[CogSci] PhD position: Language modelling meets language acquisition (MPI NL, deadline April 3)

[Micha Heilbron]

Dear all,

At the MPI Psycholinguistics, we're looking for a PhD candidate interested in the intersection of language model training, and human language acquisition.

What can training neural networks on language tell us about how children learn language? And can cognitive constraints from cognitive science help develop models that learn more efficiently?

The project involves building language models with cognitively motivated architectures and evaluating them on behavioural benchmarks (syntactic generalization, reading times) — using LMs as computational testbeds for acquisition theories.

This is a collaboration between the new Language and Predictive Computation group (Micha Heilbron) and Language Development (Caroline Rowland) at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands

4 years, fully funded.
Deadline: April 3
More info: https://www.mpi.nl/career-education/vacancies/vacancy/fully-funded-4-year-phd-position-developmental-language

Note: The ad asks for a master's degree, but this is mainly an EU thing — candidates with the right skills/experience but without a masters degree should feel welcome to apply!

Happy to answer questions, and please forward to anyone who might be a good fit!

Very best wishes,
Micha
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