PhD scholarship in Novel Multifunctional Neural Fiber Implants for Simultaneous Modulation, Recording and Imaging of Neuronal Activity

 

Are you a talented and ambitious researcher? Are you excited about optical fiber technology and neuroscience? Do you enjoy finding working solutions to great challenges?

A 3-year PhD position is available in the Neural Devices and Gas Photonics Group at DTU Fotonik, Department of Photonics Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark. Our group is seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD candidate willing to work on a challenging scientific project in a serious but also friendly and team-work oriented environment in the fields of neuroscience, fiber optics and material science.

Responsibilities and qualifications
The overall focus of the project is the development of multifunctional neural probes capable of simultaneous optical stimulation, electrophysiological recording and photoacoustic imaging. The probes will be developed starting from multimaterial optical fibers based on soft polymers, which will be fabricated at DTU. In this framework, you will mainly focus on the validation of the fabricated devices in biological models.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Contributing to the designing stage and fabrication of the multifunctional neural probes;
• Validating the functionality of the probes in biological samples by conducting electrophysiological and imaging experiments in vitro and in vivo;
• Developing the code needed for signal post-processing and spike sorting.

In completing with task, you will work side-by-side with colleagues having state-of-the art knowledge in material science, fiber technology and light-matter interaction in biological tissues. Part of the experiments will be conducted abroad, during a 1.5 year stay at MIT, USA.

Candidates should have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree in Biology, Biotechnology or Neuroscience.

They should also have:

• Documented experience with in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological recording;
• Substantial knowledge of immunohistology and imaging techniques for biological samples;
• Substantial knowledge of coding and signal analysis, with a particular focus on the analysis of electrophysiology data;
• Experience within the field of light-based techniques for neuromodulation;
• Experience with surgical procedures on rodents;
• An excellent academic performance record from a good scientific institution.

Candidates are required to have excellent communication skills in English (both written and spoken) and a proven ability to work independently, as well as to plan and carry out complicated tasks.

At the time of recruitment by the host organization, candidates must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers, and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.

Researchers can be of any nationality. They are required to undertake transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up their appointment. Nationality is therefore not a criterion.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education.

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Christos Markos

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from the PhD main supervisor, Associate Professor Christos Markos, phone: +45 4525 6387, email: chmar@fotonik.dtu.dk, or from the co-supervisor, Dr. Marcello Meneghetti, email: mamen@fotonik.dtu.dk

You can read more about the Department of Photonics Engineering at www.fotonik.dtu.dk

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 1 July 2022 (Danish time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply online", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• List of publications (if any)

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

DTU Fotonik has 220 employees with competences in optics and is one of the largest centers in the world based solely on research in photonics. Research is performed within optical sensors and devices, lasers, LEDs, photovoltaics, ultra-high speed optical transmission systems, bio-photonics, nano-optics and quantum photonics.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear vision to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That vision lives on today. DTU has 13,400 students and 5,800 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

Apply for this job

Apply no later than 1 July 2022
Apply for the job at DTU Fotonik by completing the following form.

APPLY ONLINe

PhD on Algorithms for co-transcriptional RNA folding

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Computer Science - incl. Bioinformatics at BiRC programme. The position is available from August 2022 or later.

Title:
Algorithms for co-transcriptional RNA folding

Research area and project description:
This project is concerned with RNA folding and prediction of RNA (secondary) structures. RNA folding was originally studied experimentally to derive thermodynamic parameters that be used to computationally prediction secondary structure. However, most often this approach cannot predict RNA structures found in Nature. The main reason for this discrepancy is the fact the biological RNA structures are not formed at thermodynamic equilibrium but by the kinetic non-equilibrium process known as co-transcriptional folding. A main problem is, however, that this folding process remain poorly understood and we are currently unable to reliably predict and/or design co-transcriptionally structures.

This PhD project, which is part of the larger COFOLD interdisciplinary research project concerned with co-transcriptional folding (https://inano.au.dk/about/research-centers-and-projects/cofold), will focus on the development and application of combinatorial and/or machine learning based algorithms and software tools with applications to understanding and prediction of co-transcriptional RNA folding. The PhD project will include algorithmic development, implementation, and experimentation within the larger area of co-transcriptional RNA folding. It will also involve collaboration with experimental researchers working on aspects of the co-transcriptional folding process within the larger COFOLD project.

