2 Postdoctoral positions in Bilingualism in the BCBL (AThEME collaborative research project)

2 Postdoctoral positions in Bilingualism in the BCBL (AThEME collaborative research project)

The Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) offers 2 postdoctoral positions in Bilingualism to work on the collaborative research project AThEME - “Advancing the European Multilingual Experience” funded by the European Commission 7th Framework Programme that comprises 16 Research partners (universities, research centers and SMEs) located in 8 European countries.

The positions have a term of appointment of 2 years with a possible renewal.

The main objectives of the AThEME research programme are:

·       to investigate the outstanding cognitive, linguistic and sociological issues in multilingual Europe

·       to assess existing public policies and practices within the areas of education and health and their impact on multilingualism

·       to contribute to evidence-based policy-making

THE CENTER AND THE BENEFITS

The Fellows will join one of the AThEME partners, the BCBL (Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language – www.bcbl.eu) and will focus his/her research in WP 4 and WP5.

·       WP4 addresses the complex issues associated with multilingualism in acquired communicative disorders. In particular we will concentrate our efforts on the impact of bilingualism on the language learning performance of dyslexic children.

·       WP5 will investigate several factors that contribute to what it means to “Being Bilingual” and the BCBL will focus on the bilingual population in the Basque Country. In particular we will investigate (1) language attrition, that is, the impact of a second reading system on the first reading system, (2) the putative advantages of bilinguals on the cognitive system and (3) the potential benefits of multilingualism on the decline of the cognitive system during aging.

The Center promotes a rich research environment without teaching obligations. It provides access to the most advanced behavioral and neuroimaging techniques, including 3 Tesla MRI, a whole-head MEG system, four ERP labs, a NIRS lab, a baby lab including an eyetracker, two eyetracking labs, and several well-equipped behavioral labs.  There are excellent technical support staff and research personnel (PhD and postdoctoral students).

REQUIREMENTS

We are looking for cognitive neuroscientists or experimental psychologists with a background in Psycholinguistics, Linguistics, Psychology, or Cognitive Neuroscience, an excellent command of English. Advanced skills in neuroimaging methods are desirable. We expect a strong interest for and motivation to work on the interplay of language, language disorders, bilingualism and multilingualism, the willingness to invest in interdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to work in teams. Candidates should have a strong publication track record.

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates should send their application by JUNE 30, 2014. To submit your application please sign into the system (http://www.bcbl.eu/login) and upload:

1.        Your curriculum vitae.

2.        A cover letter/statement describing your research interests (4000 characters maximun)

3.        The names of two referees who would be willing to write letters of recommendation

 For further information about the positions, please contact Manuel Carreiras (info@bcbl.eu)

AThEME - “Advancing the European Multilingual Experience” is a collaborative research project funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 613465, research area FP7-SSH-2013-1, topic SSH.2013.5.2-1: The multilingual challenge for the European citizen.