From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: AISB opportunities bulletin for 29/3/2013 Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:49:17 +0000
Dear AISB members This is the AISB opportunities bulletin for 29/3/2013 ----------------------------- 1. Two PhD student positions in philosophy (philosophy of physics, logic), Rotterdam, THE NETHERLANDS (DEADLINE: 01:05:2013) 2. PhD student position in efficient and natural proof systems, Bath (U.K.) (DEADLINE: 17:04:2013) 3. Postdoctoral position "infinite regresses in philosophy", Groningen, THE NETHERLANDS (DEADLINE: 08:04:2013) 4. CALL FOR ENTRIES & PARTICIPATION: International Loebner Prize 2013 Contest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) (DEADLINE: 03:06:2013) 5. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: European PhD program in computational logic, Bozen/Dresden/Wien/Lisboa (ITALY/GERMANY/AUSTRIA/PORTUGAL) (DEADLINE: 30:04:2013) 6. The Drapers' Company Junior Research Fellowship in the Humanities, Oxford (U.K.) (DEADLINE: 12:04:2013) ----------------------------- 1. Two PhD student positions in philosophy (philosophy of physics, logic), Rotterdam, THE NETHERLANDS (DEADLINE: 01:05:2013) Faculty of Philosophy Erasmus University Rotterdam The Netherlands Two Phd Positions available for the philosophical project: The Structure of Reality and the Reality of Structure This project in philosophy (philosophy of physics, metaphysics, logic, philosophy of science) seeks to develop a comparably novel answer to the venerable ontological question of what there fundamentally is and what ontologically grounds everything else. The project is guided by two theses: (A) The metaphysical thesis of Structuralism, according to which all that exists, everything there is, either is structure or is ontologically grounded in structure; and (B) The epistemic thesis that our scientific knowledge about what there fundamentally is and what ontologically grounds everything else ?? which knowledge is stored in a few well-confirmed modern physical theories (quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, the special and the general theory of relativity) ?? is structural, aka structural realism. PhD project 1: Theory and Truth of Structure In collaboration with the post-doc (and the catalytic leader of the project, F.A. Muller), a rigorous theory needs to be constructed that takes the concept of structure and its features as primitives, as well as an axiomatic truth theory for this novel theory of structure, which should be the formal side of a structuralist truth-maker theory. Requirements: masters philosophy, knowledge of logic, philosophy of science and metaphysics; enthusiasm for the project. PhD project 2: Ontic Ruptures in 20th Century Physics Structural realists claim that structure is by and large preserved during ontic ruptures in the history of physics, and that epistemic progress generally resides, not in trading in structures wholesale, but in refining and extending known structures. The project consists in performing two elaborate case studies, one of the Quantum Revolution and the other of the Relativity Revolution, with the aim to find out whether the claims of structural realism are true or false. Ideally the findings of PhD project 1 will be used in this project. Requirements: masters philosophy, knowledge of philosophy of science, of (mathematical) physics and philosophy of physics; enthusiasm for the project. There is ample room in the 1st year of appointment for acquiring additional knowledge to execute these projects successfully. You will be a member of research group of four members: the two PhD?s, one post-doc and the leader of the pack, dr F.A. Muller. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU). Indication monthly salary (gross figures, tax is about one third): 2.1 kE, 2.4 kE (2nd year), 2.5 kE (3rd), 2.7 kE (4th). Candidate's performance is evaluated after 18 months and if positive, the contract is extended for 2.5 years. Intended starting date: 1 September 2013. Deadline for applications (CV and grades included): 1 May 2013. Send to: [email protected] [as PDF, all in a single file]. Same e-address for more information whenever needed. ******************************************************** 2. PhD student position in efficient and natural proof systems, Bath (U.K.) (DEADLINE: 17:04:2013) *** PhD Studentship *** Research Project: Efficient and Natural Proof Systems <http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/ag/ENPS/> Institution: University of Bath - Department of Computer Science PhD Supervisors: Alessio Guglielmi and/or Guy McCusker <http://alessio.guglielmi.name> <http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~gam23/> Application Deadline: 17 April 2013 Math is growing more complex each day, to the point that the assistance of computers is becoming necessary even for the most theoretically inclined among the mathematicians (see this recent article by Natalie Wolchover on Wired: <http://is.gd/Qf2qpd>). After centuries of producing proofs in our heads and then describing them in papers, we are moving fast towards a future of proofs conceived by humans together with computers, which in turn will guarantee their correctness and availability. But what is a proof? What could a common language between humans and computers be? A satisfying definition of mathematical proof has proved to be a very elusive concept. Suffice to say that the problem of deciding whether two formal proofs are the same has remained open since Hilbert formulated it more than one hundred years ago. Finding efficient and natural proof systems is a fascinating problem that spans from philosophy, through