Post-Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d, E13 TV-L, 100%)

23.06.2025

Application deadline: 14.07.2025

The following position is available at the Department of Linguistics of the Faculty of Humanities beginning November 1st 2025 or shortly after.

Post-Doctoral Researcher in Theoretical or Experimental Pragmatics / Cognitive Science (m/f/d, E13 TV-L, 100%)

The position will be filled for a fixed term until June 2029. Payment is at 100% of full time E13.

The position is associated with the project “Probabilistic Reasoning about Common Ground” under the auspices of the Collaborative Research Center “Common Ground” (CRC1718), which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), at the University of Tübingen. The project is led by Principal Investigators Prof. Dr. Michael Franke and Dr. Todd Snider. The project seeks to investigate cognitively plausible models of pragmatic reasoning about Common Ground, incorporating insights from probabilistic pragmatics (in particular, Rational Speech Act models), cognitive psychology (in particular, dual-process models of information processing), and formal epistemology (in particular, formal representations of inattentiveness and unawareness). This project will involve philosophical / linguistic analysis, experiments with human participants, and mathematical / statistical modeling.

Requirements for employment are a completed PhD degree in a relevant field (Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Philosophy, or similar), near native-level of spoken and written English, and robust conceptual and analytical skills, as documented through prior research publications. Strong candidates will also have familiarity and experience with conducting experimental research. Knowledge of the literature on probabilistic pragmatics, cognitive psychology, and formal epistemology is welcome. The ability to work in a diverse team, with members from different backgrounds and different experience levels is required.

The project offers a cohesive and diverse research environment at the University of Tübingen and a dedicated interdisciplinary project team within a larger interdisciplinary Collaborative Research Center. We offer the opportunity to acquire cutting-edge research methods, combining experimental studies on language use and interpretation with bespoke probabilistic modeling.

The University of Tübingen seeks to raise the number of women in research and teaching and therefore urges qualified women academics to apply for these positions. Equally qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference in the hiring process. The University of Tübingen is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. It therefore takes individual situations into account and asks for relevant information. The employment will be handled by the central administration of the University of Tübingen.

Please send your application together with the required documents (motivation letter summarizing your research experience and interests, extensive CV, list of publications, contact details of three potential referees) by July 14th, 2025 to Prof. Dr. Michael Franke, Keplerstr. 2, 72074 Tübingen,sekretariat.pragmatikspam prevention@semsprach.uni-tuebingen.de . Enquiries may also be sent to this address.

General information on hiring processes and the German academic system can be found here .