Position Summary

The Lingo Lab in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University (directed by Courtney E. Venker, Ph.D., CCC-SLP) has an opening for a post-doctoral fellowship (in-person or remote) focused on early language development in autistic children and children with Down syndrome. The Research Associate will join a team of thoughtful, curious, and supportive researchers committed to better understanding how these children learn language and how best to support those with language delays. Desired start date is January 6, 2026, but is negotiable. The position may be renewed for a second year based on performance.

The Research Associate will be part of an NIH-funded study investigating how linguistic simplification affects language processing and word learning in autistic children and children with Down syndrome. They will contribute to numerous aspects of the project, including experimental design, data collection, data processing, visualization, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of results. The candidate will have opportunities to mentor junior researchers and will be involved in preparing conference presentations and writing scholarly manuscripts. To the fullest extent possible, the team will support the Research Associate in pursuing the scientific aspects of the project that best contribute to the development of their own independent line of research. Funding for conference travel will be provided.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Communicative Sciences and Disorders or equivalent

Minimum Requirements

Ph.D. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Psychology, Child Development, (or a related field) prior to starting this position. Applicants must show evidence of scholarly productivity in the form of articles and conference presentations.

Desired Qualifications

Prior research experience in language development and neurodevelopmental disorders is desirable. Preference will be given to applicants with in-depth data processing and statistical expertise (e.g., experience with R software, data aggregation, and multi-level mixed effects modeling).

Required Application Materials

Applicants should include a letter of interest, current curriculum vitae, and letters of recommendation from two references.

Special Instructions

To apply, please refer to posting #1089001 and complete an electronic submission at the Michigan State University Employment opportunities website, https://careers.msu.edu.

Review of applications begins October 24th, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Direct questions to: Courtney E. Venker, Ph.D., CCC-SLP cvenker@msu.edu

Professional Misconduct Review

As an institution of higher learning, Michigan State University is committed to providing a safe environment for its students, faculty, and staff in support of its educational mission. With this commitment, the University conducts criminal background checks and professional misconduct reviews of all applicants for employment in faculty, academic staff, and executive management searches.

A professional misconduct review is a prerequisite for a candidate to be selected for this position. Applicants will be asked to disclose whether they are subject to any pending investigation, findings or sanctions related to professional misconduct. Professional misconduct includes misconduct related to a person’s employment, including, but not limited to, theft, embezzlement, research integrity, discrimination, or harassment under civil rights laws and policies, including protected identity harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct (sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, etc.), and retaliation. All applicants will be asked to sign an authorization and release, which authorizes the University to contact the candidate’s current and former employers, for a period of 7 years prior to the date of application, related to any pending investigations, findings of responsibility and/or sanctions related to professional misconduct. Nothing will be sent to current or former employers unless the candidate reaches the semi-finalist stage.

The existence of professional misconduct history does not automatically exclude a candidate from employment. The University will assess the information, including any information provided by the candidate, in determining whether the candidate is fit for the position. The University may decline to hire a candidate based on the professional misconduct review. All records obtained from external employers will be kept in a secure location, separate from personnel files. If an applicant fails to sign the authorization and release, the application will be deemed incomplete and will be withdrawn.

Review of Applications Begins On

10/24/2025

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Website

https://comartsci.msu.edu/departments/communicative-sciences-and-disorders

Department Statement

The Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders has active research laboratories and multiple endowments to support student and faculty development. The Department's thriving undergraduate major and minor, MA, and PhD programs prepare students for successful clinical and research careers in speech-language pathology and related fields. The Department is housed within MSUs world-renowned College of Communication Arts and Sciences. The College provides excellent infrastructure for pre-award extramural grant submission, post-award grant administration, and information technology support for research and teaching.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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