CNRS (Paris, France) PhD Scholarship: “Languages ​​of the Benue Valley Nigeria, Linguistic documentation and grammatical analysis” 2020

Application Deadline: May 15th 2020

The Research unit LLACAN (Langage, langues et cultures d’Afrique, CNRS-INALCO, Paris) invites applications for a three year PhD position to produce a comprehensive grammatical analysis and linguistic documentation of a Nigerian language spoken in the Benue valley.

The position is funded by the thèses internationales programme of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The successful candidate will be required to spend about half of their time at the French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA). IFRA has offices at the campus of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. They will spend the rest of their time at LLACAN in Villejuif, a suburb of Paris.

Supervision in Paris and in the field will be provided by Dmitry Idiatov and Mark Van de Velde, as well as by other members of the fieldwork oriented research unit LLACAN. We have a lot of experience with linguistic field work in Nigeria and a large network of local community representatives.

The successful candidate will enter the PhD program of INALCO in Paris. They are expected to publish in peer-reviewed journals and to obtain a PhD degree in ideally three years. We offer a scholarship of about 1600€ monthly after taxes, as well as appropriate allowances for field work, conference attendance and equipment.

CNRS attaches utmost importance to the safety of its researches. Any travel to areas with potential security risks is subject to prior authorization based on a thorough risk assessment by CNRS and the French ministry of Foreign Affairs. In case of security risks in the immediate region where the language is spoken, all research in Nigeria will take place at IFRA in Ibadan or at the most appropriate safe location in the general area.

Requirements

Candidates are required to:

• have an MA degree (or equivalent) in linguistics by the start date
• have excellent command of English
• be ready to gain good working knowledge of French

Candidates are expected to:

• have received thorough training in phonetics, phonology and morphosyntax
• be ready to conduct extended research stays in Nigeria

Ideally, candidates also:

• received training in field methods and linguistic documentation
• have knowledge of African linguistics
• have knowledge of linguistic typology
• have some experience analyzing languages without a written tradition

How to apply:

Please send applications (or any questions) no later than May 15^th 2020, to Mark Van de Velde (mark.vandevelde@cnrs.fr). Please choose the following subject for your email: ”Benue Valley PhD.”

Applications should consist of a sample of academic writing and a brief CV, containing information on relevant experience and education. You can also provide contact details of a referee. The deadline for enrollment in the PhD program in INALCO is June 5^th 2020. Ideally, the scholarship will start on October 1^st 2020.

Applications Deadline: 15-May-2020

Contact Information: Mark Van de Velde (mark.vandevelde@cnrs.fr)

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the CNRS (Paris, France) PhD Scholarship: “Languages ​​of the Benue Valley Nigeria