PhD Studentship Opportunity: Human-Centric Uses of Technology in Translation/Interpreting

University of Surrey

Placed On: 2nd September 2021
Closes: 22nd September 2021
Reference: PGR-2021-088
Qualification Type: PhD
Location: Guildford
Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students
Funding amount: £15,609 or 21/22, which will increase each year in line with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rate, plus Home-rate fee allowance of £4,500 (with automatic increase to UKRI rate each year)
Hours: Full Time
At the Centre for Translation Studies, we are dedicated to cutting-edge research, scholarship and teaching in translation, interpreting and other forms of inter- and intra-lingual communication. As human practices of translation and interpreting are increasingly supported, enhanced and sometimes replaced by technologies, our vision is to promote a human-centric approach to technology use in translation and interpreting. Our research therefore focuses on integrating our knowledge about how human translators and interpreters approach their task and how they interact with and through technologies with research into the automation of these practices. We are seeking to recruit an intellectually strong PhD candidate who is interested in pursuing a research project in the area of human-machine integration and interaction in any modality of translation, audiovisual translation or interpreting.

The successful project will need to rely on a solid, eclectic mixed-methods approach benefiting from cross-fertilization among different disciplines (e.g. translation studies, multimodality, human-computer interaction, machine learning/artificial intelligence, natural language processing, corpus linguistics) to explore topics such as the usability of/social responsibility in automated translation solutions, productivity, workflow optimisation, quality, the development of tools, resources and training for enhanced communication across languages and types of languages, data ownership and user experience. Projects will be evaluated on the basis of originality (topicality and urgency of the research questions) and methodological innovation. The successful candidate will benefit from excellent technological working conditions, international contacts, and a stimulating interdisciplinary work environment.

This is a 3-year project starting in January 2022 and is open to applicants worldwide. Please note that higher tuition fees apply for non UK students and that the PhD studentships offered in the remit of this scheme are at Home rates. More about classification of fee status.

Supervisors: Professor Sabine Braun and Professor Constantin Orasan

Entry requirements

First class or upper second class BA and Master’s level degree (or international equivalent) in Translation Studies, Linguistics, Computer Science or related field.

English language requirements: IELTS test (test not older than 2 years): 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with at least 7.0 in the writing component and at least 6.0 in the other components.

Funding

A stipend of £15,609 for 21/22, which will increase each year in line with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rate, plus Home-rate fee allowance of £4,500 (with automatic increase to UKRI rate each year) and £500 for conference travel.

How to apply

Applications can be made through the CTS PhD in Translation and Interpreting page. Please state project title clearly on your research statement – this statement should be 1,000 words long, excluding references and must be uploaded in .DOC format in the “research proposal” area of the application portal. Applicants should also include a copy of their CV, two academic references and their completed academic degrees and degree transcripts. Applicants are encouraged to email Prof. Constantin Orasan (C.Orasan@surrey.ac.uk) first to discuss their application.

Application enquiries

For application enquiries, please contact Dr Dimitris Asimakoulas (D.Asimakoulas@surrey.ac.uk).

Studentship ref

PGR-2021-088

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CIV021/phd-studentship-opportunity-human-centric-uses-of-technology-in-translation-interpreting?uuid=df109a3a-0b99-11ec-949d-064da8edb92a&campaign=jbe20210902&source=jbe