Postdoctoral Researcher Computational Argumentation and Information Quality

Faculty/Services: Faculty of Humanities

Educational level: PhD

Function type: Academic Staff

Closing date: 7 April 2023

Vacancy number: 11184

Are you interested in computational argumentation and reasoning? Do you have experience with working with formal approaches to the study of argumentation and information quality?

The Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation (ILLC) currently has a vacancy for a postdoctoral research position as part of the broader field Human(e) AI. Within this field the focus is on data and platforms for social, cultural and economic innovation. ILLC is one of the five Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research.

What are you going to do?

With current developments in AI, the field of Computational Argumentation is rapidly growing. Recently, researchers have developed procedural methods for identifying the types of arguments, e.g., ‘argument from cause’, ‘pragmatic argument’, or ‘argument from expert opinion’, which can be used to annotate natural argumentative discourse and provide a basis for fine-grained argument reasoning. The appointed postdoc will contribute to this line of research on argument-checking and information quality by developing (computational) linguistic models of argument type identifcation and evaluation.

Tasks of the appointed postdoc will include:

• Modeling linguistic features of various argument types relevant for determining the validity and strength of the underlying reasoning;
• Combining existing work on the identification and evaluation of arguments by project research group members of the ILLC (EPS unit), ACLC (LANCAR group) and CWI (Human-Centered Data Analytics group);
• Supporting the development of an ontology for argument modeling and designing crowdsourcing tasks for argument type identification and evaluation.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• conducting research, presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences and publishing single- and /or co-authored peer reviewed articles;
• participating in meetings of the project research group and developing a shared dataset, ontology, and prototype crowdsourcing task;
• co-organising knowledge dissemination activities.

What do we require?

• a PhD in Computational Argumentation, Computational Linguistics, Computer Science or Data science (for the latter, acquired expertise in Argumentation Theory is an asset);

• excellent research skills demonstrated by a track record of publishing in high-ranking journals and/or with leading presses or a demonstrable capacity to develop such a record;

• a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audience;
• excellent command of English.

What can we offer you?

The Postdoc researcher will be appointed at the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and will conduct the research in Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation. The employment contract will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with one year. The employment contract is for 30,4-38 hours a week. Preferred starting date is as soon as possible after the closing of the procedure.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between €3,974 to € 5,439 (scale 11). This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer

• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education, including participation in a dedicated Research Training group;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team;
• the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world renowned.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 42,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in which researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities collaborate. Its central research area is the study of fundamental principles of encoding, transmission and comprehension of information. Research at ILLC is interdisciplinary, and aims at bringing together insights from various disciplines concerned with information and information processing, including computational linguistics, cognitive science, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence. ILLC offers an international research environment with world-class faculty in all of its areas of specialization. We are based in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, renowned for its historic system of canals, its laid-back cosmopolitan atmosphere, and its excellent connections to the rest of Europe and the world.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Dr Federica Russo

Job application

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the link below. The deadline for applying for this vacancy is 7 April 2023.

Applications should include the following information (submitted in one .pdf):

• A letter of motivation;
• A research proposal of 800-1000 words, explaining how your expertise and background will help you approach the project thematically, conceptually, and methodologically, within the timeline of the 2 years appointment;
• A full academic CV, including a list of publications;
• The names and contact details of two references who may be approached by the selection committee.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.