Researcher (75%, m/f/x) - Computational Linguistics

In order to fill a fixed-term position in part-time (29.87 hours/week = 75%) by July 01, 2026, we are looking for one

Researcher (75%, m/f/x) - Computational Linguistics

The research cluster CRC 1475 'Metaphors of Religion' combines computational and corpus-based linguistic methods with philology and religious studies to study the role of metaphors in religious communication. Further details can be found at https://sfb1475.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/

Subject to a pending funding commitment from the German Research Foundation (DFG) expected in mid-May 2026, the CRC 1475 is seeking to fill a position as a researcher in subproject C04 'Metaphor and social positioning in religious online forums. Local, non-local, and cross-modal metaphor interpretation'. The subproject combines religious studies and computational linguistics under the direction of Prof. Dr. Tatjana Scheffler and Prof. Dr. Frederik Elwert. One focus of our subproject is developing computational methods for the analysis of metaphors in contemporary, colloquial communication of religious lay people in online forums. On the computational side, we will work on interpreting religious metaphors automatically, including aspects such as intertextuality as well as different modalities.

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of Germany's leading research universities, addressing the whole range of academic disciplines. A highly dynamic setting enables researchers and students to work across the traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. To create knowledge networks within and beyond the university is Ruhr-Universität Bochum's declared aim.