Post-Doctoral Associate

Position Overview:

A full-time postdoctoral position is available at the University of Minnesota to work with Dr. Matthew Winn and his collaborators on topics related to speech perception, hearing impairment, and listening effort. This 2-year postdoctoral associate (PA) research position is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health R01 DC017114. The goals of this grant are to understand the time course of listening effort, especially as it relates to listening with a cochlear implant.

The PA is expected to focus on the role of prosody and other elements of language comprehension as they contribute to listening effort.

Experience with data collection and statistical modeling of time-series data are desirable skills for this position. Fluency with programming languages is very valuable for this position (e.g., R, Python, Matlab, Praat). Commitment to good data management is an essential part of the job. Experience with creating experiments that record participant speech, and creating online experiments are desirable skills.

Responsibilities:

Research Design (60%)
- Conceiving, designing, and implementing new behavioral and pupillometry experiments relating to speech perception and effort.
- Design analysis pipelines that integrate behavioral and physiological data streams.
- Lead the design and implementation of the research project protocol, including creation of stimuli, test interfaces, and methods for online data collection
- Consulting on existing and new sponsored projects relating to speech perception and listening effort
- Evaluate the testing hardware and software and procedures
- Guide data collection by providing clear operational procedures to lab members

Data Analysis (15%)
- Overseeing the data analysis and interpretation from the resulting behavioral and pupillometry experiments
- Conduct appropriate validation measures for any tool or instrument developed for data collection or analysis

Presentation/Dissemination of Findings (10%)
- Write scholarly manuscripts describing the work undertaken with the project and submit them for publication
- Supervise the preparation of conference presentations
- Present data at national and international conferences

Supervision/mentoring (10%)
- Maintain and improve functionality of lab software that supports the goals of the grant (create experiment interfaces, data analysis pipelines, improve experiment accessibility, establish and maintain code/data bookkeeping on GitHub)

Other duties to be assigned (5%)
- Participating in other lab activities, such as the weekly lab meeting
- Build relations and rapport with departmental, college, and university community

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

- PhD in hearing science, psychology, linguistics, physiology, cognition, or engineering, or a related field.
- Experience conducting research relating to speech perception and production with human participants.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Expertise in speech acoustics and psycholinguistic methods, especially pertaining to prosody and speech comprehension.
- Demonstrated ability to create software for speech perception and production experiments.
- Familiarity with the communication needs of individuals who are older and/or who have hearing impairment.
- Intermediate to advanced skill in programming in scientific programming languages such as R, Python or Matlab.
- Experience with data/code management (e.g. GitHub or other version-control systems).

About the Department

About the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

The department offers internationally recognized programs in speech-language hearing sciences (BA, Ph.D.), speech-language pathology (M.A.), and audiology (Au.D.) that provide outstanding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to pursue academic, educational, and clinical careers. The department hosts a Bilingual Multicultural Emphasis Certificate Program for graduate students in speech-language pathology and audiology. Faculty research and teaching are strongly supported at the unit and collegiate levels. Interdisciplinary collaborations abound across the university. Many faculty collaborate with university-wide centers, including the Center for Cognitive Sciences, the Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Sciences, The Masonic Institute on the Developing Brain, and the Center for Clinical Movement Disorders. The department also has ongoing collegial relationships with the departments of Psychology, Otolaryngology, and with the College of Education and Human Development. The department is strongly committed to community engagement and advancing an understanding of cultural and individual diversity in society (e.g., diversity related to age, ability/disability, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status). For further information about the department, please visit the department website, http://slhs.umn.edu/

About the College of Liberal Arts

Home to the arts, social sciences and humanities disciplines and programs, the College of Liberal Arts is the largest college in the University of Minnesota and comprises 31 academic departments, and over 20 interdisciplinary research centers and administrative/support units. CLA has over 1,300 faculty and staff spanning research, teaching, advising, outreach, and administrative functions. CLA units reside in over twenty buildings on the East Bank and West Bank of the Twin Cities campus. CLA enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate students, over 40% of the undergraduate enrollment on the Twin Cities campus, 1,400 graduate students, and has an annual all-funds budget of $290 million.

CLA is a destination for curious, compassionate individuals who are committed to making our increasingly interdependent and diverse global community work for everyone. That foundational commitment begins in our CLA Constitution . CLA is committed to increasing enrollment of underrepresented and under-resourced students, diversifying our faculty across all disciplines, recruiting, and retaining a diverse staff, and promoting the expression and exploration of diverse perspectives and viewpoints-so that we all gain the background knowledge and analytical skills we need to understand and respect differences.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CLA

Working in CLA

Benefits

Working at the University

At the University of Minnesota, you'll find a flexible work environment and supportive colleagues who are interested in lifelong learning. We prioritize work-life balance, allowing you to invest in the future of your career and in your life outside of work.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefits.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a resume/CV as well as a cover letter stating your research interests and career goals.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section. This position requires that you attach a resume/CV, cover letter, and writing sample.

Applications are due August 26th, 2024.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About the U of M

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).