[PHILOS-L] 2-Year Postdoctoral Position 'Digital Speech Acts' - Charles University, Prague (Final reminder)

[Heyndels, Sybren]

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DESCRIPTION

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic) is seeking candidates to apply for a Junior Fund postdoctoral position (2 years) for a project titled ‘Digital Speech Acts’ (supervisor: Sybren Heyndels, see https://ufar.ff.cuni.cz/en/department-2/staff/sybren-heyndels).

The aim of the project is to systematically study the impact of new technologies on the illocutionary level of communication. First, the project will develop a synthesis of both recognition-based, score-theoretic approaches and evolutionary, game-theoretic approaches to speech acts, which present costly and recognitive speech acts (‘core speech acts’) as central to the development and sustaining of norms of accountability. Second, the project will construct a model of how new technological affordances (for example, amplification, anonymity, asynchronicity, context collapse, gamification, LLM mediation, and others) can erode norms of accountability in these new contexts. Third, the project will develop a new conceptual classification of different types of ‘degenerated speech acts’ that insulate speakers from taking responsibility by failing to recognize others as legitimate conversational partners in a cooperative dialogue.

The successful candidate will contribute to one or more of these three goals and will have time to conduct independent research in Prague, as well as collaborate with other staff members in the department. Responsibilities include co-organizing workshops and conferences, teaching one seminar per semester on a research-related topic, and publishing in leading international philosophy journals. During the project, the department will apply for a larger grant on a closely related theme. The successful candidate will also have the option to submit an individual grant application for a follow-up project during the first and second years of the fellowship.

 

OFFER

• A two-year contract at Charles University in Prague (January 2027 – December 2028)
• A salary equivalent to 2000 EUR/month (after taxes)
• Time to conduct independent research
• Teaching experience
• Prospect of a follow-up project

 

PROFILE

• Please carefully check the following link for eligibility and other key information: https://cuni.cz/UKEN-178.html
• A completed PhD degree abroad (outside the Czech Republic) and max. 8 years since award (not including maternity leave, parental leave, military service, serious health conditions, or other statutory obstacles to work)
• Excellent command of English
• Strong background in philosophy of language
• Openness to engaging with research from multiple disciplines is welcome (e.g. psychology, biology, cognitive science, and game theory) 
• Ability to carry out excellent research
• Teaching experience is welcome
   

SUBMISSION

Applicants should submit all documents required by the Charles University Junior Fund (see ‘Documents’ section: https://cuni.cz/UKEN-178.html)

 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Deadline for applications: 10 May 2026

Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be conducted online on 15 May 2026

Candidates should keep in mind that, in line with the Junior Fund rules, the nominated candidate will still have to pass (with a relatively good success rate) a second, central university round in order to secure the funding. More information can be found here: https://cuni.cz/UKEN-178.html. For the list of all postdoctoral fellowships on offer, see https://cuni.cz/UKEN-318.html.

 

Applicants must submit the required documents to: sybren....@ff.cuni.cz and in cc to tomas...@ff.cuni.cz (Vice-Dean for Project and Grant Management, CU FA).

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