Postdoctoral Researcher in Multimodal Motion Capture and Spatiotemporal Modelling of Language

sciences » Cognitive science; Psychological sciences » Psychology Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions: Postdoc Positions Application Deadline: 18 Dec 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country: Spain Type of Contract: Temporary Job Status: Full-time Hours Per Week: 37,5 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number: 101263450 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description Note: This page is for informative purposes only. The official call (particularly, the legal requirements for candidates) and all information related to the selection process (admission, short list, final result) is published in the Department’s website. Offer description: The Prosodic and Gestural Studies Research Group (GrEPG) in the Department of Translation and Language Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) invites applications for a fully funded 4-year postdoctoral position within the ERC Advanced Grant PROSODY-SENSES: Prosody across senses: Testing a reconceptualization of prosody as a modality-neutral component of language governing spoken , visual and tactile signals, led by Prof. Pilar Prieto. PD1: SpatioTemporal Coordination across Sensory Modalities in Spoken Language The successful candidate will play a leading role in investigating how prosodic structure is implemented across spoken, sign, and tactile sign languages. The project aims to determine the extent to which prominence and phrasing are realized through modality-specific sensory signals while being governed by shared modality-neutral organizational principles. The postdoctoral researcher will lead the comparative analysis of prosodic structure across spoken, visual, and tactile language modalities, contributing to the theoretical development of the Modality-Neutral Prosodic Framework (MNPF). They will work closely with the PI and the multidisciplinary research team to develop experimental paradigms and analytical methods that integrate spoken language, sign language, and tactile sign language data. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding how prosodic organization adapts across sensory channels while preserving common linguistic functions. The position offers an outstanding opportunity to contribute to a new theoretical understanding of prosody as a modality-neutral component of human language while working in a highly interdisciplinary environment spanning linguistics, cognitive science, sign language linguistics, haptics, and multimodal communication. Main Duties Develop and lead an independent research programme within the scientific framework of PROSODY-SENSES , addressing the multimodal implementation of prosody across spoken, signed, and tactile language modalities. Design and conduct innovative experimental studies investigating the spatiotemporal organization of prosodic structure across sensory modalities, contributing to the theoretical development of the Modality-Neutral Prosodic Framework. Lead the development of computational and statistical models of the spatiotemporal coordination of prosody across spoken, visual, and tactile modalities, integrating speech, bodily movement, and tactile interaction data. Publish high-quality research in leading international peer-reviewed journals, present findings at major international conferences, and actively contribute to the international visibility of the ERC project. Develop new interdisciplinary collaborations within and beyond the consortium, contributing to the scientific leadership and long-term research agenda of PROSODY-SENSES. Co-supervise PhD students , providing scientific and methodological guidance in experimental design, quantitative analyses, multimodal data collection, and manuscript preparation. Contribute to the design and implementation of multimodal production experiments , including the development of experimental protocols and support for motion-capture and tactile recording sessions. Develop and optimize analysis workflows for three-dimensional motion-capture data, synchronized audiovisual recordings, tactile recordings, and multimodal linguistic annotations. Contribute to the development of annotation protocols, computational tools, and reproducible analytical pipelines for multimodal datasets. Support research data management across the ERC project by contributing to documentation, metadata standards, quality control, versioning, and FAIR data practices. Contribute to the scientific coordination of PROSODY-SENSES , including collaborative publications, workshops, training activities, outreach, and dissemination. Where to apply Website: https://apply.interfolio.com/195744 Requirements Research Field: Language sciences » Linguistics; Education Level: PhD or equivalent Research Field: Psychological sciences » Cognitive science; Education Level: PhD or equivalent Research Field: Computer science; Education Level: PhD or equivalent Research Field: Biological sciences » Other; Education Level: PhD or equivalent Research Field: Psychological sciences » Psychology; Education Level: PhD or equivalent Research Field: Engineering » Biomedical engineering; Education Level: PhD or equivalent Skills/Qualifications Applicants must: Hold a PhD in Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Biomechanical Engineering, Computational Neuroscience, Speech Science, Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline. Demonstrate expertise in three-dimensional motion capture and quantitative analysis of multimodal behavioural data. Have experience with computational modelling of human movement or multimodal communication. Demonstrate strong programming skills (Python and/or R; MATLAB or C++ is an advantage). Have experience with motion capture systems (e.g., Qualisys, Vicon, OptiTrack) and/or multimodal recording technologies. Demonstrate experience with reproducible data analysis pipelines and research data management. Have an excellent publication record relative to the career stage. Demonstrate excellent written and spoken English. Be able to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international research environment. Desirable qualifications Experience with computer vision or machine learning approaches to motion and tactile signal analysis. Experience with audiovisual annotation tools (ELAN, Praat, Anvil, etc.). Familiarity with speech analysis and experimental phonetics. Experience supervising students or research assistants. Interest in multimodal communication, prosody, language production, or embodied cognition. Additional Information Benefits €42.812,16 (approx €3058 net) Eligibility criteria Academic excellence, research track record, and methodological and technical experience relevant to the position (40%) , including experience in three-dimensional motion capture, quantitative analysis of multimodal behavioral data, computational modeling, programming, and the development of reproducible analysis workflows. Quality, relevance, and impact of the doctoral thesis, publications, and other research outputs, taking into account the candidate’s career stage (25%). Fit of the candidate’s scientific and methodological profile with the objectives and research line of the PROSODY-SENSES project (20%) , particularly in relation to multimodal communication, prosody, language production, motion analysis, and/or embodied cognition. Additional merits and ability to work in an interdisciplinary and international research environment (15%) , including, among others, experience in computer vision or machine-learning methods, audiovisual annotation tools, speech analysis and experimental phonetics, supervision of students or research staff, and interdisciplinary research collaboration. Candidates obtaining at least 85/100 on the first three points may be invited for an interview. Work Location(s) Number of offers available: 1 Company/Institute: Universitat Pompeu Fabra Country: Spain State/Province: Barcelona City: Barcelona Postal Code: 08018 Street: Roc Boronat 138 Contact City: Barcelona Website: http://www.upf.edu/dtcl Street: carrer Roc Boronat, 138, 08018 Barcelona Postal Code: 08018