INESC TEC is accepting applications to award 1 Scientific Research Grant - Plurianual_LA - HASLAB (AE2024-0151)

18 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

INESC TEC

Research Field

Computer science » Informatics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Portugal

Application Deadline

3 May 2024 - 23:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

36

Offer Starting Date

23 May 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Reference Number

AE2024-0151

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

No

Offer Description

Portuguese version: https://repositorio.inesctec.pt/editais/pt/AE2024-0151.pdf

CALL FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS (AE2024-0151)

INESC TEC is now accepting grant applications to award 1 Research Initiation Grant (BII) within the scope of the INESC TEC LA funded by National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., project reference LA/P/0063/2020.

1. GRANT DESCRIPTION

Type of grant: Research Initiation Grant (BII)

General scientific area: COMPUTER SCIENCE

Scientific subarea: Informatics

Grant duration: 6 months, starting on 2024-05-23 , with the possibility of being renewed for a maximum term of one year.

Scientific advisor: António Luís Sousa

Workplace: INESC TEC, Braga , Portugal

Maintenance stipend: 601,12, according to the table of monthly maintenance stipend for FCT grants (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_atu… ), paid via bank transfer. Grant holders may be awarded potential supplements, according to a quarterly evaluation process (Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC and Annex II), up to a maximum limit of 50 of the monthly maintenance stipend.

INESC TEC supports costs with registration, enrolment or tuition fees, during the grant duration, under the terms established in the internal document: "Payment of Tuition fees to grant holders" (https://www.inesctec.pt/pagamento-propinas-bolseirosEN )

The grant holder will benefit from health insurance, supported by INESC TEC.

2. OBJECTIVES:

The main objectives of this grant are to research and develop a model for correcting artifacts in MRI images of the brain. In more detail, this model should be developed, considering the need to distribute computing in federated environments in which each entity will have its data and train the same model. This model will have to maintain a good relationship between the distribution among the various nodes (e.g., latency, training time) and its overall performance (e.g., Accuracy and Loss, SSIM, NMI).

3. BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE WORK PROGRAMME AND TRAINING:

- Design and implementation of artifact simulation models to serve the artifact correction model;
- Implementation and optimization of the artifact correction model in magnetic resonance images;
- Design and implementation of federated computing environments using NVIDIA Flare and Flower.;
- Experimental validation of the prototype developed in HPC environments.;
The tasks described in this work plan require the application and development of concepts and techniques from the field of Biomedical Engineering, typically taught in curricular units that make up the core of the branch in Medical Informatics study plan.;

4. REQUIRED PROFILE:

Admission requirements:
Enrolled in the Masters in Medical Informatics from the study plan of Biomedical Engineering.;

The awarding of the fellowship is dependent on the applicants' enrolment in study cycle or non-award courses of Higher Education Institutions.

Preference factors:
- Experience with the Python programming language.;
- Experience in developing and applying deep learning models.;
- Experience using federated learning tools.;
- Experience using HPC environments (e.g. SLURM).;

Minimum requirements:
- Solid knowledge of deep learning architectures and tools (i.e. TensorFlow, PyTorch, GANs, CNNs).
- Solid knowledge of medical image evaluation and metrics (i.e. SSIM, NMI).
- Solid knowledge of federated learning tools (i.e. Flower, NVIDIA Flare).
- Solid knowledge of distributed systems.

5. EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION PROCESS:

Selection criteria and corresponding valuation: the first phase comprises the Academic Evaluation (AC), based on the criteria referred to in Article 12 of the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC, while the second phase comprehends the Individual Interview (EI).
All factors are evaluated on a scale of 0 to 100, taking into account the applicants' merit, suitability and conformity with the preference factors.
The weight of the AC factors are as follows: Academic Qualifications (FA, 50), Scientific Publications (PC, 20), Experience (EX, 20) and Motivation Letter (CM, 10).
Candidates who score less than 50 points in the AC average will be considered excluded on absolute merit. The top five candidates approved on absolute merit will be qualified for the individual interview. The Final Grade (CF) is obtained by the weighted average of AC (80) and EI (20).

DISABILITY INCENTIVE

Candidates who present a degree of disability equal to or greater than 90% will benefit from an incentive (20) in the score of the CV Assessment.
Candidates who present a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% and less than 90% will also benefit from an incentive (10) in the score of the CV Assessment.
Said score may, in these cases, exceed 100 points.
Candidates must demonstrate the degree of disability during the application, namely through the submission of the Multi-Purpose Medical Certificate of Disability, issued in accordance with Decree-Law no. 202/96, of October 23 - currently in effect.

The Selection Jury is composed of the following members:
President of the Jury: António Luís Sousa
Full member: Ricardo Pereira Vilaça
Full member: João Tiago Paulo
Substitute member: João Marco

Release of results and prior hearing: the results of the selection process, as well as the terms and procedures for prior hearing, will be released to the applicants by email, under the terms referred to in Article 13 of the Regulations for Studentships and Fellowships of INESC TEC.

