The University of Surrey's Surrey Morphology Group is offering a fully funded PhD studentship focused on the comparative predictability of Romance verbal inflection. This 3.5-year position is part of a larger UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project, "Scaling predictability in Morphological paradigms," which aims to quantify the information available to speakers when inferring inflected word forms.
The successful candidate will delve into the synchronic and diachronic properties of predictability within Romance languages, leveraging existing data and collaborating with a team developing new computational tools. This opportunity provides a rich research environment within a world-leading center for morphological theory and typology.
Quick Facts
| Opportunity | PhD Position |
|---|---|
| Institution | University of Surrey |
| Department | Surrey Morphology Group |
| Location | Guildford, United Kingdom |
| Region | Europe |
| Open to | International applicants |
| Funding | Fully funded |
| Stipend / Salary | UKRI standard stipend (£21,805 for 2026-27 academic year) plus UK or international fees covered and conference travel support. |
| Duration | 3.5 years (42 months) |
| Start date | April 2027 (later dates possible) |
| Application deadline | 20 December 2026 |
About the Position
The PhD project specifically investigates predictability in Romance languages, utilizing their extensive existing data and well-documented diachrony to conduct a deep analysis of synchronic and diachronic predictability. The candidate will work alongside project members who are developing computational methodologies and data, and exploring similar questions in other language families.
Eligibility
- Excellent overall performance at undergraduate level
- Expertise in morphological description and analysis
- Familiarity with Romance linguistics
- Ability to meet English language entry requirements for the PhD Linguistics program
- Willingness to learn technical aspects of computational methodology (no prior expertise required)
- Open to UK and international candidates
Benefits
- UK or international fees covered
- UKRI standard stipend (£21,805 for 2026-27 academic year)
- Support for conference travel
- Collaborative research environment within the Surrey Morphology Group
- Opportunity to work on a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project
Documents Required
- CV
- One-page statement of interest
How to Apply
- Submit your application via the Linguistics PhD programme page.
- Additionally, send a CV and a one-page statement of interest to Alison Stubley (a.stubley@surrey.ac.uk), specifying the project title and supervisors' names.
Source: jobs.ac.uk PhD studentships.
Details can change – always confirm eligibility and deadline on the official listing before applying.
