The Leuven Interdisciplinary Language Institute (LILI) is a recently established platform for the development and support of interdisciplinary research and education around language. By bringing together researchers from KU Leuven's three science groups, LILI aims to put language firmly and sustainably on the agenda of interdisciplinary research and public debate on major societal challenges, such as the role of language in a hyper-diverse society, the relationship between language and power, the use of large language models, etc. In addition, the institute also wants to build a strong impact network with societal actors from different domains in order to respond to questions from practitioners and set up a process of knowledge co-creation. With the establishment of LILI, KU Leuven aims to take a leading position internationally and become a strong pole of attraction for scholars and students engaged in the interdisciplinary study of language.
Website unit
Responsibilities
LILI is looking for an institute coordinator, who, together with the Board of Directors and the institute's steering committee, will set the strategic lines and help realize LILI's mission. The institute coordinator will be jointly responsible for the organizational and management activities of the institute, as well as for increasing its (international) visibility, organizing networking opportunities, setting up new research collaborations and support in attracting (international) research funding on behalf of LILI.
The duties of the institute coordinator include:
- initiating and facilitating interdisciplinary contacts among the institute's members and with external research partners, through the organization of lecture series, symposia, brainstorming sessions and matchmaking events, among others
- identifying potential funding opportunities for interdisciplinary research
- actively supporting project proposals from LILI members
- developing a training offer for (young) researchers with a distinctly interdisciplinary profile, via summer/winter schools and training modules, e.g. in the form of micro-credentials
- stimulating transdisciplinary cooperation with social and industrial partners, e.g. by setting up an impact network and organizing network events
- expanding LILI as a broad center of expertise that actively contributes to the public debate on language
Profile
Given the broad scope of the institute, involving a large number of research disciplines represented at KU Leuven (across the three science groups), and the strong focus on transdisciplinary collaboration with non-academic partners, the institute coordinator to be appointed will preferably have relevant experience in setting up and managing interdisciplinary projects with consortia of different sizes.
Candidate institute coordinators of LILI have obtained a PhD in a field connected to LILI’s research priorities and ideally match the following profile description:
- You have a strong affinity with language (research);
- You have experience with interdisciplinary research and are able to see connections between various scientific disciplines;
- You have good management skills and relevant experience with (some of) the tasks described in the above job description;
- You have excellent communication skills and are able to build an (international) network of contacts with academic and non-academic partners ;
- You have a high language proficiency level for Dutch and English (minimum level C1 for both languages).
Offer
- Appointment as a postdoctoral collaborator (scale 44 - doctor-assistant) for a period of 2 years, renewable once (to a total of 4 years).
- Upon request, a part-time appointment (80%) is negotiable.
- You will have a varied and challenging mandate in a dynamic team of researchers from various fields. The mandate offers growth opportunities and the chance to take on greater responsibility within the team.
More information
https://research.kuleuven.be/portal/nl/project/3H240263
Interested?
For more information, please contact prof. dr. Geert Brône, mail: [email protected] or prof. dr. Karen Lahousse, mail: [email protected]
Candidates can submit their application no later than 10/08/2026 via the KU Leuven online application tool.
Interviews with invited candidates will take place (on site or online) on Thursday 27/8/2026.
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
