15 Early Stage Researcher positions in H2020 ETN project POST-DIGITAL - Neuromorphic computing in photonic and other nonlinear media
This job offer has expired
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ORGANISATION/COMPANYAston University
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RESEARCH FIELDEngineering › Communication engineeringEngineering › Computer engineeringEngineering › Knowledge engineeringEngineering › Simulation engineeringMathematics › AlgorithmsMathematics › Computational mathematicsMathematics › Mathematical analysisMathematics › Mathematical logicNeurosciences › NeuroinformaticsPhysics › Computational physicsPhysics › OpticsTechnology › Communication technologyTechnology › Computer technologyTechnology › Future technology
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RESEARCHER PROFILEFirst Stage Researcher (R1)
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APPLICATION DEADLINE30/06/2020 23:00 - Europe/London
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LOCATIONMultiple locations, see work locations below.
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TYPE OF CONTRACTTemporary
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JOB STATUSFull-time
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HOURS PER WEEK40
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OFFER STARTING DATE01/09/2020
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EU RESEARCH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMMEH2020 / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
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MARIE CURIE GRANT AGREEMENT NUMBER860360
POST-DIGITAL - the European Training Network on Post-Digital Computing - announces 15 positions for Early-Stage Researchers with the option of being awarded a doctoral degree. The main focus of the network is neuromorphic computing, i.e. an unconventional approach to computing, which is inspired by nature and the brain.
POST-DIGITAL focusses on exploiting the potential speed and energy advantages that computing with light offers over computing with electrons, and the advantage that analog computing offers over digital computing based on parallel processing and the adaptive intelligence of biological brains, captured in novel artificial neural network designs. POST-DIGITAL brings together 14 leading academic and industrial players, including IBM, Thales) in optical and neuromorphic computing. These groups are poised to join forces in order to train through ground breaking research, complimentary skills training and industrial secondments fifteen high calibre early-stage researchers to become backbone innovators in a technology domain that is crucial for Europe’s sustained competitiveness in ICT scenarios facing a dramatic pressure for fundamental re-thinking.
ESRs in POST-DIGITAL will acquire a uniquely broad interdisciplinary education, which will enables them to design and develop unconventional computing systems which, for the first time, will pass over the threshold of real-world exploitability.
Positions will be available at Aston University (UK); University of Groningen (Netherlands); Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (France); Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium); Agencia Estatal de Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Spain); Thales (France); LightOn (France); IMEC (Belgium); VLC Photonics (Spain); IBM Research Labs Zurich (Switzerland).
POST-DIGITAL Partner Organisations providing secondments and specialised training are: IniLabs (Switzerland); University of Ghent (Belgium); Universitat de les Illes Balears (Spain).
Summary
POST-DIGITAL is a doctoral-level European Training Network (ETN) funded by the European Commission under Horizon2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN Action.
POST-DIGITAL will provide 15 early-stage researchers (ESRs) with a world-class advanced training programme educating them to the level of the next generation of leaders in the fields of unconventional computing with light and neuromorphic computing. This will be achieved by exploiting challenging interaction between the 8 academy and 5 industrial consortium members.
POST-DIGITAL ESRs will acquire unique scientific and technical skills joining photonics with neuromorphic computing with the aim of developing novel post-digital computing systems which will surpass classical digital information processing in terms of processing concepts, bandwidth, layers, adaptation and learning mechanisms.
Project description
The modern information and communication technology (ICT) world is ruled by an exploding generation of data due to growth of internet applications and skyrocketing proliferation of a number of interconnected on-line broadband services (clouds, Facebook, Google, YouTube, on-demand HD video streams, on-line business analytics and content sharing, telepresence, and so on), smartphones, industrial sensor networks, and other applications. The analysis of this data demands a massive increase in processing power, memory and communication bandwidth. In the past, this ever-growing demand could be provided by the exponential increase in the performance of digital data storage and processing technologies (“Moore’s law”). However, technological progress rates of digital technologies are flattening out and in a decade or two will hit ultimate physical ceilings (“end of Moore’s law”). This growing gap between what is demanded and what can be delivered becomes exacerbated by the increasingly inacceptable energy consumption of our global ICT infrastructure.
In this situation, both academic and industrial ICT research has started to investigate and invest in so-called “unconventional”, nature-inspired approaches to computing which radically depart from the classical digital paradigm. Two major goals in this pursuit are to exploit the potential speed and energy advantages that computing with light offers over computing with electrons, and the advantage that analog computing offers over digital computing based on parallel processing and the adaptive intelligence of biological brains, captured in novel artificial neural network designs. In POST-DIGITAL we put a special focus on analog processing of optical signals in neural network architectures because of the speed and bandwidth provided by photonics. The future economic growth in Europe requires engineers and researchers capable to design, develop and implement new information technologies to support explosive data-driven transformation of economy, public and government activities.
