[CogSci] Postdoctoral position in the LEVANTE project

[Michael C. Frank]

Dear colleagues,
(with apologies for the crossposting)

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow for a large-scale project on
developmental data collection with children ages 2-12 called LEVANTE
(Learning Variability Network Exchange). LEVANTE is a global research
network to improve our understanding of variability in learning and
development through coordinated data collection. The project is funded by
the Jacobs Foundation; learn more at http://levante-network.org and
http://researcher.levante-network.org.

*The goal of this position is to contribute to the development of
cross-linguistically valid tasks for measuring vocabulary, sentence
understanding, and reading* (in collaboration with the ROAR project
<https://roar.stanford.edu/>, directed by Jason Yeatman). LEVANTE is
already translated into German and Spanish and we are currently working on
adapting our tasks for more languages and cultures:
https://researcher.levante-network.org/internationalization. The
postdoctoral fellow will join an active and collaborative team that is
adapting tasks, coordinating translations, and analyzing data.

In this context, the postdoc will analyze incoming data from our pilot
sites, conduct linguistic analyses of items in each of the tasks, and
propose task modifications to improve task validity in different cultures
and languages. As such, *there are opportunities both to contribute to the
improvement of a large-scale research tool and to run exciting new analyses
about language and reading development across cultures*. What are the
similarities and differences in vocabulary and grammar development across
cultures? How does early language ability relate to reading across
different writing systems and languages? These kinds of questions will be
answerable with unique precision due to the large-scale data we are
collecting.

This position is appropriate for recent PhD grads as well as candidates
with postdoctoral experience. The postdoc will have the opportunity to lead
on research products including papers and presentations. The LEVANTE team
is a large and lively group pushing the boundaries of cross-cultural
developmental measurement through a combination of technical innovation and
psychometrics. The postdoc will also be part of the Language and Cognition
Lab at Stanford, a broad interdisciplinary group interested in using data
to understand human development. Finally, we work closely with the ROAR
team and the postdoc will have the opportunity to collaborate with that
team and attend team meetings.

A successful postdoc will have many of the following skills:
- substantive research interest in language development and/or reading
- knowledge of cross-linguistic variation (e.g., familiarity with
cross-linguistic differences in morphosyntax)
- experience doing reproducible data analysis using R
- familiarity with some aspects of psychometric analysis relating to
assessing measure reliability and validity

Applicants should submit a current CV, a short (~1 page) cover letter
stating their qualifications for the position, and a link to a paper or
other research product that best represents their interests and abilities.

This position is an in-person position (Stanford postdocs must be resident
in the Bay Area), and compensation will follow Stanford’s postdoc salary:
https://postdocs.stanford.edu/postdoc-admins/policy/funding-rates-and-guidelines

Please feel free to reach out with questions. Application materials should
be submitted to Amy Lightbody (aal at stanford.edu). Applications will be
processed on a rolling basis; start date is flexible but the ideal would be
May - September 2026.

all the best,

Mike
----
Michael C. Frank
Benjamin Scott Crocker Professor of Human Biology
Professor of Psychology and, by courtesy, Linguistics
Director, Symbolic Systems Program (on leave 2024-25)
Stanford University
http://langcog.stanford.edu
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