math, to computer science. There is growing evidence that, at its core, good solutions can be provided by geometrical ideas. Indeed, many mathematicians interested in the foundations of mathematics have recently turned to geometry. We propose a PhD in the context of the EPSRC project `Efficient and Natural Proof Systems? (see at <http://is.gd/7XYPbt>). In this project, we will define a new proof system which, essentially, will represent proofs as geometric shapes equivalent under continuous deformation. Three areas of mathematics and theoretical computer science concur in the definition of these proof systems: categorical semantics, proof theory and proof complexity. The result of this project will be the completion of three decades of efforts in proof theory that started with linear logic and continued with deep inference (see <http://is.gd/leM81c> [beware, there are jokes in that page]). We are looking for a brilliant mathematician or theoretical computer scientist who is not afraid of working with category theory and who has a good geometric intuition. We provide a fully funded three-year PhD position in the exceptional research environment of one of the best worldwide research groups in semantics and proof theory (see at <http://is.gd/ZUlZ5n>). Your full tuition fees will be covered and you will receive a standard EPSRC maintenance payment of £13,726/annum (13/14 rate) for three years. Funding for this project is available to citizens of a number of European countries (including the UK). In most cases this will include all EU nationals. However full funding may not be available to all applicants and you should read the full department and project details for further information. To apply, start here: <http://is.gd/RCaAvA/>. Feel free to contact Alessio Guglielmi for any question you might have about this position. ******************************************************** 3. Postdoctoral position "infinite regresses in philosophy", Groningen, THE NETHERLANDS (DEADLINE: 08:04:2013) Job description The postdoc will conduct independent research on historical and/or systematic aspects of infinite regresses in philosophy. The position is situated within the research project on infinite regresses in epistemology, funded by the Dutch National Science Foundation NWO. The project is carried out in the Department of Theoretical Philosophy. Head of the project is Prof. Jeanne Peijnenburg. Qualifications Candidates for this postdoc position: * have a PhD in philosophy or in another field that is demonstrably relevant * have a background in, or familiarity with, the regress problem in epistemology or in the history of philosophy * have an excellent command of English and are prepared to present their research results in English * are willing to take part in the activities of the research team and present research results at international meetings and in international peer-reviewed journals * are willing and able to teach a small number of courses. Conditions of employment The University of Groningen offers a salary that is determined in accordance with the current scales as set out in the collective labor agreement for the Dutch universities (CAO) and has a range between £á 3,195 and £á 4,374 gross per month dependent on qualifications and experience based on a full time position. The position is temporary, with a maximum of three years (initial appointment of two years, with the possibility of renewal for a third year). A part-time appointment at 0.8 fte for four years is possible. How to apply To apply for the postdoc position, please send an e-mail to Mrs Anita Willems-Veenstra, email: [email protected] and attach: * in one file: a letter of application with reference to the vacancy number (also including an explanation of why you are particularly qualified for this project) and a curriculum vitae (including a list of publications, a short summary of your dissertation, and the names and contact information of two academic references) * a writing sample (such as a research paper or part of your dissertation). Women and members of under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Interviews are planned in the the first half of May. The closing date for applications is 8 April 2013. Acquisition is not appreciated. ******************************************************** 4. CALL FOR ENTRIES & PARTICIPATION: International Loebner Prize 2013 Contest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) http://www.paulmckevitt.com/loebner2013/ (DEADLINE: 03:06:2013) On Saturday, September 14th, 2013, The International Loebner Prize Contest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be hosted for the first time on the island of Ireland by The University of Ulster. Loebner Prize 2013 will be held during CultureTECH & City of Culture 2013 at The Imagineering Quarter, Derry~LondonDerry~LegenDerry, Northern Ireland. The Loebner Prize desperately seeks to find the world's best conversational chatbot computer program and is the first formal instantiation of `The Turing Test' which is named after Alan Turing, the brilliant British mathematician who also developed basic research on the theoretical foundation of computing science. Each year an Annual Prize & Bronze Medal is awarded to the most human-like computer. Loebner Prize 2013 Annual First Prize is: US$ 4000 + Annual Bronze Medal, Second Prize: US$ 1000, Third Prize: US$ 750 and Fourth Prize: US$ 250. All prizes are sponsored by New York Philanthropist, Dr. Hugh Loebner. A Call for Entries has been announced and the 4 entries with the highest scores will be selected as finalists. DEADLINE: Monday, 3rd June, 2013 [Closing Date]. The Loebner Prize