Training the next generation of leaders in the emerging field of post-digital data processing will be achieved through a bespoke POST-DIGITAL Training Programme, marrying “hands-on” research training, non-academic placements and advanced inter/multidisciplinary/ inter-sectoral training, with extensive transferable skills training . The Training Programme will also be supported by synergistic merging of the expertise of 8 world-class academic, and 5 non-academic consortium members from 5 countries.
The 15 positions offered in POST-DIGITAL are for 36 months and expected to begin in summer 2020 (subject to negotiation).
List of open positions
- ESR1 project
Title: Information coding in nonlinear dynamical substrates
Host institution and PhD enrolment: University of Groningen (Netherlands)
Main supervisor: Dr. Herbert Jaeger h.jaeger@rug.nl; Dr. Peter Bienstman pbienst@imec.be
Provisional secondments: IniLabs, IBM, IMEC
- ESR2 project
Title: Functional self-regulation in unconventional computing substrates
Host institution and PhD enrolment: University of Groningen (Netherlands)
Main supervisor: Dr. Herbert Jaeger h.jaeger@rug.nl; Dr. Serge MASSAR smassar@ulb.ac.be
Provisional secondments: IniLabs, ULB, UBFC
- ESR3 project
Title: Advanced learning strategies for spatio-temporal photonic systems
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (France)
Main supervisor: Dr. Daniel Brunner daniel.brunner@femto-st.fr; Dr. Herbert Jaeger h.jaeger@rug.nl
Provisional secondments: Groningen, ULB
- ESR4 project
Title: Analog information processing inspired by the Cerebellum
Host institution and PhD enrolment: ULB
Main supervisor: Dr. Serge MASSAR smassar@ulb.ac.be; Dr. Joni Dambre Joni.Dambre@ugent.be
Provisional secondments: IBM, UGent
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/495433
- ESR5 project
Title: Advanced nonlinear transient computing concepts: concepts and implementation
Host institution and PhD enrolment: CSIC/UIB
Main supervisor: Dr. Caudio Mirasso claudio@ifisc.uib-csic.es, Dr. Ingo Fischer ingo@ifisc.uib-csic.es
Provisional secondments: Groningen, UBFC
- ESR6 project
Title: Large scale autonomous all analogue photonic Neural Networks
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Thales/UBFC (under revision)
Main supervisor: Dr. Alfredo De Rossi alfredo.derossi@thalesgroup.com, Dr. Daniel Brunner daniel.brunner@femto-st.fr
Provisional secondments: UBFC, LightOn, iniLabs
https://www.euraxess.is/jobs/518876
- ESR7 project
Title: Implementation of neural networks and machine learning techniques using multi-core fiber platform
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Aston
Main supervisor: Dr. Sergei Turitsyn s.k.turitsyn@aston.ac.uk; Dr. Daniel Brunner daniel.brunner@femto-st.fr
Provisional secondments: UBFC; IBM
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/509451
- ESR8 project
Title: Solving large-scale inverse problems with optical computing
Host institution and PhD enrolment:LightOn, UBFC
Main supervisor: Dr. Laurent Daudet laurent@lighton.io; Dr. Daniel Brunner daniel.brunner@femto-st.fr
Provisional secondments: UBFC, IMEC (under revision)
!!! OFFER ACCEPTED !!!
- ESR9 project
Title: Integrated photonic reservoir computing for telecom applications
Host institution and PhD enrolment: IMEC/UGent
Main supervisor: Dr. Peter Bienstman pbienst@imec.be, Dr. Herbert Jaeger h.jaeger@rug.nl
Provisional secondments: Groningen, IBM (under revision)
!!! OFFER ACCEPTED !!!
- ESR10 project
Title: Novel neuromorphic techniques for cell sorting applications
Host institution and PhD enrolment: IMEC/UGent
Main supervisor: Dr. Peter Bienstman pbienst@imec.be, Dr. Joni Dambre Joni.Dambre@ugent.be
Provisional secondments: LightOn (under revision)
- ESR11 project
Title: Multi-thread electromagnetic simulation for analog photonic circuits
Host institution and PhD enrolment: VLC Photonics/UIB
Main supervisor: Dr. Marco A. Garcia Porcel marco.garcia@vlcphotonics.com; Iñigo Artundo inigo.artundo@vlcphotonics.com
Provisional secondments: CSIC, IMEC
- ESR12 project
Title: Optical information processing in the frequency domain, implemented on InP chip
Host institution and PhD enrolment: ULB
Main supervisor: Dr. Serge MASSAR smassar@ulb.ac.be; Dr. Peter Bienstman pbienst@imec.be
Provisional secondments: IBM, IMEC
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/495433
- ESR13 project
Title: Novel optical processing techniques for nonlinear fibre systems
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Aston
Main supervisor: Dr. Sergei Turitsyn s.k.turitsyn@aston.ac.uk; Dr. Ingo Fischer ingo@ifisc.uib-csic.es
Provisional secondments: CSIC, IBM
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/509456
- ESR14 project
Title: High-speed non-algorithmic analogue photonic computing with applications in telecom and datacom
Host institution and PhD enrolment: CSIC/UIB
Main supervisor: Dr. Ingo Fischer ingo@ifisc.uib-csic.es; / Dr. Marco A. Garcia Porcel marco.garcia@vlcphotonics.com
Provisional secondments: IBM, VLC Photonics
- ESR15 project
Title: Photonic synaptic processor
Host institution and PhD enrolment: IBM/UIB (under revision)
Main supervisor: Dr. Bert Offrein OFB@zurich.ibm.com; Dr. Peter Bienstman pbienst@imec.be
Provisional secondments: CSIC, IMEC
Benefits
- Salary
The successful candidates will be employed on a full-time basis with a competitive salary in accordance with the MSCA rules and the personal circumstances of the applicant. The successful candidate will receive a financial package consisting of MSCA living allowance and mobility allowance. Eligible applicants with a family will also receive an additional family allowance according to the rules of the MSCA. The exact salary will be confirmed in local adverts of the individual recruiting organisations and will depend on local/national tax regulations.
