master’s thesis has not yet been completed, please provide two to
three preliminary chapters of the Master‘s thesis if possible, as well as
two representative samples of your writing, e.g. term papers.
Please apply online with proof of the required qualifications without
photo under https://jobportal.uni-koeln.de The reference number is
Wiss2605-09. The application deadline is 5 June 2026.
For further inquiries, please contact Jun.-Prof. Dr. Simon Rössig
([email protected]) and take a look at our FAQs.
Doctoral position in project A08 (f/m/x)
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
CRC 1252 | Prominence in Language
