Research Associate in Complex Systems Modelling - University of Sheffield

Vacancy Reference Number

UOS020405

Closing Date

18 Oct 2018

Salary

£31,302 to £39,609 Grade 7: per annum

Address

Faculty of Engineering: Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield

Duration

Fixed term until 12 August 2020

Contract Type: Fixed term to start as soon as possible with an end date of 12 August 2020

We have an exciting opportunity in the Department of Computer Science for someone with a real passion for complex systems looking to use their skills in computational and mathematical models to advance the state-of-the-art of distributed systems design.

You will join the Sheffield Robotics group in our large and diverse academic Department of Computer Science. Your standing and approaches will further strengthen our strong international research profile. You will work in a well-connected team with world-leading reputations in the area of decentralised systems and collective decision-making. We are well-known internationally for our research, and are one of the largest research groups in collective robotics in the UK.

You will use your mathematical and statistical analysis skills to provide essential support to the Swarm Awareness project helping to advance our understanding of complex, decentralised systems using techniques and concepts from statistical physics, nonlinear dynamical systems analysis, statistical decision theory, psychology, neuroscience and behavioural ecology. You will design models of decentralised consensus processes and perform symbolic and computational dynamical system analysis.

This role offers you the opportunity to independently develop creative approaches to problem solving by playing a key part in the research activities of the project. In this varied and dynamic role, you will be responsible for synthesising published research findings, identifying promising avenues of future research, and pursuing these. Working alongside Prof James Marshall and Dr Andreagiovanni Reina, the role will offer you an opportunity to work effectively under your own initiative and within a team. As this role requires an interdisciplinary approach, it provides an excellent opportunity to develop a scientific network with leading researchers from different fields pursuing similar scientific questions.

With responsibility for modelling decentralised consensus in swarm systems, you will add substantial benefit to the Swarm Awareness project by creating high-quality software for computational models, network analysis, and multiagent simulations. Other key aspects of the role will include the generation, statistical analysis, and multi-level modelling of simulation data. You will be responsible for disseminating research findings through the production of papers for high quality journals and presentation at international conferences, as well as to assisting with the implementation of swarm robotics experiments that showcase the theories developed in the project.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD (or equivalent experience) in mathematics, physics, or computer science, as well as experience of implementing and analysing numerical simulations. As this role involves multi-level modelling of decentralised systems, experience in symbolic analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems is highly desirable. Work on the project will require publication of results and travelling to conferences. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this research project, familiarity with areas of collective behaviour, swarm robotics, information theory, opinion dynamics, and complex networks would be an advantage.

For more information and to apply, click here