Connectionists: Toronto-Melbourne PhD positions in computational cognitive linguistics

[Charles Kemp]

Lea Frermann (Melbourne), Charles Kemp (Melbourne) and Yang Xu (Toronto)
have funding for two PhD students as part of a Toronto-Melbourne
partnership in the area of Computational Cognitive Linguistics. The titles
of the projects are

1. A computational analysis of library classification through time

https://toronto.research.unimelb.edu.au/2020/12/15/a-computational-analysis-of-library-classification-through-time/

2. A computational analysis of conceptual combination through time

https://toronto.research.unimelb.edu.au/2020/12/15/a-computational-analysis-of-conceptual-combination-through-time/

More information about both projects is below, and information about how to
apply is at

https://toronto.research.unimelb.edu.au/2020/12/16/how-to-apply/

Both students will spend roughly two years in Toronto and two years in
Melbourne over the course of their PhDs. Applicants must be ready to start
a PhD some time in 2021, and applications will be considered as soon as
they are received. Please contact any one of us for more information.

Lea ( lea.frermann at unimelb.edu.au )

Charles ( c.kemp at unimelb.edu.au )

Yang ( yangxu at cs.toronto.edu )


Individual Project advertisements

1. A computational analysis of library classification through time

This PhD project jointly offered by the University of Toronto (UofT) and
the University of Melbourne (UoM) will provide training and research
opportunities for a student applicant in the area of computational
cognitive linguistics. The student will work under the joint supervision of
faculty members from both institutions (PI at UoM: Charles Kemp, Melbourne
School of Psychological Sciences; PI at UofT: Yang Xu, Department of
Computer Science and Cognitive Science Program) and will spend two years at
each institution. The project is a large-scale computational analysis of
human categorization. We will take library classification as a case study,
and will draw on data from thousands of libraries to explore how book
classifications have emerged over time. The first part of the project will
explore the extent to which existing models of categorization and cultural
evolution can account for library classification. The second part will
focus on classification bias, and will use computational methods to
identify ways in which classification systems such as the Dewey Decimal
system can be adjusted to better represent the diversity of materials in
library collections worldwide. The PhD program will commence in 2021 and
has an expected duration of 4 to 4.5 years, with full financial support
including tuition, stipend, and relevant travelling expenses. The student
will begin coursework and research at UofT for an initial period of 2
years, and then proceed to further research and dissertation work at UoM to
complete the program. The applicant should have obtained a Bachelor’s or
Master’s degree by January 2021 in an area related to the project (e.g.
computer science, cognitive science, psychology, or linguistics). The
applicant should have a general interest in the area of cognitive
linguistics, and strong programming skills are essential. A background in
natural language processing is desirable but not essential. UofT and UoM
are both committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and applicants from
diverse and underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

2. A computational analysis of conceptual combination through time

This joint PhD project from the University of Toronto (UofT) and the
University of Melbourne (UoM) will provide training and research
opportunities for a student applicant in the area of computational
cognitive linguistics. The student will work under the joint supervision of
faculty members from both institutions (PI at UofT: Yang Xu, Department of
Computer Science and Cognitive Science Program; PI at UoM: Lea Frermann,
School of Computing and Information Systems) and spend two years at each
institution. The proposed PhD project will develop a computational approach
to investigate the process of conceptual combination, particularly how
compound words are formed over time in natural languages. The goal of this
project is to characterize the regularities in compound formation, and the
extent to which they might inform the principles and automated processing
of emergent compounds across languages. The PhD program will commence in
2021 and has an expected duration of 4 to 4.5 years, with full financial
support including tuition, stipend, and relevant travelling expenses. The
student will begin coursework and research at UofT for an initial period of
2 years, and then proceed to further research and dissertation work at UoM
to complete the program. The applicant should have obtained a Bachelor’s or
Master’s degree by January, 2021 in computer science or cognitive science.
The applicant should have a general interest in the area of cognitive
linguistics, with proficiency in programming and computational skills in
probabilistic modelling and natural language processing. UofT and UoM are
both committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and applicants from
diverse and underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
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