Baggett Fellowships and Scholarships
As part of a new initiative in undergraduate research, the Department of Linguistics at the University of Maryland is pleased to offer two new research opportunities for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students.
These awards are called Baggett Fellowships and Baggett Summer Scholarships, in recognition of the former University of Maryland student whose support has made this initiative possible. Baggett Fellowships are full-time post-baccalaureate research positions, open to US citizens or permanent residents, with no restrictions on where the fellow received the bachelor's degree. Baggett Summer Scholarships are faculty-mentored summer research positions, open only to University of Maryland undergraduates.
The Department of Linguistics has well-integrated research groups in theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and computational linguistics that are engaged in research on a wide variety of areas of language, ranging from acoustics to semantics, in children and adults, in both typical and atypical populations. The Baggett Fellowship and Summer Scholarship programs offer a unique opportunity for students at the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate levels to benefit from and contribute actively to these many research programs.
One-year Baggett Fellowships are full-time positions intended for individuals with a BA or BS degree who are interested in gaining significant research experience in an active interdisciplinary environment before pursuing graduate study in some area of linguistics or cognitive science. One or two fellowship positions are available for the 2009-2010 year. Salary is competitive, with benefits included.
The objective of the Baggett Fellowships program is to provide intensive research training for post-baccalaureate students who wish to pursue a research career in the scientific study of language. Fellows will be exposed to a range of methods and tools for studying human language in the context of a collaborative research environment. Fellows will be fully engaged in the scientific investigation of fundamental questions about the human language capacity: How is linguistic knowledge represented in the mind? How is it instantiated in the brain? How is language acquired by infants and older children? How is linguistic knowledge deployed in speaking and understanding? What types of computation are involved? How did language evolve in our species? How does mental retardation affect the ability to acquire and use language? In what ways is cross-linguistic variation constrained, and what are the causes and consequences of such constraints? How does knowledge, acquisition, and use of language relate to other cognitive abilities?
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents, and should have completed a BA or BS degree or equivalent by the time of appointment (Summer or Fall 2009) Previous experience in linguistics is required, and relevant research experience is preferred. The ability to interact comfortably with a diverse group of people (and machines, where appropriate) is essential.
Participating mentors are the following individuals, or combinations of these individuals, with research areas relevant to potential Baggett Fellows shown in parantheses:
Applicants for a Baggett Fellowship must submit:
All application materials should be submitted electronically to Jeff Lidz (jlidz@umd.edu). NOTE: Put "Baggett Fellowship" in the subject line.
Review of applications will begin immediately, and will continue until the positions are filled. However, for best considseration, completed applications should be received by April 20th, 2009. Prospective fellows should feel free to send a preliminary letter of interest ahead of the completed application.
Prospective fellows who are currently applying to MA and Ph.D. programs should indicate this in their application, and should inform Dr. Lidz if they accept an offer from a graduate program and wish to withdraw their application for the Baggett Fellowship program.
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Baggett Summer Scholarships are available to University of Maryland undergraduate students with prior training in linguistics who wish to pursue linguistics research in a more in-depth manner than is possible in the context of the classroom, and under close faculty supervision. A minimum commitment of 8 weeks should be expected. Up to three or four scholarship positions are available for the summer of 2009.
The objective of the Baggett Summer Scholarships program is to enrich undergraduate linguistics training by providing in-depth research experience under close faculty supervision. Under the guidance of a linguistics department faculty mentor, students will participate actively in one of many possible research projects. The range of projects associated with participating mentors all represent different approaches to the scientific study of the human language faculty, and they address interrelated questions: How is linguistic knowledge represented in the mind? How is it instantiated in the brain? How is it acquired by infants and young children? How is linguistic knowledge deployed in speaking and understanding? What types of computation are involved? How does mental retardation affect the ability to acquire and use language? In what ways is cross-linguistic variation constrained, and what are the causes and consequences of such constraints? How does knowledge, acquisition, and use of language relate to other cognitive abilities?
Applicants must be currently enrolled University of Maryland undergraduates (no citizenship requirement) with some training in linguistics or cognitive science. Graduating seniors may apply, however preference will be given to freshmen, sophomores and juniors. Graduating seniors may want to consider applying for a Baggett Fellowship instead of, or in addition to, a Baggett Summer Scholarship.
Applicants for a Baggett Summer Scholarship must submit:
All application materials should be submitted electronically to Andrea Zukowski (zukowski@umd.edu). NOTE: Put "Baggett Summer Scholarship" in the subject line.
Review of applications will begin immediately, and will continue until the positions are filled. However, for best consideration, completed applications should be received by April 20th, 2009. Applicants should feel free to send a preliminary letter of interest ahead of the completed application.
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