PhD Position: Accented Speech Processing

1. Introduction

A PhD position is available at the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University. The successful candidate will perform research on foreign accents in human-human and human-AI communication. Research methods include virtual reality, eye-tracking and behavioural measurements.

2. Job description

As a PhD Candidate, you will be part of an international network of 13 research labs located throughout Europe working on the EU-funded HUM.AI.N-ACCENT project. The full consortium consists of a total of 24 academic and non-academic partners in Europe, Canada and the USA. As part of your training, you will attend regular events across Europe and undertake secondments to at least two Beneficiary/Partner Organisations.

HUM.AI.N-ACCENT is an interdisciplinary research project that explores the neurocognitive and social impacts of foreign-accented speech in human-human and human-AI interactions. With millions of new arrivals to the European Union each year, there is an urgent need to understand how foreign accents influence communication, decision-making and social dynamics. Research has shown that foreign-accented speech can generate biases and increase cognitive load, yet the origins and consequences of these effects are still poorly understood. The HUM.AI.N-ACCENT project aims to fill this gap by combining insights from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, AI engineering, human-computer interaction and social science, with lifespan perspectives. Using advanced methodologies like neuroimaging, eye-tracking, virtual reality and neural tracking, the project will investigate how foreign-accented speech affects neural responses, attention allocation and social judgments. By studying both human-human and human-AI interactions, the project will provide critical insights into how accents shape communication and behaviour in diverse contexts.

You will receive interdisciplinary training in theories and methods for the study of psycholinguistics, more specifically, native- and foreign-accented speech processing. This includes many network-wide events and other (international) training opportunities.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate. 

3. Profile

• You hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Linguistics, Neuroscience or a related field.  You have previous experience in experimental psychology and/or linguistics and a good knowledge of psycholinguistics and bilingualism in particular. 
• You have a strong background in experiment programming and statistical analyses in R.
• You possess excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• You have previous experience with participating in research projects (e.g. data collection, statistical analysis).
• You have experience with virtual reality and/or eye-tracking.
• You preferably have a good knowledge of Dutch (or willingness to learn). 

You must comply with the Marie Curie Actions mobility rule:

• You must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (in this case: the Netherlands) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before your appointment.
• You cannot already be in possession of a doctoral degree. 

4. We are

The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) at Radboud University provides a rich research environment dedicated to the understanding of language and the way it is used. The researchers at CLS investigate language from different perspectives and in several contexts, using a variety of innovative research methods. CLS aims to conduct research that is also valuable for organisations and audiences outside the academic world. More information about the CLS can be found at: www.ru.nl/en/cls

You will be part of the Multilingualism Group.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).     
• You will receive a starting salary of €3,059 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,881 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Susanne Brouwer. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will take place on 5 and 6 November. Any second interview will take place on 19 November. You will preferably start your employment on 1 January 2026.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.