Scholarship Overview
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Overview
Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) offers two fully funded PhD positions within the NWO-funded project ‘Usku and Banda: Automated Documentation of Endangered Languages of Eastern Indonesia’. These 4-year positions focus on urgent documentation of critically endangered languages in Indonesia’s Papua and Maluku provinces.
The project addresses languages at immediate risk of extinction. Usku (also called Afra), a Papuan language isolate with approximately 100 speakers in Papua province, is moribund and surrounded by unrelated Papuan languages. Banda, an Austronesian language spoken by 4,000 people on Kei Besar island in Maluku province, faces similar intergenerational transmission breakdown. Both languages may become extinct within two generations as younger speakers shift to Indonesian.
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What the Scholarship Covers
The positions provide comprehensive funding under the Dutch Universities Collective Labour Agreement (CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten):
- Monthly salary: €3,204 gross (Year 1) to €4,051 gross (Year 4) for full-time employment
- Substantial additional holiday and year-end allowances
- Four-year appointment with initial 12-month contract, extendable for 36 months pending positive performance review
- 38 hours per week full-time employment
- Potential substantial tax benefits for candidates from outside the Netherlands
- Research support and training through LUCL’s extensive infrastructure
Research Focus and Responsibilities
Each PhD candidate will undertake distinct but parallel documentation work:
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Usku PhD Project
Documentation of this Papuan language isolate in north-eastern Papua, investigating its unique structural features and contact-induced changes given its isolation among unrelated language families.
Banda PhD Project
Documentation of this Austronesian language on Kei Besar, examining inherited structures versus contact features from neighbouring languages and Indonesian/Malay.
Core Responsibilities
- Conducting audio-visual fieldwork in Indonesia to collect linguistic and cultural data
- Transcribing, annotating, analysing and archiving naturalistic language data
- Testing and evaluating AI tools for automated transcription, translation, morphological segmentation and glossing
- Developing documentary records including rich text collections and extensive lexicons
- Producing grammatical analyses of phonology, morphology and syntax
- Presenting and publishing research results, culminating in a PhD thesis
- Assisting in undergraduate teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
- Participating in project research group meetings and training sessions
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must meet these criteria:
- Master’s degree in linguistics completed before the start date
- Demonstrated interest in language documentation, field linguistics, or descriptive linguistics
- Excellent research and academic English skills
- Working knowledge of Indonesian, or willingness to acquire this within the first six months
- Strong cooperative attitude and commitment to collaborative research
- Fieldwork experience in non-Western contexts advantageous but not required
Preference policy: In cases of equal suitability, candidates from Indonesia will be given preference.
Application Requirements
Submit the following via Leiden University’s application system:
- Cover letter specifying which position (Usku or Banda) you are applying for, with motivation
- Full academic CV
- Complete list of Bachelor and Master-level modules with official transcript of grades
- Writing sample (preferably MA thesis, plus article or term paper relevant to the position)
- Names and email addresses of two references, including MA thesis supervisor(s) — reference letters not required initially
Important Dates
- Application deadline: 25 October 2026
- Interviews: First half of November 2026
- Starting date: Between February–July 2027 (exact date by mutual agreement)
Research Environment
LUCL operates within Leiden University’s Faculty of Humanities, hosting over 120 linguists across six research groups. The institute combines theoretical insights with modern methodological approaches in its ‘Language Diversity in the World’ profile area. The Faculty of Humanities accommodates 6,000+ students and 800 staff members, providing extensive research support and collaborative opportunities.
The project team includes Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Marian Klamer, external partner Dr. Eline Visser (Uppsala University), and research engineer Dr. Sophie Villerius.
For African and SADC Applicants
While Indonesian candidates receive preference in tied cases, African linguists with relevant expertise are encouraged to apply. The position particularly suits candidates with:
- Experience in African language documentation and description
- Fieldwork backgrounds in multilingual, post-colonial contexts
- Interest in applying African linguistic documentation methodologies to Indonesian contexts
- Existing Indonesian language skills or capacity for rapid acquisition
Leiden University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion explicitly welcomes international applicants. The tax benefits for non-Dutch candidates may significantly improve net income.
Contact Information
- Research inquiries: Prof. Dr. Marian Klamer, m.a.f.klamer@hum.leidenuniv.nl
- Practical questions: Maarit van Gammeren (Institute Manager), m.s.k.van.gammeren@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Note: Enquiries from recruitment agencies are not appreciated.
Official scholarship page: https://careers.universiteitleiden.nl/job/Two-PhD-candidates%2C-DescriptiveDocumentary-Linguistics-in-Indonesia/16880-en_US?
You apply directly with the provider. We never charge for applications or ask for payment details. How we verify scholarships