The PhD candidate should therefore have an educational background that should include development of algorithms and software tools but could also include molecular biology in general and RNA folding in particular.

For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. When - as here - you apply for a specific project, please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like.

Qualifications and specific competences:
The applicant must hold an MSc in Bioinformatics or related fields, or a BSc and have completed at least 1 year of MSc in Bioinformatics or related fields.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Computer Science, Bioinformatics Research Centre (BiRC), Universitetsbyen 81, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. 

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact:

• Associate professor Christian Nørgaard Storm Pedersen, e-mail: cstorm@birc.au.dk
• Associate professor Ebbe Sloth Andersen, e-mail: esa@inano.au.dk

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the  Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying and note the GSNS language skills requirement.

How to apply:
When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 March 2022)

1. Choose May 2022 Call with deadline 1 May 2022 at 23:59 CEST.
2. You will be directed to the call and must choose the programme “Computer Science - incl. Bioinformatics at BiRC”.
3. When filling in information about the project, please choose: “Algorithms for co-transcriptional RNA folding (AlcRNA)” in the dropdown menu in the box named “Study”.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• The project will only be initiated if final funding (from the graduate school/the faculty) is secured.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.

PhD on Advancing Crystal Engineering through Ionic Liquids

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Chemistry programme. The position is available from August 2022 or later.

Title:
Advancing Crystal Engineering through Ionic Liquids

Research area and project description:
As part of a Novo Nordisk Fonden RECRUIT grant [1], a large research environment in advanced crystal engineering is establishing with the aim to explore task-specific ionic liquids (room temperature molten salts) for deliberately designed crystallization (assembly-by-design) of organic solids such as medical drugs, food additives, agrochemicals, and others.

With the challenges of a growing and aging society, the need to improve access to medical drugs, agrochemicals, and food additives is more pressing. Many of these materials occur in different solid assemblies (forms/polymorphs), and each form has different properties. A prominent example is chocolate, or rather cocoa butter.[2,3] To date six different forms are known, of which only one (not the most stable form) gives the good chocolate taste and sensation. Sophisticated crystallization schemes (tempering) must be applied. The current project aims to revolutionize crystallization by using task-specific ionic liquids as crystallization media to allow for simple and robust access to thermodynamically unstable solid forms. Through careful engineering and supramolecular interactions, it may be even possible to get new forms!

The goal of this PhD project is to investigate ionic liquids as crystallization media for a wide set of materials. Tasks will include: 1) developing crystallization techniques and strategies, 2) monitoring and analysing the crystallization process and the solid by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction, and electron crystallography, and 3) ultimately identifying those parameters that are key to the formation of a specific solid assembly. The project will take advantage of the latest possibilities offered by large-scale facilities for neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering as well as new and custom-made equipment at the Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University.

The PhD candidate will manage a wide range of state-of-the-art synthesis and characterization techniques with emphasis on structure analysis with diffraction methods and become an expert in materials structure and properties.

For more background please visit: http://mudring.org/

References:

1. https://nat.au.dk/en/about-the-faculty/news/show/artikel/the-endless-possibilities-of-impossible-salt
2. https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/04/19/the-polymorphs-of-chocolate/
3. https://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/808827/Chocolate__The_Noblest_Polymorphism_II.html    

For technical reasons, you must upload a project description (½-4 pages). When - as here - you apply for a specific project, please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position should have a relevant Master’s degree, or in the process of gaining a Master degree, in chemistry, materials science, physics, or related fields. The candidate should have strong interest in hands-on experiments, materials synthesis, and data analysis. Some background or experience with (neutron or x-rays) scattering techniques would be appreciated. Experiences of working with amorphous materials, liquids, and thermodynamic properties are a bonus. She/he should have a high degree of motivation and can work independently. Good communication skills and teamwork spirit are required. The candidate should be able to speak and write English fluently.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Chemistry, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. 

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact:
Professor Anja-Verena Mudring, e-mail: anja-verena.mudring@chem.au.dk

How to apply:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying and note the GSNS language skills requirement.

