CLERMONT-FERRAND UNIVERSITY “Blaise Pascal”

UNIVERSITY OF POITIERS

Experienced Researcher Fellowship in

Cognitive processes in written production in Romance languages

Supervised by

Prof. Michel FAYOL

(Clermont-Ferrand University “Blaise Pascal” and CNRS - LAPSCO UMR 6024)

and

Dr Denis ALAMARGOT

(University of Poitiers and CNRS - CeRCA UMR 6234)

Salary: ER scale € 52,800 p.a.

In France, considering employment taxes, the final amount per month is around 2700 euros.

Cognitive processes in written production in Romance languages

The purpose of this research programme is to compare the realtime production of words and sentences in different language systems characterized by varying degrees of opaqueness. Written productions will be assessed by means of a dual realtime analysis of writing rate/pauses and information seeking by the writer from his or her own written trace (dictation task) and/or from information sources (copying task). Two units will be taken into account: words and sentences. The investigations will involve adult writers as well as children, whose ages will be determined according to their levels of expertise in each spelling system. Using Eye and Pen software – www.eyeandpen.net -, the experiments will consist of (i) manipulating the cognitive sources available to the subjects (skills and knowledge, memory and attentional capacities) and/or various characteristics of the spelling processes they have to perform, in order to (ii) analyze their impact on the time course of the processes, measured in terms of eye and graphomotor movements..

JOB DESCRIPTION

As part of your ER (Experienced researcher) fellowship/ Post-Doc studentship you will work under the supervision of Prof. Michel Fayol (Clermont-Ferrand University “Blaise Pascal”) and Dr Denis Alamargot (U. of Poitiers) will be involved in the development and updating of experiments. You will be responsible for contacting students, schools and families, recruiting participants, organizing sessions, and in collecting, scoring and analysing the data, and disseminating the findings. The fellowship will be based in the Clermont-Ferrand University “Blaise Pascal” (laboratory LAPSCO-CNRS) in collaboration with the University of Poitiers (laboratory CeRCA-CNRS).

Additional duties will include:

• Assist in the design, and implementation of research.

• Oversee the work of junior researchers working jointly on the project.
• Coordinate analyses of datasets from different language populations.
• Ensuring that computer held data files are securely held and backed-up regularly.
• Use technological devices like eyetracker, digitazing tablets in order to record eye movements during writing. A compulsory training will be provided to the fellow in the use of this technology.
• Preparing research report write-ups, and assisting in the completion of other aspects related to the publication of research findings.
• Participating in conference presentations of research findings.
• Attending ELDEL's Workshops and other relevant training activities.
• Supporting broader research activities, workshop organisation, and communications with external bodies in the field of language and literacy development.

Person Specification

Due to the stipulations of the funding source (Marie Curie Fellowships), the successful candidate must:

• be a non-French national
• or have legally resided and had his/her main activity in a non-Associated third country (non-EU, or Associated state) for at least three of the last four years, immediately prior to the start date (December 15th, 2008).
• non-french nationals must not have worked and resided in France for more than 12 months in the past 3 years (preceding the start date).

The post holder will be an Experienced Researcher, as defined by the Marie Curie FP7 scheme (see main Vacancies page).

Essential qualifications

• A PhD or equivalent in Psychology, or closely related discipline such as Education, Speech and Language Therapy, or Linguistics.
• Experience in psychological research, actually recording, computing and interpreting on-line data (pauses, rates, eye movements)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with young children, teachers, research assistants as well as European colleagues at all levels.
• Excellent organisational skills in the context of conducting projects to a specified timetable.
• A very good command of French.

Desirable qualifications:

• Previous research with children and adults.
• Previous experience of research in areas of language and literacy development, the development of spelling and grammar.
• Previous experience in the use of eyetraker and/or in the analysis of on-line data in writing.
• Experience of preparing proposals for research grant funding.

The position is available for 12 months with a start date of 1 April 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter

Closing date for applications: 1 March 2010.

The first phase of the application process will be based on written applications. These must include a CV and a covering letter stating how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification.  The documents should be sent both by post and email to the following addresses:

Michel FAYOL

Universite Blaise Pascal et CNRS

LAPSCO UMR 6024

34 avenue Carnot

63037 Clermont Ferrand Cedex

Email: Michel.FAYOL@univ-bpclermont.fr

In the second phase of the application process selected candidates will be invited for interviews