Idiap Research Institute, Martigny, Switzerland
Applications are invited for a PhD position in natural language processing applied to machine translation, in the context of the Swiss COMTIS project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation under the Sinergia program. The successful candidate will study and implement robust methods for semantic / pragmatic analysis, focusing on the detection and disambiguation of cohesion markers in English and French.
The results will be used as input for statistical machine translation software developed by the other partners of COMTIS, at the University of Geneva.
Candidates should have a solid background in computer science, and good knowledge of the natural language processing field, in particular of statistical methods based on machine learning. They should have excellent programming skills as well as good communication skills in English and French. A strong academic record and a clear aptitude for creative research will be priority selection criteria.
Funding is guaranteed for 3 years through a Swiss National Science Foundation PhD studentship, with a possible extension for a fourth year.
The successful candidate will be registered as a PhD student in the EPFL doctoral program, to which he/she will have to apply, with support from Idiap.
Review of the applications will start immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The appointment will start as soon as the necessary work permits and documents are obtained, preferably on March 1st, 2010.
*How to apply*
Please fill in and submit your application through the Idiap online recruitment system, by clicking on the position’s title at http://www.idiap.ch/education-and-jobs.
*Contact information*
Further information about this position can be requested via the Idiap online recruitment system or by contacting Dr. Andrei Popescu-Belis at Andrei.Popescu-Belis at idiap.ch.
Idiap Research Institute
Rue Marconi 19 – BP 592
CH-1920 Martigny, Switzerland
*About the host institution*
Idiap is an independent, non-profit research institute recognized and supported by the Swiss Government, and affiliated with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Geneva.
Idiap is located in the town of Martigny in Valais, a scenic region in the south of Switzerland, surrounded by the highest mountains of Europe, and offering exciting recreational activities, including hiking, climbing and skiing, as well as varied cultural activities. It is within close proximity to Geneva and Lausanne. Although Idiap is located in the French part of Switzerland, English is the working language. Free French lessons are provided.
Idiap offers competitive salaries and conditions at all levels in a young, dynamic, and multicultural environment. Idiap is an equal opportunity employer and is actively involved in the "Advancement of Women in Science" European initiative. The Institute maintains a principle of open competition (on the basis of merit) to appoint the best candidate, provides equal opportunity for all candidates, and equally encourage both genders to apply.
-- Idiap Research Institute | tel: (41 27) 721 7729 Centre du Parc | fax: (41 27) 721 7712 P.O. Box 592 | surname.name at idiap.ch CH-1920 Martigny | www.idiap.ch/~apbelis Switzerland