Position: PhD candidate
Number of vacancies: 1
The PhD position is part of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) Doctoral Network “Bridging Communication Gaps in Human and Human-AI Interactions: The Role of Accented Speech on Neurocognitive mechanisms and Social Dynamics (HUM.AI.N-ACCENT)”
Location: University of Bern (Bern, Switzerland)
Research Field: sociolinguistics, language attitudes, sociolinguistic cognition
Duration of Contract: 3 years
Job Status: full-time
Hours per week: 42
Starting date: 01.02.2026 (negotiable)
Application deadline: 25.10.2025
Information about the Project
A PhD position is available at the Center for the Study of Language and Society at the University of Bern. The successful candidate will conduct research on the perceived credibility of foreign accented speakers in courtroom contexts (the specific accent/language combinations studied to be determined in consultation with the successful applicant). Using virtual reality to elicit attitudinal responses within information-rich environments, the PhD project will identify how social and role-linked stereotypes interact with individual listener factors to constrain how foreign accents are evaluated in legal settings. The goal of the project is to better understand the cognitive processes and reasoning methods that leads to foreign accent bias and the individual and context factors that moderate it.
Project methods include experimental sociolinguistics and quantitative, variationist analysis.
The Doctoral Candidate (DC) will be part of an international network of 13 research labs located throughout Europe who work on the EU-funded HUM.AI.N-ACCENT project. The full consortium includes a total of 24 academic and non-academic partners in Europe, Canada and the US. As part of their training, the DC will attend regular events across Europe and conduct short stays (secondments) with at least two Beneficiary/Partner Organizations. The funding for the project in Bern will be provided directly by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation, as stipulated in the funding guarantee of the Swiss government for EU-funded projects.
HUM.AI.N-ACCENT is an interdisciplinary research network 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 network aims to fill this gap by combining insights from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, AI engineering, humancomputer 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.
Job description
The successful candidate will receive interdisciplinary training in theories and methods for the study of linguistic variation, accent perception, cognitive processing, and accent bias, as well as general professional training for an academic career. Training will be delivered by both local and networkwide events and other (international) training opportunities.
The Center for the Study of Language and Society (CSLS) at the University of Bern is an interdisciplinary research center located in the Faculty of Humanities. CSLS research focuses on exploring how social changes affect languages and language use, how social beliefs and ideologies are reproduced and transmitted through language, and how, conversely, beliefs about language and language users have lasting social impacts. The CSLS offers a comprehensive research training programme, including advanced training in sociolinguistic field methods, quantitative and qualitative linguistic analysis, instrumental phonetic analysis, behavioural experiments, social media analysis, and research ethics. The CSLS maintains two state-of-the-art linguistic labs, featuring professionalgrade audio recording, eye-tracking, VR and behavioural experiment stations.
Candidate Profile and Selection Criteria
Essential Criteria:
- A Master's Degree (or equivalent) in Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Social Psychology, or a related field
- The candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activitiy (work, studies, etc.) in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their appointment
- The candidate must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree
Desirable Criteria:
- Prior experience with sociolinguistic experiments
- Knowledge of statistical data analysis and modelling
- Familiarity with theories of social (and soiolinguistic) cognition
- Familiarity with virtual reality environments
- Good command of aceademic English (oran and written)
- Desire to be part of an internaional research network
- Ability to travel across Europe/North America for research training and secondments
- Experience working in a team, ability to work independently and to meet agreed deadlines
Working Conditions
- Gross salary: ca. CHF 73'733 per annum
- Mobility allowance: ca. CHF 7'970 per annum
- Family allowance (if applicable): ca. CHF 7'409 per annum
Values listed are indicative. Final salary willl follow MSCA guidelines and be determined during recruitment process. Gross salary includes mandatory employer social security contributions.
Training Opportunities and Career development plan
The successful candidate will be given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes:
- Training through individually personalized reserach project under senior supervision
- Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public
- Network-wide training in theory and methods
- Complementary training courses
- Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination
- Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events
The University of Bern seeks to promote an inclusive and collegial environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, sexuality, age, cultural background, nationality or disability. If you have any questions relating to acessability or support, please contact us.
Language
The primary working language of the HUM.AI.N-ACCENT network is English. The main administrative language of the University of Bern is German. Familiarity with German is an asset, but not a requirement.
Application Process
To apply, please submit the following documents as a single PDF file to Prof Erez Levon (erez.levon@unibe.ch) by 25 October 2025:
- A statement outlining your research interests and experience and your motivation to apply for the position, including an indication o fthe specific social/linguistic context you would be interested in researching (2 pages maximum)
- a current CV
- two letters of recommendation
Application timeline
Deadline for Application: 25.10.2025
FIrst-round interviews (online) with Prof Levon: mid-November
Second-round interviews (online) with HUM.AI.N network: late-November/early-December
Final decisions: by 08.12.2025
Feedback to all applicants: by 12.12.2025
Contact details for enquiries: Prof Erez Levon (erez.levon@unibe.ch)
