PhD Position: GenAI and Academic Editing

Sub-project 2 · Supervisors: Marie-Aude Lefer & Magali Paquot

Note

This position is described in English only.

The Language and Communication Institute (UCLouvain, Belgium) has an opening for a PhD fellowship at the intersection of corpus linguistics, second language acquisition, and translation studies within the interdisciplinary research programme “How Generative AI is shaping human language: insights from post-AI language use, learning and critical literacy”.

The project

This PhD project investigates the impact of generative AI (GenAI) on academic editing, addressing two key gaps: (1) the linguistic differences between professional and AI-generated edits in scholarly publications, and (2) how academic writers — from PhD students to senior researchers — engage with, evaluate, and learn from AI-assisted language editing. Using a combination of corpus analysis, interviews, and real-time editing tasks, this research will provide insights into the opportunities and challenges of using GenAI for academic editing. The candidate will contribute to corpus annotation, data collection, and analysis, while exploring the implications of GenAI for scholarly communication. They will also contribute to the development of a university-wide survey examining researchers’ use of and perceptions toward GenAI for academic writing and language editing.

The doctoral researcher will be part of an interdisciplinary consortium, including two other PhD students, a post-doctoral researcher and five academic supervisors, investigating the impact of GenAI on language, communication, and critical literacy across educational and professional contexts.

Qualifications and expected profile

Required

  • Master’s degree in (Applied) Linguistics or Translation Studies
  • Excellent record of BA and MA level study
  • Excellent oral and written English (minimum level: C1)
  • Excellent analytical skills, scientific rigor, and intellectual curiosity
  • Knowledge of corpus linguistic techniques
  • Autonomy, sense of teamwork, ability to listen and engage with colleagues across disciplines
  • Willingness to live in Belgium and to travel abroad (to attend international academic conferences)

Assets

  • Knowledge of statistics and R
  • Knowledge of French
  • Familiarity with survey and interview research

Conditions of engagement

This doctoral fellowship is subject to the following conditions:

  • The contract will initially be for two years, renewable up to a total of four years.
  • The candidate receives a doctoral fellowship grant (starting at approx. EUR 2,515 net per month).
  • This position requires residence in Belgium for the duration of the mandate.
  • Applicants from outside the EU are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa or permits, with the assistance of UCLouvain staff department.

Application

Application deadline: 7 August 2026

The application file (a single PDF) should include:

  • A one-page cover letter in English, in which you specify why you are interested in this position and how you meet the job requirements outlined above;
  • A curriculum vitae in English;
  • A one-page academic statement in English, in which you outline your expectations about and plans for graduate study and career goals;
  • A copy of BA and MA diplomas and degrees;
  • A copy of (or working links to) your master thesis and academic publications (if applicable);
  • The names and full contact details of two academic referees.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview (in person in Louvain-la-Neuve or via videoconference) in the second half of August 2026.

Applications (as an email attachment) and inquiries should be addressed to both Magali Paquot (magali.paquot@uclouvain.be) and Marie-Aude Lefer (marie-aude.lefer@uclouvain.be) with the subject line “SP2 PhD application — [Your name]”.