When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 March 2022)

1. Choose May 2022 Call with deadline 1 May 2022 at 23:59 CEST.
2. You will be directed to the call and must choose the programme “Chemistry”.
3. When filling in information about the project, please choose: “Advancing Crystal Engineering through Ionic Liquids (ACEtIL)” in the dropdown menu in the box named “Study”.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• The project will only be initiated if final funding (from the graduate school/the faculty) is secured.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.

PhDs in investigating atmospheric ageing of marine aerosols by interactions with natural and man-made emissions

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Chemistry programme. The position is available from August 2022 or later.

Title:
2 PhDs in investigating atmospheric ageing of marine aerosols by interactions with natural and man-made emissions

Research area and project description:
Microscopic particles, termed aerosols, are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and play a crucial role for climate due to their interactions with sunlight and clouds. The magnitude of such interactions remains one of the least understood and largest sources of uncertainty in quantifying climate forcing. One major unresolved question concerns how the physical and chemical properties of aerosols are altered during their lifetimes in the atmosphere that can span from seconds to weeks. These so-called ageing processes can have major implications for the aerosols’ optical properties and their role in cloud formation. This project focuses on marine aerosols which globally make up the largest natural aerosol emissions by mass. Direct emissions of marine particles have been extensively investigated but the influence of atmospheric ageing by natural and man-made emissions on marine particles is still poorly understood. The goal of these PhD projects is to elucidate the effects of ageing by exposure to naturally and man-made emissions on their physical and chemical properties by making use of atmospheric simulation chamber facilities and new state-of-the-art optical measurement devices.

Tasks will include:

• Setting up new optical instruments: a nephelometer and a white-light optical particle spectrometer will be used to measure the particles’ scattering cross section, retrieve the index of refraction and to measure the particles’ number concentration and size.
• Simulating atmospheric ageing of marine particles by exposing them to 1) naturally emitted compounds over the oceans such as isoprene and dimethyl sulfide. 2) man-made compounds, such as nitrogen oxides, aromatic hydrocarbons and oxidants such as ozone or OH radicals.
• Analyzing the physical and chemical properties of the aerosol particles during ageing: investigating the direct interactions of the aerosols with sunlight at different relative humidities such as a change in size, scattering properties or in refraction index; their cloud formation abilities; their chemical composition by using e.g. microscopy techniques;

During this project the PhD candidates will benefit from strong international collaborations and work with top experts in the field.

Bernadette Rosati will serve as the daily supervisor while Professor Merete Bilde will serve as the official supervisor.

For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. When - as here - you apply for a specific project, please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants must have or soon complete a Master’s degree within Chemistry, Physics, Nanoscience, or related fields.

The candidates should have a strong interest in experimental work, which will for the most part take place in the laboratory. Field work is an option if the successful candidates are interested in it. Some background or experience with atmospheric chemistry and physics or optical measurement techniques is an advantage but not a must. Some knowledge of data analysis using e.g. Matlab or Python is a bonus.

The candidates should have a high degree of motivation and can work independently. Good communication skills and teamwork spirit are required. The candidates should be able to speak and write English fluently.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Chemistry, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C., Denmark. 

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact:
Postdoc Bernadette Rosati, e-mail: bernadette.rosati@chem.au.dk

How to apply:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying and note the GSNS language skills requirement.

When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 March 2022)

1. Choose May 2022 Call with deadline 1 May 2022 at 23:59 CEST.
2. You will be directed to the call and must choose the programme “Chemistry”.
3. When filling in information about the project, please choose: “2 PhDs in investigating atmospheric ageing of marine aerosols by interactions with natural and man-made emissions (2Piaam)” in the dropdown menu in the box named “Study”.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• The project will only be initiated if final funding (from the graduate school/the faculty) is secured.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.

PhD on Redefining a plant ideotype to reduce nitrogen pollution

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Agroecology programme. The position is available from 01 August 2022 or later.

Title:
Redefining a plant ideotype to reduce nitrogen pollution

Research area and project description:
Domesticated crops yield more with high inputs of nitrogen (N) fertilizer. Yet, this practice is not efficient: a large fraction of the applied N is lost in the form of the powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide and as nitrate leaching. A new generation of crops with roots adapted to reduced fertilizer inputs is necessary to develop a more sustainable agriculture. Using barley as model system, this project will combine greenhouse and field experiments to identify root traits that increase plant N uptake and reduce N losses in a context of low fertilizer inputs. We will use domesticated, wild and mutant varieties to establish a gradient of within-species root trait variation, allowing a mechanistic understanding of the links between phenotypic traits, soil microbial communities and N dynamics. Ultimately, this project will identify root ideotypes and genetic targets to (re)domesticate the crop cultivars of our future.

