Nantes Université MSCA-PF 2023 - hosting offer at the Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes

Patrick LE CALLET professor from the Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes (LS2N) at Nantes Université is looking for postdoctoral candidates interested in applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) in 2023.

• Key words
  application of human vision modelling in image and video processing, Quality of Experience assessment, Visual Attention modelling and applications, Perceptual Video Coding and Immersive Media Processing, cognitive computing and machine learning by perception and applied to perception, Extended realities (VR, AR, MR)
   
• What is a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship?
  MSCA Postdoctoral fellowships support the career development of researchers for enhancing their individual competence diversification in terms of skills at multidisciplinary level and intersectoral experience. The MSCA-PF grant provides a competitive salary plus mobility and family allowances if applicable, as well as research, training and networking costs. This call to interest concerns the European Postdoctoral Fellowships (12 to 24 months of duration in Europe + optional placement in private sector in Europe of 6 months). For more information: MSCA-PF
   
• Team description
  The project is to be carried out at the UMR LS2N 6004 laboratory (450 researchers, the largest research Lab in Pays de Loire France) and more specially the Image Perception & Interaction group (IPI). IPI team in UMR LS2N 6004 is a recent (formed in January 2017) and innovative research group in terms of interdisciplinary for the study of visual perception and human interaction with visual artefacts. From an historical expertise in image processing and image quality, nowadays the team gathers around Pr. Le Callet, several permanent researchers in advanced signal processing, computer-human interaction and user experience, machine learning as well as vision science and ophthalmology. This project would be a valuable experience for the MCSA fellow to concretely be exposed to interdisciplinary research. The group is composed of more than 35 researchers.

  The group have access to several facilities (including Intensive Computation Platform) and an original set of userlab/livinglab facilities including 9 standardized testing rooms and equipment biosignals measurements (eyetrackers, GSRs …) plus a full platform for online experiment. The experimental work with end user is facilitated with access to several at scale naïve panelists. One of the living lag is located in the new building Halle 6 Ouest, a unique place crossing sectorial applications, disciplines, as research, education and innovation activities.
   

• Profile of the supervisor
  Patrick Le Callet (IEEE Fellow) is Full professorat Ecole polytechnique de Nantes Université (Engineering School) in the Electrical Engineering and the Computer Science departments. He is mostly engaged in research dealing with the application of human vision modeling in image and video processing. His current centers of interest are Quality of Experience assessment, Visual Attention modeling and applications, Perceptual Video Coding and Immersive Media Processing. He has supervised more than 30 post doc and PhD students, mentored several Early-Stage Researchers and young associate professors. He has been PI of several national, European (including ITNs and MCSA post doc) and international projects. He is co-author of more than 500 publications and communications and co-inventor of 16 international patents on these topics. He serves or has been served as associate editor or guest editor for several Journals such as IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, IEEE TIP, IEEE STSP, IEEE TCSVT, SPRINGER EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing, and SPIE JEI. He is serving in IEEE IVMSP-TC (2015- to present) and IEEE MMSP-TC (2015-to present) and the chair of EURASIP SAT (Special Areas Team) on Image and Video Processing. He is co-recipient of an Emmy Award in 2020 for his work on development of Perceptual metrics for video encoding optimization.
   
• Research project
  We are welcoming projects that can be fuelled by our expertise in cognitive/perceptual computing of the research team, especially related visual information processing and understanding (human perception, image processing / computer vision). Project should cover one or more of the following topics (pending to the candidate background and envy):

  Subjective testing methodologies and protocols for human perception studies: psychophysics, annotation boosting, new indirect/direct (subjective/objective) paradigms, eye tracking
  Perception modelling and computing: modelling of eye tracking, gaze pattern, saliency behavioural, trajectory, or psychophysics data with advanced statistical tools (deep learning based generative models, stochastic models, symbolic models …)
  Perceptually friendly multimedia applications: media coding and compression, immersive technology and extended realities, rendering, content repurposing/targeting, visual ergonomics, e-learning, visual understanding.
  Applications of the research project in media industry, health care or smart industry and farming are particularly encouraged.
   

• What are the eligibility criteria?
  Candidates must hold a PhD at the call deadline (13 Sept. 2023) and have 8 years maximum of full-time research experience after the PhD.
  “Mobility rule”: candidates must NOT have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.Candidates can be from any nationality.
  Although not an eligibility criterion, a good track record is recommended.
   
• What’s in it for me?
  1. Selected candidate will have access to online training programme and one-to-one proposal preparation sessions with our experienced European Officers.
  2. Selected candidate will have the opportunity to come to Nantes for two days in the beginning of July to meet his supervisor and to start working on the writing of the project. The grant awarded for this stay will cover travel, hotel and subsistence expenses for 2 days and 2 nights (up to 1000€ for the EU countries and up to 2000€ for the non-EU countries). Nantes Université does not cover the visa fees.
   
• I’m interested. What should I do?
  If you are interested and have the required background, apply by sending the application form  to Patrick LE CALLET  (patrick.lecallet@univ-nantes.fr) and the European office (europe.drpi@univ-nantes.fr)

  More information on the dedicated webpage.

• Registration for this scheme does not imply automatic funding. Applications will be examined in the light of the MSCA PF evaluation criteria, both by your potential supervisor and by the experienced European Officers. No application will be considered after April 14th but we encourage you to apply as soon as possible as they will be evaluated as they arise.The short-stay grant will be distributed among the selected candidate within the limits of the available budget.

  You should expect feedback for your application by 15th May.

• Brief description of Nantes Université
  Nantes Université is a higher education and research institution created in 2022. This new institution has adopted a new University model unprecedented in France by bringing together a university, a university hospital (CHU de Nantes), a technology research centre (IRT Jules Verne), a public scientific and technological institute (Inserm) and higher education establishments (Centrale Nantes, École des Beaux-Arts Nantes Saint-Nazaire, École d’Architecture de Nantes).
  Nantes Université is a sustainable and committed institution and one of the driving forces behind societal development. With a global and outward-looking culture, it promotes innovativeness and openness: open science, open research, open education, open innovation. Nantes Université has received the HR Excellence in Research Award and is already involved in various European projects, notably MSCA actions.