Expressions of interest sought re. Open topic Call for Max Planck Research Group Leaders and permanent Assistant Professor positions

What do these positions involve?

• The open-topic Max Planck Research Group (MPRG) leader position offers funding for an independent Max Planck research group. MPRG leaders receive a six-year W2 contract and resources to run a research group, which can be extended by three years in the event of positive evaluation. For more details see point 3 in the FAQs here: https://www.mpg.de/open-topic-mprg/faqs
• The Assistant Professor (UD) position at the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University offers a permanent faculty position which includes teaching, research and administrative responsibilities. The position will initially be part-time but, after successful completion of the Research Group and in the event of positive evaluation, the MPRG leader will transition to a full-time post at Radboud University.

Both institutions are located on the Radboud campus in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Who is eligible?

This invitation to send an expression of interest is designed for early career researchers who are interested in working at MPI for Psycholinguistics and Radboud University. You will be a language scientist from a language-related discipline (linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, communication science, and related disciplines), who completed their PhD no more than seven years ago or who has extenuating circumstances that have necessitated a career break (e.g. pregnancy & childbirth, significant caring responsibilities, major illness etc.; see point 8 in the FAQs here: https://www.mpg.de/open-topic-mprg/faqs). 

(note that the open topic MPRG call is a much broader call, run by the Max Planck Society, which covers a wide range of disciplines and topics.  Applicants can, of course, apply to that call, and request to be hosted by any Max Planck Institute, without responding to this expression of interest (see point 15 of the FAQs here: https://www.mpg.de/open-topic-mprg/faqs).

What will happen after I submit an expression of interest?

We will select a small number of candidates who are a good fit to the needs and profiles of the MPI for Psycholinguistics and Centre for Language Studies. 

These candidates will be assisted to apply for both the open topic MPRG leader call and, in a separate appointment procedure, for an Assistant Professor (UD) post at Radboud University’s Centre for Language Studies. 

Candidates who are successful via both procedures, will be eligible for appointment to both positions simultaneously in 2027. Separate employment contracts will apply for each position. 

How do I submit an expression of interest?

Send the following documents before 16th September 2026 to Prof. Caroline Rowland (caroline.rowland [at] mpi.nl (caroline[dot]rowland[at]mpi[dot]nl)):

1. A one-page A4 expression of interest document that includes:

• A half page proposal for your Max Planck Research Group.
• A half page summary of your suitability for an Assistant Professor post at Radboud University. Please include a very brief summary of research, teaching and supervision, and administrative/service experience. 

2. Your full CV including names and contact details of three referees.

Screening will be done by Prof. Caroline Rowland at MPI for Psycholinguistics, and Prof. Enny Das and Prof. Paula Fikkert at Radboud University. Informal enquiries can be addressed to Caroline Rowland or to all three.

About the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University

The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) is a research institute dedicated to the understanding of language and the way we use it. CLS research revolves around three big questions: How are language systems structured and how do they evolve? How do humans and machines acquire languages? How do human communication and cognition interact? CLS has a keen eye on impact in relevant societal domains such as education and digitalisation, and its researchers are solidly embedded in the educational programmes of the Faculty of Arts. Teaching is connected to the departments of Language and Communication and Modern Languages and Cultures, and includes BA programmes in Linguistics and in Communication and Information Sciences, and MA and ResearchMA programmes in Linguistics and Communication Sciences, Language and Communication Technologies, and Language Variation and Multilingualism.

CLS is part of Radboud University, a general university that is dedicated to groundbreaking research, high-quality education, and collaborations within and outside the university. Radboud University seeks to contribute to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for everyone. We stand for an inclusive community and welcome employees with a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.

About MPI for Psycholinguistics

The Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psycholinguistics is a world-leading research institute devoted to interdisciplinary studies of the science of language and communication, including departments on genetics, psychology, development, neurobiology, and multimodality of these fundamental human abilities. We investigate how children and adults acquire their language(s), how speaking and listening happen in real-time, how the brain processes language, how the human genome contributes to building a language-ready brain, how multiple modalities (as in speech, gesture, and sign) shape language and its use in diverse languages and how language is related to cognition and culture, and shaped by evolution. Staff and students at the MPI have access to state-of-the-art research and training facilities.

We are part of the Max Planck Society, an independent non-governmental association of German-funded research institutes dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunities employer. We recognize the positive value of diversity and inclusion, promote equity, and challenge discrimination. We aim to provide a working environment with room for differences, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Therefore, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.