The Excellence Project 2023-2027 CECIL of the Department of Philology, Literature, and Linguistics at the University of Pisa aims to promote research excellence and high-quality teaching in the field of countering language impoverishment, also with a view to expanding the international network of collaborations with scholars from European and non-European countries.
To this end, the Department announces a selection based on qualifications and research project for the academic year 2024-2025 aimed at identifying three scholars from foreign universities who intend to carry out independent and original research on topics related to the Excellence Project “Center of Excellence for Countering Language Linguistic Impoverishment” (CECIL).
The projects may include – but are not limited to – the following research areas:
- Development of reading and writing language skills and interaction between written and oral language
- Linguistic acquisition of Italian as L1 and of foreign languages
- Teaching of modern languages (mother tongue and foreign languages) and ancient languages for the development of linguistic awareness
- Development of methodologies aimed at conscious use of writing, from spelling correctness to lexical mastery, to adequate morphosyntactic articulation
- Applied linguistics, with particular attention to disabilities and learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, specific language impairment)
- Analysis, interpretation, and translation of texts, from antiquity to the present day
- Treatment and analysis of digital texts; development of digital tools for linguistic enhancement
- Theories, methodologies, and practices of translation from antiquity to the present
- Theories, approaches, and analytical tools for the interpretation of the literary text
The three selected figures will be appointed at the Department as Visiting Fellows, following the guidelines of the Visiting Fellow Program of the University of Pisa.
The three fellowships, each lasting 30 days, are intended for:
- 1 Post-Doc, carrying out research activities in one or more of the above-mentioned areas or related to the CECIL project, including a public seminar to present their research
- 1 Junior Staff Member, carrying out research activities in one or more of the above-mentioned areas or related to the CECIL project and including teaching activities aimed at master’s/doctoral students
- 1 Senior Staff Member, carrying out research activities in one or more of the above-mentioned areas or related to the CECIL project and including teaching activities aimed at master’s/doctoral students
The fellowship period must be carried out for 30 (thirty) continuous days between September 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
The Department will provide the three selected scholars with access to laboratories, facilities, libraries, and a dedicated workstation. Additionally, the Department will cover, through direct expense assumption, travel, accommodation, and meal costs for each selected visiting fellow up to a maximum of 3.000,00 euros (each). Accommodation and meals will be preferably provided at facilities affiliated with the University or with which the Department has agreements.
The three selected candidates will be required to mention the support received from the Department of Philology, Literature and Linguistics in the final written product of their research (e.g., book, journal article, chapter, additional grant proposal, et c.) and to notify its publication through the CECIL website.
The application form must be completed in all its parts (in Italian or in English), specifying: personal data, current university, title and description of the proposed research project, brief scientific motivation for the stay, preferred period for the fellowship, and contact details (name, affiliation, telephone number, email address) of an Italian or foreign academic referee available to provide, upon request, a letter of support for the application.
Furthermore, the applicant should upload:
- a copy of his/her Passport or ID Card
- a scientific Curriculum Vitae
- (optional) a recent writing sample (for example, book or thesis chapter, article, essay: max 20 pages) related to the proposed theme or demonstrating the candidate’s attitude towards the project
The deadline for submitting applications is set for Friday, May 17, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. (CET).
Applications will be evaluated by a committee composed of members of the CECIL Project Board and the international departmental team, which will assess the project proposal.
Selected candidates will be notified by June 30, 2024, via email; any eligible applicant may be contacted following the withdrawals of the selected candidates.
For further information, please contact cecilvisitingfellow@fileli.unipi.it