6. FORMALISATION OF APPLICATIONS:

Application Documents:
1. Motivation letter;
2. Curriculum Vitae (must include the list of previous fellowships, their type, beginning and end dates, funding entities and host institutions);
3. Certificate or diploma degree dully recognised in Portugal;
- Documents proving the awarding of academic degrees and diplomas, or the according recognition - in cases of academic degrees or diplomas granted by a foreign higher education institution - can be dismissed in the application process, and replaced by the applicant's declaration of honour, with the verification of said condition taking place during the grant's hiring stage. The submission of the certificate is mandatory when signing the contract.
- Academic degrees or diplomas awarded by a foreign higher education institution require an authentication by a Portuguese higher education institution, and the corresponding registration on the DGES platform, in conformity with Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16, and Ordinance no. 33/2019, of January 25. More information available on the website https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento?plid=374
4. Proof of enrollment in a degree awarding study cycle or in a non degree awarding Higher Education program.
- The proof of enrollment may be presented just during the grant hiring stage.
5. Signed declaration stating not having benefited from any other research fellowship (Article 5, no. 5)
6. Documental evidence to support the country of residence, residence permit or other legally equivalent document, in cases where the applicant is a foreigner or non-resident in Portugal - valid until the beginning of the grant.
7. Other supporting documents relevant to the final assessment.

Failure to deliver the required documents within the 90-day period after the date of the notice of the conditional awarding of the grant implies its cancellation.

Application period: From 2024-04-18 to 2024-05-03

Submission of applications: the application will be formalised by submitting the form available in the Work With Us section of INESC TEC website.

7. BINDING LEGISLATION AND REGULATION

The hiring process shall comply with the current legislation regarding the Research Grant Holder Statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current wording, as well as by the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC and for https://files.dre.pt/2s/2019/12/241000000/0009100105.pdfFCT Grants Regulation in force.

For more information, please check the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC and relevant annexes at www.inesctec.pt/bolsas

Requirements
Specific Requirements

Academic qualifications: Enrolled in the Masters in Medical Informatics from the study plan of Biomedical Engineering.;
.
Minimum profile: - Solid knowledge of deep learning architectures and tools (i.e. TensorFlow, PyTorch, GANs, CNNs)., - Solid knowledge of medical image evaluation and metrics (i.e. SSIM, NMI)., - Solid knowledge of federated learning tools (i.e. Flower, NVIDIA Flare)., - Solid knowledge of distributed systems.
Preference factors: - Experience with the Python programming language.;
- Experience in developing and applying deep learning models.;
- Experience using federated learning tools.;
- Experience using HPC environments (e.g. SLURM).;
.

Research Field

Computer science » Informatics

Years of Research Experience

None

Additional Information
Benefits

Maintenance stipend: 601,12 euros, according to the table of monthly
maintenance stipend for FCT grants (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_atu… ), paid via bank transfer. Grant holders may be awarded potential supplements, according to a quarterly evaluation process (Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC and Annex II), up to a maximum limit of 50% of the monthly maintenance stipend.

Costs attributable to INESC TEC may include registration, enrolment or tuition fee stipend, either directly or through reimbursement, during the grant duration.

The grant holder will benefit from health insurance, supported by INESC TEC.

Selection process

5. EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION PROCESS:

Selection criteria and corresponding valuation: the first phase comprises the Academic Evaluation (AC), based on the criteria referred to in Article 12 of the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC, while the second phase comprehends the Individual Interview (EI).
All factors are evaluated on a scale of 0 to 100, taking into account the applicants' merit, suitability and conformity with the preference factors.
The weight of the AC factors are as follows: Academic Qualifications (FA, 50), Scientific Publications (PC, 20), Experience (EX, 20) and Motivation Letter (CM, 10).
Candidates who score less than 50 points in the AC average will be considered excluded on absolute merit. The top five candidates approved on absolute merit will be qualified for the individual interview. The Final Grade (CF) is obtained by the weighted average of AC (80) and EI (20).

DISABILITY INCENTIVE

Candidates who present a degree of disability equal to or greater than 90% will benefit from an incentive (20) in the score of the CV Assessment.
Candidates who present a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% and less than 90% will also benefit from an incentive (10) in the score of the CV Assessment.
Said score may, in these cases, exceed 100 points.
Candidates must demonstrate the degree of disability during the application, namely through the submission of the Multi-Purpose Medical Certificate of Disability, issued in accordance with Decree-Law no. 202/96, of October 23 - currently in effect.

The Selection Jury is composed of the following members:
President of the Jury: António Luís Sousa
Full member: Ricardo Pereira Vilaça
Full member: João Tiago Paulo
Substitute member: João Marco

Release of results and prior hearing: the results of the selection process, as well as the terms and procedures for prior hearing, will be released to the applicants by email, under the terms referred to in Article 13 of the Regulations for Studentships and Fellowships of INESC TEC.

Website for additional job details

https://www.inesctec.pt/en/opportunity/AE2024-0151

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

INESC TEC

Country

Portugal

City

Porto

Postal Code

4200-465

Street

Campus da Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias

Where to apply

Website

https://www.inesctec.pt/en/opportunity/AE2024-0151

Contact

City

Porto

Website

http://www.inesctec.pt

Street

Campus da FEUP - Rua Dr. Roberto Frias

Postal Code

4200-465 Porto

STATUS: EXPIRED