The POST-DIGITAL Consortium partners will also advertise the ESR positions individually on their institutional websites, national portals, as well as on the EURAXESS platform. These local/individual advertisements will have further details regarding the scientific investigations and salaries.
- Family-friendly working conditions
Female applicants and applicants wishing to return to research after a period of absence are especially encouraged to apply. Local adverts will detail family-friendly working conditions such as child care facilities if available.
- Training
In addition to their individual scientific projects, POST-DIGITAL ESRs will be collaborating with world-leading research groups within the Consortium through secondments. All ESRs will benefit from extensive and varied further continuing education, completing a series of carefully designed training modules and transferable skills courses; they will participate in symposia, workshops and international conferences and will have meaningful exposure to the industrial environment through POST-DIGITAL industrial partners.
Eligibility criteria
- MSCA Eligibility
Applicants must be (at the first day of their POST-DIGITAL employment contract) in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research career and have not been awarded a doctoral degree. This research experience is measured FROM the date when they obtain the degree, which formally entitles them to embark on a doctorate (either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher is recruited, even if a doctorate was never started or envisaged). Research Experience is measured TO the first day of the POST-DIGITAL employment contract of the researcher.
- MSCA Mobility
At the core of the MSCA-ITNs is researcher mobility. At the time of commencing their employment, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their (recruiting) host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account
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Compliance with MSCA Eligibility and Mobility criteria will be verified during the application process. For further information on MSCA, please see: http://ec.europa.eu/mariecurieactions.
Selection process
- General guidance for applicants: The ESR positions will also be advertised locally at the respective institutions and local recruitment sites. These local/individual advertisements will have further details including local PhD admission criteria and application deadlines.
- To apply, initially please send your CV, a cover letter and supporting documents by email (using the subject header " POST-DIGITAL Application") to the main supervisor for the position that you wish to apply for. Please see the descriptions of each ESR projects listed above.
- POST-DIGITAL is explicitly committed to the principle of equal opportunities and a transparent recruitment process.
- Individual positions may have an earlier application date
Additional comments
Required Research Experiences
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RESEARCH FIELDComputer science
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YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE1 - 4
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RESEARCH FIELDEngineering
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YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE1 - 4
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RESEARCH FIELDPhysics
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YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE1 - 4
Offer Requirements
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REQUIRED EDUCATION LEVELOther: Master Degree or equivalent
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REQUIRED LANGUAGESENGLISH: Excellent
Skills/Qualifications
- Academic qualifications:
ETN POST-DIGITAL is looking for candidates with a strong academic background and exceptional grades, who have been awarded, or expect to get before the project start, a Master of Science degree in Electrical/Optical Engineering, Physics,Mathmatics or equivalent.
In exceptional cases, outstanding candidates with a BSc in an appropriate discipline will also be considered
Please provide transcripts of the marks you have already achieved with your application.
- English Language:
ESRs must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficient for them to derive the full benefits of the network training.
Formal English language requirements will vary according to the university at which the ESR is enrolled for a PhD. Please see the local/individual advertisements for the exact requirements applicable or contact your intended host for further information.
- MSCA requirements
Applicants must comply with the usual MSCA eligibility and mobility rules.
All applicants MUST be within their first 4 years of research experience.
EURAXESS offer ID: 499106
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Please contact support@euraxess.org if you wish to download all jobs in XML.
The POST-DIGITAL Fellowship includes a bursary to cover PhD tuition fees. Specific bursary conditions will be advertised locally.
For specific questions concerning the content of the research, please contact the main supervisors of each ESR project.
The Project Manager Ms. C.Doering-Saad c.doering-saad@aston.ac.uk is also available for general questions.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860360.