Job Information
- Organisation/Company: BCBL Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language
- Research Field: Neurosciences
- Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Positions: PhD Positions
- Application Deadline: 8 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid)
- Country: Spain
- Type of Contract: Temporary
- Job Status: Full-time
- Hours Per Week: 35
- Offer Starting Date: 1 Jan 2027
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
Offer Description
The successful candidate will join the Sign Language group at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL) and conduct a PhD within the 3DTechSign project, investigating the application of technologies to sign language data, and creating tools for research into the neurocognition of sign language. The researcher will contribute to all aspects of the project, with a focus on comparing existing pose estimation tools and evaluating their use with sign language data (including the creation of a benchmark motion capture data set). The validated pose estimation tools will be adapted to specific sign language research needs; the PhD student will work with other team members on such topics as categorical perception in sign language, (semi-)automatic transcription of individual signs and continuous signing, and creating synthetic sign stimuli that manipulate the temporal and spatial information in the signal.
The PhD student will enroll in the Cognitive Neuroscience program at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), and will work under the direct supervision of Dr Costello. In addition to the excellent doctoral training opportunities at the BCBL (programming, neuroimaging techniques, scientific communication), the student will receive specialized training in collecting and managing sign language data, data management, analysis and visualization, applying computer vision tools to sign language data, machine learning techniques and sign language proficiency. The student will attend a summer school and/or courses to learn machine learning techniques that can be applied to sign language data. The student will carry out at least one 3-month research stay with international collaborators. The position also involves participation in group and center-wide scientific meetings, presentation of findings at international conferences and preparation of peer-reviewed publications.
Where to apply
Website: https://calls.bcbl.eu
Requirements
Research Field: Neurosciences
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
- To be eligible for admission to a PhD programme, candidates must have completed at least 300 ECTS credits through their official university studies, including at least 60 ECTS credits at master's level.
- Carry out research under supervision
- Have the ambition to develop knowledge of research methodologies and discipline
- Have demonstrated a good understanding of a field of study
- Have demonstrated the ability to produce data under supervision
- Be capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas
- Be able to explain the outcome of research and value thereof to research colleagues
Specific Requirements
- Academic background in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, computational linguistics, biomedical engineering, data science, or a related field.
- Experience with sign language data acquisition, preprocessing, or analysis.
- Programming skills, preferably in Python, and familiarity with statistical or computational data analysis.
- Knowledge of Spanish Sign Language or another sign language.
- Experience working with a deaf signing community.
- Experience with 3D technologies including pose estimation (e.g. MediaPipe, Openpose) and motion capture.
- Familiarity with reproducible research practices and Open Science.
- Ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team while progressively developing scientific independence.
- Strong written and spoken English and the ability to communicate research clearly.
- Experience acquired through non-formal training, international mobility, or professional mobility that demonstrates effective communication and adaptability in an international research environment.
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Additional Information
Benefits
Salary: 21.000€ gross annual salary
Entitlements and other benefits: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl
Training opportunities and Career development plan:
Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes:
- Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision
- Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public
- Network-wide training in theory and methods
- Complementary training courses
- Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination
- Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events
BCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, sociocultural background, nationality or impairments. We are proud to have in place both an LGTBIQ+ Plan and a Gender Equality Plan to actively promote inclusion and equal opportunities. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us. We welcome applications from deaf candidates.
Selection process
To submit your application, please follow this link: apply for 3DTechSign and attach the following documentation:
- A curriculum vitae
- A statement outlining research interests and motivation to apply for the position
- Transcript of records for the master and bachelor degrees
- Two letters of recommendation (submitted by the referees no later than the application deadline)
Learn more about the BCBL's OTM-R policy
Additional comments
Application process timetable:
- Deadline for application: 08/11/2026
- Evaluation by committee: 09/11/2026 - 24/11/2026
- Interviews: 25/11/2026 – 04/12/2026
- Final decision: 09/12/2026
- Feedback to all applicants: 09/12/2026 - 11/12/2026
- Work contract start date: Flexible between 01/01/2027 and 30/04/2027
Contact details for enquiries:
For technical problems with the calls platform please contact: hr@bcbl.eu
For inquiries or questions related to the content of the position and/or information about the project and the research group please contact: b.costello@bcbl.eu
Website for additional job details: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/job-offers/phd-position-3dtechsign-bc
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain & Language
- Country: Spain
- State/Province: Gipuzkoa
- City: Donostia-San Sebastián
- Postal Code: 20009
- Street: Paseo Mikeletegi 69
Contact
- State/Province: Guipuzcoa
- City: Donostia
- Website: https://www.bcbl.eu
- Street: Paseo Mikeletegi 69
- Postal Code: 20009
- E-Mail: hr@bcbl.eu