The PhD project will involve a series of experiments and laboratory analyses. The prospective candidate will be part of the Climate and Water section at the Department of Agroecology. The research will be done in close cooperation with researchers from INRAE-Dijon (France), and from The James Hutton Institute (Scotland).

Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Candidates should have a Master’s degree in soil science, soil or plant ecology, agronomy, biology, genetics, environmental science or any relevant field of study. Experience in relevant laboratory and field work and a basic knowledge on soil nutrient transformations, plant-soil interactions, plant genetics, soil microbial ecology, greenhouse gas emissions and/or functional biodiversity (trait-based approaches) are appreciated. A flair for planning and statistical treatment of data is also highly relevant. The candidate should have good command of oral and written English, be able to write scientific publications, be independent, and should be enthusiastic about working in an interdisciplinary international academic environment.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Danmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Professor Jørgen E. Olesen, jeo@agro.au.dk
• Tenure-Track Researcher Diego Abalos, d.abalos@agro.au.dk

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 01 May 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 01 August 2022.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.   

PhD on Paving the way for microbial caseins - deciphering the importance of post-translational modifications

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Food Science programme. The position is available from 1 August or 1 September 2022 or later.
 

Title:
Paving the way for microbial caseins - deciphering the importance of post-translational modifications

Research area and project description:
Microbial production of animal proteins is one of the new strategies pursued in the green transition. Use of precision fermentation in microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast can produce specific milk proteins with the aim of using these as substitutes for milk production depending on their usability in  dairy products or as dairy ingredients. The PhD project is part of the new research project, DECIPHER, supported by the Novo Nordic Foundation, carried out in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and with DTU, where the microbial studies are carried out. In the DECIPHER project, the aim is to decipher the importance of post-translational modifications of the bovine caseins as their functional properties in relation to microbial expression.

In the PhD project you will work investigating the role of specific post-translational modifications of the bovine caseins to aid in targeted design of microbial caseins with desired functional and nutritional properties, e.g. in relation to calcium binding. The phases involve 1) Through pilot studies experiments and literature studies to map importance of PTMs in purified bovine caseins to direct the design of caseins as part of synthetic production and optimize relevance for casein protein function, 2) Characterize in vitro phosphorylated synthetic caseins, 3) Reconstitute PTM decorated synthetic caseins into micelles and investigate their properties as food proteins.

The methods you will work with will involve protein purification methods, mineral analyses, particle size determination, 1 and 2D SDS-PAGE, LC-MS using various proteomic methodologies and equipment, functional analyses including rennet and acid induced coagulation and in vitro digestibility studies. The study involves two planned shorter research stays of approximately 3 months each at Chalmers in Gothenburg to assist in the in vitro phosphorylation experiments and carry out other project relevant research activities.

Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree or at least one year of a Master’s degree in food science or molecular biology related area.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Food Science, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact Professor Lotte Bach Larsen, lbl@food.au.dk 

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 01 May 2022 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 1 August or 1 September 2022.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.   

PhD on Model Based Development of Formally Verified Digital Twins

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Electrical and Computer Engineering programme. The position is available from 1 August 2022 or later.

Title:
Re-advertisement: Model Based Development of Formally Verified Digital Twins

Research area and project description:
Modern Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are often deployed in environments that cannot be reproduced in laboratory conditions.
For example, an autonomous agricultural robot is expected to work under heterogeneous terrain, under varying meteorologic conditions, and in the proximity of other robots, humans, and/or wildlife.
When faced with unforeseen environments, the CPS must not fail or harm its surroundings.
During the development of the CPS, a large body of knowledge is generated in the form of models and experimental results, that is not being put to use after the CPS is deployed.

