The Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics (ARiEAL) is inviting applications for a one-year postdoctoral position in language sciences to support the development of ARiEAL Core Research Platform in its early stages, with a particular focus on developing a business plan, conducting market research, and preparing ARiEAL’s research labs for a growing clientele.

Created in 2023, ARiEAL Core Research Platform is a new initiative for ARiEAL Research Centre. It is an extensive commercialization program that will lead to several new training, research collaboration, and funding opportunities for ARiEAL, our researchers, and our trainees. As a core research platform, we are able to provide a full-cycle research/knowledge for-a-fee translation service program – we take problems from “real world” settings (classrooms, industrial partners, communities, and clinical settings, to name a few), develop and implement a multi-methods research and experimental program to assess them, create and analyse the data in our lab, and from then on, communicate our findings to stakeholders, implement evidence-based solutions to their problems as well as measure their efficacy.

Working under the supervision of Dr. Ivona Kučerová, director of ARiEAL Core Research Platform, this postdoctoral position is an exciting opportunity for recent PhDs in language sciences and related disciplines that are interested in a unique career-growth opportunity and want to further develop their, research, data analysis, technical, industrialization, and commercialization skills in the dynamic environment of ARiEAL Core Research Platform. By collaborating with McMaster’s industry liaison offices, MILO and FORGE, the postdoctoral fellow will gain the skills and acumen required to engage in market research and develop a business plan. The postdoctoral fellow will also have the opportunity to network with industry and community partners, growing their own professional and academic network. Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of language scientists, the postdoctoral fellow will also provide technical and data analysis support within a variety of laboratories, including eye-tracking, phonetics, and electroencephalograph labs, that are a part of ARiEAL Core Research Platform, and will have the opportunity to further develop new skills with the key concepts, methods, and approaches related to the main research foci at ARiEAL and its labs.

Qualifications: The successful candidate will have:

• A PhD in cognitive science, linguistics (or other language-related disciplines) with some background and/or experience in business and/or marketing.
• An excellent academic record for their career stage, including a beginning record of publications, conference presentations, and research agenda aligned with the position.
• Extensive knowledge of the field of experimental and applied Cognitive Science of Languages.
• Knowledge of and experience with at least one or two of the following: relevant data analysis and research methods, and/or research equipment such as, but not limited to, eye-trackers, ultrasounds, electroencephalographs, and electroglottographs.
• (An asset) Knowledge of marketing and/or business research methods, including market research, survey research, and mixed mode research.
• Knowledge of research principles and practices for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Candidates who identify as being from a marginalized group/groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information about the position, please contact ARiEAL Manager, Dr. Maxime Dagenais at dagenam@mcmaster.ca, or ARiEAL Director, Dr. Ivona Kučerova at kucerov@mcmaster.ca. For the full posting, please click here.

ARiEAL is housed within the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University. ARiEAL is a research centre that brings together a community of researchers ranging from undergraduate trainees to established scholars and enables the researchers to excel in their problem-driven language science research in fundamental, experimental, and applied linguistics. For more information on our researchers, research labs, and research areas, please visit our website.

• A 2-page letter of interest, including relevant experience, knowledge, and skills
• Curriculum Vitae
• Proof of completion of PhD (awarded within 5 years prior to the proposed start date) or proof of upcoming thesis defence
• One example of recent scholarly writing (e.g., thesis chapter or publication)
• Names and contact information for three references