PhD position - DC18: Creating Voice Composites - VoCS Doctoral Training Network - Queen Mary Un[...]

Queen Mary University of London Psychology

Organisation/Company: Queen Mary University of London Psychology Department

Research Field: Computer science » Modelling tools; Psychological sciences » Psychology; Communication sciences » Speech communication; Technology » Sound technology

Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions

Country: United Kingdom

Application Deadline: 16 Mar 2025 - 17:00 (Europe/London)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Hours Per Week: 35

Offer Starting Date: 1 Sep 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Queen Mary University of London offers 1 Doctoral Candidate position as part of the EU-funded MSCA Doctoral Network project titled VoCS. The position is set to begin between August and October 2025, with a contract duration of 36 months. The candidate will enrol in a PhD degree under the supervision of Dr Nadine Lavan.

The Voice Communication Sciences (VoCS) project is a groundbreaking initiative that aims to position Europe at the forefront of Voice Research. Its primary goal is to equip Doctoral Candidates with integrated knowledge spanning cognitive neuroscience, acoustics, phonetics, and computing science, via a unique combination of hands-on research training in labs, with cross-sectorial workshops in fundamental, technological, and clinical domains relevant to voice communication.

The PhD project (DC18) will aim to develop novel experimental voice synthesis techniques through which listeners can re-create previously heard voices, i.e., ‘voice composites’ (cf. ‘face composites’ in forensic settings). The candidate will explore how low-latency participant-led voice synthesis and/or participant-led voice selection from a database of donor voices can be used to recreate previously heard voices from memory. This project will shed light on how humans encode, represent, and remember previously heard voices from a basic science perspective and can also have forensic and/or commercial applications.

The project includes two secondments, where successful candidates will spend 5 months working with OxfordWaveResearch (supervised by Dr Anil Alexander, Oxford, UK) during the second year of their PhD training, and 4 months at Charles University Prague (supervised by Dr Radek Skarnitzl, Prague, CZ) during the final year of their PhD training.

Research Field: Communication sciences » Speech communication

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Masters-level knowledge of and a keen interest in voice perception
• Knowledge/experience of techniques for acoustic and/or voice analysis and synthesis
• Masters-level skills in quantitative statistical analysis of human and/or acoustic research data
• Experience in or willingness to learn designing, conducting, analysing, and writing up perceptual, psychological experiments
• Familiarity with at least one programming language (e.g., R, MATLAB, Python) and a willingness and aptitude to learn more if necessary
• Creative approach to problem-solving
• Effective written and verbal communication, able to convey ideas and concepts clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing
• Flexible approach to work
• Willingness to work as part of a team
• The ability to meet UK ‘right to work’ requirements

All skills/qualifications are mandatory.

Languages: ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

• Successful Doctoral Candidates will be part of an international and interdisciplinary network.
• Recruited researchers will benefit from training modules, transferable skills courses, secondments, and participation in workshops and conferences.

Financial package: PhD funding is for 36 months, which involves £3,975 per month (with family allowance) or £3,532 per month (without family allowance). This is subject to funder’s euro / pound sterling exchange rate and compulsory social security deductions.

Eligibility criteria

• Degree: By the starting date of the PhD (October 2025), candidates must have completed their Masters programme in a relevant field (e.g., psychology, cognitive science, computer science) and should not have been already awarded a doctoral degree. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
• Mobility: Recruited researchers can be of any nationality but must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

The offer respects an equal opportunities policy. The required competencies, working conditions and career development prospects are presented to the applicants.

Application Process

• The call for Applications opens at the beginning of February 2025 and closes mid-March 2025.
• Once the call has closed, the candidates will be pre-selected according to several eligibility criteria.
• Pre-selected candidates will be interviewed in April 2025.
• The selected Doctoral Candidates are recruited by the individual Beneficiaries of the VoCS project, with a starting date between August and October 2025. They will be enrolled in the VoCS Doctoral Network after signing their contract.