To leverage this data, every CPS will eventually come with its own Digital Twin (DT).
The DT is a virtual system that represents a CPS -- its Physical Twin (PT) -- that continuously collects data about the PT and its environment, correlates it with the models of the PT, and provides services such as anomaly detection and self-adaptation.
DTs will be open ended, that is, they will allow new services to be added by different stakeholders throughout the lifetime of the PT.
DT services and their interaction will be formally verified, and thus dependable.

The main goal of this PhD is to advance the state of the art in the way dependable DTs are synthesized from models used in the PT development.

This goal can be broken down into two objectives:
- O1: Synthesis of Formally Verified SotA DTs -- to synthesize DTs with the most common services (state estimation, anomaly detection, and self-adaptation), with formal guarantees on behavior and compatibility between services.
- O2: Formally Verified Open-Ended DTs -- To provide formal guarantees for open ended DTs, where new DT services can be added/discovered and may disrupt the PT.
This involves moving from static formal techniques to run-time verification, to assert service composition properties as new services are added.
Standard interfaces, contracts, and novel definitions of what constitutes safe behavior, will be defined.
This research will be applied to O1's case studies and to an agricultural robot fleet (a system of systems, with a DT composed of other DTs).

Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
We are looking for a candidate with experience in ONE of the following:

• Model-based Design and System Engineering
• Application of Formal Methods and Software Verification Techniques (Model checking, dataflow analysis, etc)
• Distributed system programming (message passing systems, REST, etc.)
• Numerical methods for simulation of differential equations

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Finlandsgade 22 8200 Aarhus N.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact: Professor Peter Gorm Larsen, pgl@ece.au.dk

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 01 May 2022 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 1 August 2022.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.   

PhD on next generation, people-centred analysis tools for holistic, sustainable renovation of Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods (GBN)

 

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Electrical and Computer Science programme. The position is available from 01 October 2022 or later.

Title:
PhD on next generation, people-centred analysis tools for holistic, sustainable renovation of Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods (GBN)

Research area and project description:
There is an urgent need to drastically improve the sustainability of the built environment, while simultaneously enhancing the quality of life of building occupants in terms of health, well-being, comfort and the "builing experience". There is significant potential for information technology (IT) solutions to assist architects and building managers in enhancing health, safety and comfort of occupants while accelerating the drive towards green, sustainble buildings: computer-aided architectural design (CAAD) software tools can support decision-making through automatic building floorplan analysis, and software simulations of daily operations.

This PhD project will be part of a new AU living lab, and will develop and pilot (1) new renovation decision support tools for refurbishing "Universitetsbyen", the University City being constructed from a former hospital over the next 5 years, and (2) a "toolkit" for producing tender-ready proposals for constructing Solar Panel Parks, which will be piloted at AU Foulum. The project is part of the activities of the H2020 project, PROBONO, funded by the EU and led by Acciona Engineering, Spain.

The project will illustrate how innovative, smart technology and digitalisation can be used to benefit society. Among other things, the project will provide a GBN Digital Twin implemented across the AU Living Lab as a virtual representation of associated GBNs including operational assets that comply with today's sustainability, emissions and health standards in a lifecycle perspective.

This is a research-focused role, where the candidate will conduct a specified program of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator/supervisor. The student will integrate PROBONO research into their doctoral studies, the scope of which is to be agreed upon with the supervisor. The doctorate must therefore be aligned with topics relevant to PROBONO.

This Ph.D. project is hosted at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Aarhus University (AU-ECE), Denmark, and is supervised in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering of Aarhus University (AU-CAE), Denmark.

Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
We are interested in a person with a background in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline (having completed a Master’s degree). A desire to engage in cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and architectural design will be important. It will be relevant, but certainly not required, to have experience with:

(1) knowledge representation and reasoning methods, ontologies, logic programming (Answer Set Programming, Prolog, Constraint Logic Programming)

(2) Building Information Modelling (BIM), computer aided design

The applicants should be enthusiastic about working in an interdisciplinary environment with multiple academic and industry partners (in the framework of the H2020 funded project, PROBONO), partly sitting in different working places, and with an academic view on practical challenges.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Finlandsgade 22, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark. 

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Dr. Carl Schultz (cschultz@ece.au.dk), Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark.
• Dr. Aliakbar Kamari (ak@cae.au.dk), Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark.

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 15 May 2022 23:59 . Preferred starting date is 01 October 2022.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.