Two postdocs ERC Tracing language and population mixing in the Gansu-Qinghai area | INALCO

1) Postdoctoral Researcher in interdisciplinary research-linguistics and molecular anthropology

Date posted: 10-December-2020
Closing date: 15-January-2021

Overview:
The National Institute of Oriental Language and Civilization (INALCO) in Paris, France, wishes to recruit one Postdoctoral Researcher to work on a European Research Council (ERC)-funded research project, ‘Tracing language and population mixing in the Gansu-Qinghai area’, ERC-2019-AdG, 883700-TRAM, led by Professor Dan Xu Song (PI, INALCO). The Postdoctoral Researchers will work under the guidance of the PI.

This project, which will be launched in January 2021 and last for five years, will bring together two teams of researchers, one of linguists and the other of geneticists.

The Gansu-Qinghai area was the most important migration corridor between Central and East Asia. These languages and populations have competed, mixed and merged for ages. The present Project will study language mixture and language replacement patterns in the Gansu-Qinghai area, which geographically constitutes a natural demarcation between nomadic herders and farmers. In this intense contact area, home to nomadic languages and populations, Sinitic (Han) languages started to resemble non-Han languages, adopting similar syntactic means, while Yugur languages (Western Yugur belongs to Turkic language group and Eastern Yugur belongs to Mongolic language group), spoken by typical nomadic populations, kept their syntax relatively intact. The mixing degree of languages and populations in this area remains unclear, and in-depth research with an interdisciplinary approach is necessary.

The Project will determine the linguistic situation in this anthropological corridor by targeting two nomadic languages (Western and Eastern Yugur) and a variety of Sinitic languages. The analysis of language mixing and language replacement processes will be based on quantified data modeling, part of which will come from molecular anthropology and other fields such as history and archeology. This interdisciplinary approach will offer a global vision of language and population mixing in the Gansu-Qinghai area and a living sample of language preservation or loss due to different lifestyles and cultures.

The Postdoctoral Researcher to be recruited will be actively involved in all facets of the project, and will be provided with the necessary interdisciplinary training to contribute towards these tasks. Working together with the PI, the Postdoctoral Researchers will be author/co-author of a book/articles in peer reviewed journals on the project findings, based on their own research about the locations targeted by the project.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in a relevant area which will have been awarded before the start of the role. Relevant subject areas include but are not limited to: language contact, language typology; basic knowledge in molecular anthropology.

The expected starting date of the position is depending on the global situation of Covid. The position is full time (35 hours per week) with a salary in the range of 2500 euros net per month for a period of 12 months from the start date.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in France in accordance with the French laws and working conditions.

Requirements :
Candidates should have the following competences:
• Previous experience with fieldworks;
• Ability, willingness to work in an interdisciplinary project;
• Spoken and written English and Chinese;

How to apply
The application must include:
• CV –Your CV should be no longer than 3 x A4 pages and should give full details of name, date of birth, address (including e-mail address), present occupation, school and university education, degrees, teaching and research experience, and publications. The fellowships must not be cumulative.
• A cover letter (max. 1 page)
• An attested copy of relevant degree(s)
• Research Proposal including research project details of the outputs you intend to complete, a brief timetable for your research work.
• Two reference letters with contact details.
The letters of reference must be sent by the referees directly to the PI of the project : xudan@ehess.fr

Please send your application to Projet ERC <erctram2019@gmail.com>

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2) Postdoctoral Researcher in Yugur languages

Date posted: 10-December-2020
Closing date: 15-January-2021

Overview:

The National Institute of Oriental Language and Civilization (INALCO) in Paris, France, wishes to recruit one Postdoctoral Researcher to work on a European Research Council (ERC)-funded research project, ‘Tracing language and population mixing in the Gansu-Qinghai area’, ERC-2019-AdG, 883700-TRAM, led by Professor Dan Xu Song (PI, INALCO). The Postdoctoral Researchers will work under the guidance of the PI.

This project, which will be launched in January 2021 and last for five years, will bring together two teams of researchers, one of linguists and the other of geneticists.

The Gansu-Qinghai area was the most important migration corridor between Central and East Asia. These languages and populations have competed, mixed and merged for ages. The present Project will study language mixture and language replacement patterns in the Gansu-Qinghai area, which geographically constitutes a natural demarcation between nomadic herders and farmers. In this intense contact area, home to nomadic languages and populations, Sinitic (Han) languages started to resemble non-Han languages, adopting similar syntactic means, while Yugur languages (Western Yugur belongs to Turkic language group and Eastern Yugur belongs to Mongolic language group), spoken by typical nomadic populations, kept their syntax relatively intact. The mixing degree of languages and populations in this area remains unclear, and in-depth research with an interdisciplinary approach is necessary.

The Project will determine the linguistic situation in this anthropological corridor by targeting two nomadic languages (Western and Eastern Yugur) and a variety of Sinitic languages. The analysis of language mixing and language replacement processes will be based on quantified data modeling, part of which will come from molecular anthropology and other fields such as history and archeology. This interdisciplinary approach will offer a global vision of language and population mixing in the Gansu-Qinghai area and a living sample of language preservation or loss due to different lifestyles and cultures.

The Postdoctoral Researcher to be recruited will be actively involved in all facets of the project, and will be provided with the necessary interdisciplinary training to contribute towards these tasks. Working together with the PI, the Postdoctoral Researchers will be author/co-author of a book/articles in peer reviewed journals on the project findings, based on their own research about the locations targeted by the project.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in a relevant area which will have been awarded before the start of the role. Relevant subject areas include but are not limited to: Western Yugur language/Eastern Yugur language, language contact, language typology.

The expected starting date of the position is depending on the global situation of Covid. The position is full time (35 hours per week) with a salary in the range of 2500 euros net per month for a period of 12 months from the start date.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in France in accordance with the French laws and working conditions.

Requirements
Candidates should have the following competences:
• Previous experience with fieldworks;
• Ability, willingness to work in an interdisciplinary project;
• Spoken and written English and Chinese;

How to apply
The application must include:
• CV –Your CV should be no longer than 3 x A4 pages and should give full details of name, address (including e-mail address), present occupation, school and university education, degrees, teaching and research experience, and publications.

The fellowships must not be cumulative.
• A cover letter (max. 1 page)
• An attested copy of relevant degree(s)
• Research Proposal including research project details of the outputs you intend to complete, a brief timetable for your research work.
• Two reference letters with contact details.
The letters of reference must be sent by the referees directly to the PI of the project: xudan@ehess.fr

Please send your application to Projet ERC <erctram2019@gmail.com>