Postdoctoral Researcher – Data Spaces and Foundation Models Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics (University of Galway 043-24)

5 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Galway

Research Field

Computer science » Other

Researcher Profile

Established Researcher (R3)

Country

Ireland

Application Deadline

19 Mar 2024 - 17:00 (Europe/London)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Applications are invited from suitable candidates for one full-time, fixed-term contract position as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics and Data Science Institute (DSI) at the University of Galway .  

 

This position is funded through the Insight Centre for Data Analytics to work on the Data Space Support Centre project and is available from May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025 (12 months).  

 

We seek to appoint a talented and enthusiastic researcher with excellent knowledge of Data Spaces tools and technologies, as well as AI. The ideal candidate is expected to possess expertise in interoperability, data sovereignty and security, and data governance—key building blocks of data spaces. 

 

Job Description: 

The postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for conducting research and development in the fields of data sharing, data space tools and technologies, interoperability, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will be within an established group comprising researchers and PhD students with expertise in data and knowledge engineering, data analytics, and large-scale data processing. The group has a longstanding tradition of applying this expertise across various domains, including healthcare, education, sustainability, smart cities, privacy, and digital humanities.   

 

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the data and AI landscape within Europe. This includes establishing principles and developing tools and technologies to support best practices for data spaces and AI. Additionally, the candidate will play a crucial role in enhancing stakeholder awareness and education. This involves active participation in cross-consortium meetings with academic and industry project partners, as well as engagement in external events with stakeholders in the European Data and AI Ecosystems.  

 

The researcher will be supported in their professional development, be able to avail of a range of career level focussed training opportunities, have the potential to publish research findings in leading journals and international events. 

 

Duties:  

• Collaborate with project partners to conduct research on a data spaces toolbox, which consists of a technical testbed infrastructure, as well as common guidelines, recommendations, and tools related to legal and governance aspects. 
• Conduct research and select the best practice open-source tools for data spaces and establishing synergies between data spaces.  
• Create guidelines and resources to promote optimal approaches for data spaces and AI, in cooperation with European data and AI communities. 
• Research, design, and develop foundation models in the field of artificial intelligence, based on the latest advancements. 
• Fine-tune and optimize existing foundation models to ensure performance and efficiency, enhancing their applicability across a wide range of domains. 
• Establish principles and tools to support best practices for foundational models and data spaces and AI in collaboration with the European data and AI communities. 
• Engage in a cutting-edge research endeavour that explores the convergence of data spaces and AI. 
• Collaborate with the team or work independently to build a proof of concept for validating research ideas and outcomes. 
• Demonstrating a thorough understanding of both national and international research environments and the ability to contribute substantially to grant applications. 
• Contributing to obtaining new research grants. 
• Contributing to the management of the team and the supervision of junior researchers. 
• Project management, reporting and team management for specific projects. 
• The project will involve international travel to consortium meetings and research presentations at international conferences. 
• Any other duties assigned commensurate to this level of post. 

 

Qualifications/Skills: 

Essential Requirements:  

• PhD in Information System, Computer Science or a closely related discipline or MSc Degree with 4 years full-time relevant research/industry experience after primary degree.     
• A proven track record of research performance, including publication and dissemination of results and collaborations. 
• Expertise in related areas including data platforms, architectures, data ecosystem, interoperability, data modelling, and access control. 
• Strong expertise in Artificial Intelligence, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision or natural language processing. 
• Proficiency in machine learning libraries, data pre-processing, and model evaluation techniques 

 

Desirable Requirements 

• Experience in research projects and academic-Industrial research collaborations. 
• Prior experience in conducting research related to data spaces and AI. 
• Previous experience working on European Union (EU) projects will be an advantage. 
• Demonstrated capacity to operate autonomously with dependability and efficiency while also fostering productive collaboration with colleagues and partners from diverse sectors. 
• Excellent communication and analytical skill. 
• Be open to adjusting research plans based on unexpected results or changes in project direction. 

 

Salary: Postdoctoral Researcher pay scale €42,782 - €54,965 per annum, (subject to the project’s funding limitations), and pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts.   

 

The default position for all new public sector appointments is the 1st point of the salary scale. This may be reviewed, and consideration afforded to appointment at a higher point on the payscale (subject to the project’s funding limitations), where evidence of prior years’ equivalent experience is accepted in determining placement on the scale above point 1, subject to the maximum of the scale. (Research Salary Scales - University of Galway)  

 

Start date: Position is available from May 1, 2024. 

 

Continuing Professional Development/Training: 

Researchers at University of Galway are encouraged to avail of a range of training and development opportunities designed to support their personal career development plans. University of Galway provides continuing professional development supports for all researchers seeking to build their own career pathways either within or beyond academia.  Researchers are encouraged to engage with our Researcher Development Centre (RDC) upon commencing employment - see HERE  for further information.  

Further information on research and working at University of Galway is available on Research at University of Galway .  

For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie  

 

Informal enquiries concerning the post may be made to: 
Rafiqul Haque, [email protected] and  
Christiane Leahy-Coen [email protected]  

 

To Apply: 

Applications to include a covering letter, CV, and the contact details of three referees should be sent, via e-mail (in word or PDF only) to Rafiqul Haque, [email protected]  

Please put reference number University of Galway 043-24 in subject line of e-mail application. 

 

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5.00 pm (Irish Time) Tuesday, 19th March 2024.  

 

We reserve the right to re-advertise or extend the closing date for this post. 

 

The University of Galway is an equal opportunities employer. 

 

All positions are recruited in line with Open, Transparent, Merit (OTM) and Competency base

Requirements

Research Field

Computer science » Modelling tools

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Galway

Country

Europe

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

State/Province

Ireland

City

Galway

Website

https://www.universityofgalway.ie/

Street

University Road

Postal Code

H91 TK33

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED