Post-Doctoral Fellow

Te Kahui Roro Reo | New Zealand Institute of Language Brain and Behaviour (NZILBB)

Toi Tangata | Faculty of Arts

Located in Otautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

Full-time 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)

Fixed term position for 2 years and 5 months

Salary range $86,612

What You Will Do

The New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour is seeking a Post-Doctoral Fellow to join the team of researchers working on a project funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund, entitled "Nga Ropu Kupu o Te Reo Maori / The Word Categories of Te Reo Maori."

The research team comprises Dr Forrest Panther, Professor Jen Hay, Dr Heeju Hwang (all University of Canterbury) and Dr Gianna Leoni (te Hiku Media).

In this project, we will look into the evidence of parts of speech in te reo Maori.

It is well-known in Maori that one "word" can act as both a noun and a verb : the word 'kai' can mean 'food', but also 'eat'.

How are such "words" processed by Maori speakers?

Are they really one word, or are they homonyms, one a noun, and one a verb, with distinct lexical representations?

We will gather and analyse phonetic, psycholinguistic, and morpho-syntactic evidence, with the aim of understanding how speakers of Maori categorise words into lexical categories.

Applications are invited from researchers who hold a PhD in Linguistics, with expertise in one or more of the following areas : phonological and morphological research, psycholinguistics, lexical representations, Te reo Maori me ona tikanga.

We are particularly interested in candidates with a background in Maori or Polynesian linguistic research and demonstrated skills in statistical analysis and experimental design.

However, all interested candidates with a background in one or more of the research areas are encouraged to apply.

The Post-Doctoral Fellow will be employed by the New Zealand Institute of Language Brain and Behaviour, University of Canterbury and will be required to relocate to Christchurch.

The expected start date is April

• , but it is negotiable.

Who You Will Work With

The New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour (NZILBB) is a multi-disciplinary centre dedicated to the study of human language.

The researchers come from a wide range of disciplines, forging connections across linguistics, speech production and perception, language acquisition, language disorders, social cognition, memory, brain imaging, cognitive science, bilingual education, and interface technologies.

This highly interdisciplinary team is working together toward a truly unified understanding of how language is acquired, produced and understood in its social and physical contexts.

The University of Canterbury is committed to accessible higher education, service to community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity.

The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

What we offer

Flexible working arrangements

Supportive working environment

Generous annual leave provisions and competitive salary

A unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as the recreation centre and Staff club at discounted rates plus onsite café's and eateries, and more

For more information about Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit

Closing date & Application Review

The closing date for this position is : 23 November (midnight, NZ time)

Applications will be reviewed after the close date.

How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted on our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to

For further information specifically about the role, please contact : Emma Parnell at

Please Note

Candidates who are working towards or nearing completion of a relevant Doctoral qualification, will also be considered.

Upon appointment, if the Doctoral qualification is yet to be awarded, the title of Research Associate will be applied and the salary will reflect the Research Associate salary scale.

Appointable salary for a Post Doctoral Fellow will be $86,612

For overseas applicants, please visit Immigration New Zealand website, to review the latest health and visa requirements for visiting and working in New Zealand.

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