Wednesday, January 5, 2011

[DMANET] Pre-PhD Research positions at FORTH

Job Opening for Marie-Curie Early-Stage-Researcher Positions
Institute of Computer Science (ICS)
Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH)
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Early Stage Researcher (ESR) positions are available
at the Institute of Computer Science (ICS),
Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH),
Heraklion, Crete Island, Greece. These positions
are funded by the European Commission under
the Marie Curie Initial Training Network Programme
(project TransForm).

We address (pre-PhD) researchers with an MSc
aiming at significantly improving their career perspectives
from both the PUBLIC and PRIVATE sector.

The duration of the appointment is 2.5 years with a possibility
of extension funded from other sources. Applications for smaller periods
will also be considered. Applicants may also request to be considered
as candidates for the PhD program at the Department of Computer Science,
University of Crete, Greece.

RESEARCH TOPIC
--------------
The ESR will pursue research on the Theoretical Foundations
of Transactional Memory. Multicore architectures have come
to stay; yet multicore is useless without concurrent programming.
The current parallel programming approach of employing locks
is widely considered to be too difficult for any
but a few experts. Transactional Memory (TM) is
a new programming paradigm which is considered
by many researchers as the future of parallel programming.
To understand properly TM systems as well as be able
to assess them and improve them, a rigorous theoretical study
of the approach, its challenges and its benefits is badly needed.
This is the challenging research goal to be undertaken
by the recruited ESRs.

The recruited ESR will work in close collaboration
with the other academic partners of the project:
* EPFL, Switzerland (Prof. Rachid Guerraoui)
* Technische Universitaet of Berlin, Germany (Dr. Petr Kuznetsov)
* Technion, Israel (Prof. Hagit Attiya)
* University of Rennes I, France (Prof. Michel Raynal)

and with the possibility of collaboration with researchers from the industry:
* Deutsche Telekom, Germany
* Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK
* Sun Microsystems Labs, Massachusetts, USA
* IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, USA

ELIGIBILY & IMPORTANT DATES
---------------------------
The recruited researchers should be, at the time of selection,
in the first four years of their research careers (measured from the date
when they obtained the degree which would formally entitle them to embark
on a doctorate). Also:
* ESR should not already have a PhD and they should have the qualifications
to embark on a PhD program (i.e., s/he should have an MSc by the time
of the recruitment).
* ESR should be nationals of a country other than Greece or,
in case they are Greek, they should have legally resided
and have had their principal activities (work, studies, etc.)
in a country other than Greece for at least 3 out of the last 4 years, and
* ESR (regardless of their nationalities) must not have resided or carried out
their main activities (work, studies, etc.) in Greece for more
than 12 months in the last 3 years.

The positions are open until appropriate candidates are found.
The next cut-off date is January 31, 2011.


FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
--------------------
Marie Curie fellows enjoy good salaries and working conditions,
career development opportunities and work-life balance.
More specifically, the financial support of Marie Curie ITN
to the ESR includes:
* a fair monthly living and mobility allowance,
* a yearly travel allowance (i.e., a fixed amount of money based upon
the direct distance between the location of origin of the researcher
and Heraklion, Greece, where FORTH-ICS is located),
* a career exploratory allowance (i.e., a single payment for attending
job interviews, additional courses, job fairs, etc.), and
* coverage of the expenses related to the participation of the ESR
in research and training activities (contribution to research-related
costs, meetings, conference attendance, training actions, etc.).


HOW TO APPLY
------------
Please send an e-mail to <transform-appl@ics.forth.gr>
containing your curriculum vitae where you should include
information about your studies (degrees, date obtained, average
grade, etc.), your professional experience, and the names
and contact information of three potential referees.


GENDER EQUALITY
---------------
FORTH is an equal opportunity employer. Female candidates are particularly
encouraged to apply. Panagiota Fatourou (the coordinator of TransForm) is a woman,
as well as half of the project researchers. This identifies the extra sensitivity
of TransForm on gender equality issues; all possible efforts will be made to increase
participation of women researchers in the project.

MORE INFORMATION
----------------
About the project:
http://www.ics.forth.gr/carv/transform

About the Insitute of Computer Science and FORTH:
http://www.ics.forth.gr and http://www.forth.gr

About the Department of Computer Science and the University of Crete:
http://www.csd.uoc.gr and http://www.uoc.gr


THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND OF CRETE
*****************************
Living in Crete, the biggest (and one of the most beautiful) island
in Greece, can become an exciting experience. Crete is a multicolored
mosaic of mythology, history, culture, friendly and proud people,
rough and stony mountains, gorges, the always bright cretan sun
and the deep sea that surrounds the island. In addition to
the facilities offered by its big cities, one can really enjoy
the beauty of the landscape and the mountains.

The island offers a wide range of outdoor activites,
from mountaineering to all kind of watersports, to tennis,
basketball and footbal. Rock climbing, paragliding, parapente,
parachute, hiking (i.e., through the spectacular Europe's longest
Samaria Gorge as well as through many other smaller but well-known
gorgeous gorges of the island), mountain bike, all kind of sea sports
(from swiming to diving at a wonderful undersea world, to sailing,
etc.), cave exploration, as well as a plethora of other activites
(like horse riding, participation in local feasts, etc.) are only
some of the adventurous choices offered on the island.

Other attractions are in plentiful supply and include
the remains of the Minoan civilisation at Knossos
as well as a wide collection of other archeological sites
of interest, the astonishing Archaeological Museum in Iraklio,
pictersque villages spread all around the island,
the well-known traditional Cretan food, and
the wonderful beaches on the southern side of Crete.

Several beautiful small islands (like Gavdos, Chrissi, etc.)
are very close to Crete and are popular destinations for one day cruises.
Moreover, Crete is just two hours sailing away from the magnificent island
of Santorini (Thira) in Cyclades from which most of the Cyclades islands
can be reached.

Any discussion of Crete without mentioning its people would not be
complete. Cretans are a proud and independent people and their behavior
reflects their long history and their struggles against occupying forces:
"They are a truly admirable people who learnt to hold on stubbornly
throughout the tumultuous events of fourty centuries to their native character
and local speech. Courage, mingled with an independent spirit that is often
close to downright disobedience, a lively wit, vivid imagination, and a language
full of images, spontaneous and unaffected, love for every kind of adventure,
an indefatigable urge for freedom, that goes hand in hand with an insatiable
desire for bravado... A fertile land that has always given birth to the worthiest
of men both ..., in science and letters, in the economy and in war..."
("History of Crete" by Theoharis Theotokis).

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