contest, first inaugurated in 1991 at The Computer Museum (Boston, USA), has been hosted internationally at locations such as: Carnegie Hall (NY, USA), The Science Museum (London), The Powerhouse Museum (Sydney, Australia), Bletchley Park (England), Dartmouth College (NH, USA), California State University (LA, USA), University College London, Surrey, Reading & Exeter Universities (England), Flinders University (Adelaide, Australia) and even Hugh Loebner's apartment in New York City (USA). Loebner Prize 2013 will be filmed by WGBH (Boston, USA) & 360 Production (Derry/London) as part of a documentary on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Nova Primetime Science TV Series produced by Chad Cohen for screening on the USA Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Television Network. Further detail on Loebner Prize 2013 is available at: http://www.paulmckevitt.com/loebner2013/ ******************************************************** 5. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: European PhD program in computational logic, Bozen/Dresden/Wien/Lisboa (ITALY/GERMANY/AUSTRIA/PORTUGAL) http://www.epcl-study.eu/ (DEADLINE: 30:04:2013) The European PhD Program in Computational Logic (EPCL) is run jointly by four of the leading European universities in the field: - Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy), - Technische Universität Dresden (Germany), - Technische Universität Wien (Austria), and - Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal). Further international universities, research organizations and enterprises that contribute to Computational Logic or apply results from it are involved as associated partners: The Simon Fraser University (Canada), the Universidad de Chile, the NICTA (National ICT Australia), as well as several companies. The program involves three years of PhD study in at least two of the European partner universities. It leads to a joint doctoral degree issued by the partner universities at which the studies have been physically performed. The language of the program is English. Financial support is available in the form of positions and scholarships. A foundation track and an application-oriented track match with career perspectives in university research as well as in industrial research. Necessary requirements for participation in EPCL are: A Master's degree in Computer Science or Mathematics, or an equivalent degree; the proof of adequate knowledge of English; and substantial knowledge in the areas Foundations of Logics, Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Declarative Programming. The program starts annually in the winter term. Applications for 2013 have to be electronically submitted on the Webpage http://www.epcl-study.eu/ before the ========================================= Application Deadline on 30 April 2013 ========================================= If you have enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the coordinator of the program Prof. Steffen Hölldobler Technische Universität Dresden Fakultät Informatik International Center for Computational Logic Email: [email protected] Phone: +49 (351) 463 38340 EPCL is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) program International Doctorates in Germany (IPID). ******************************************************** 6. The Drapers' Company Junior Research Fellowship in the Humanities, Oxford (U.K.) (DEADLINE: 12:04:2013) The Drapers' Company Junior Research Fellowship University of Oxford The College invites applications for a Junior Research Fellowship in the Humanities, which has been generously funded by the Drapers’ Company and will be tenable for a non-renewable fixed term of three years from 1st October 2013 until 30 September 2016. The Fellowship is open to graduates of any University who are of post-doctoral or equivalent standing and are already engaged in independent research. Eligible candidates should normally have submitted their doctoral thesis and have fewer than five years of post-doctoral research experience by the closing date; they should not normally already hold, or have held a Junior Research Fellowship in the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge. The stipend of £17,144 per annum will be indexed to academic salary rises and pensionable under the Universities Superannuation Scheme. The successful applicant will also be entitled to free meals and free accommodation (or a housing allowance in lieu), and to computer and research allowances. Further details and an application form can be found by clicking the Apply link below or obtained from the Principal’s Secretary, Hertford College, Oxford OX1 3BW ([email protected]). Applications should be submitted to the Principal’s Secretary by 12.00 noon on Friday 12 April 2013. Candidates should also ask their referees to send confidential references direct to the Principal’s Secretary to arrive no later than 12.00 noon on Friday 12 April 2013. It is anticipated that short-listed candidates will be interviewed on Friday 10 May 2013. Hertford College is an equal opportunities employer. ******************************************************** More Information about the AISB can be found at www.aisb.org.uk Bulletins maintained by: Dr Katerina Koutsantoni Programmes Manager AISB Executive Officer Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London Addiction Sciences Building, B3.06 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill London SE5 8AF T: 020 7848 0191 F: 020 7848 0126 ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-f452e424 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-58d57657 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
