PhD Student Grant (3 Years) on the Evolution of Written Communication Ecole Normale Supérieure in France

This PhD student grant offers a unique opportunity to investigate the evolution of written communication within the framework of cognitive science at the Institut Jean Nicod, a CNRS laboratory at École Normale Supérieure–PSL university in Paris. The project is supervised by Dr. Olivier Morin, with joint leadership from Dr. Hugo Mercier and Dr. Marc Allassonnière-Tang. The research focuses on understanding how writing systems emerged and evolved, particularly the transition from specialized graphic codes to full sentence notation in human societies.

The project hypothesizes that contextually unpredictable content is more likely to be encoded in writing, and aims to test three main hypotheses: (H1) certain types of content are consistently more predictable than others across historical and linguistic contexts; (H2) people can detect unpredictable content and attribute cognitive value to it; (H3) the evolution of writing and graphic codes follows a sequence, with codes for highly unpredictable content appearing first. The PhD student will primarily focus on testing H1 and H2 using computational linguistic methods on large text corpora and experimental psychology approaches.

Applicants should have or be preparing a master's degree (M2 level in Europe) or a BA (US) in cognitive science disciplines such as linguistics, anthropology, psychology, or related fields. Some proficiency in programming is expected, and knowledge of cultural evolution is appreciated but not required. A good command of English is necessary. The application should include a CV, a 3-page motivation letter, and the email addresses of two referees. Applications are to be submitted by email to [email protected] before May 22, 2026. The selection process involves a jury review and, if appropriate, an interview (in person or online).

The grant duration is three years, with remuneration following the standard salary grid for PhD students in France. The exact starting date is negotiable. ENS–PSL and CNRS are committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all job applications. The research environment offers access to interdisciplinary expertise and resources, fostering collaboration and innovation in cognitive science, linguistics, anthropology, and psychology.

For further information, visit the institution's website at https://www.ens.psl.eu/ or the position link at https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu//jobs/410213. For inquiries, contact [email protected] or [email protected].