From Jakob.Macke at tuebingen.mpg.de Thu Nov 1 10:10:56 2012 From: Jakob.Macke at tuebingen.mpg.de (Jakob Macke) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2012 15:10:56 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Phd Position in Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning in Tuebingen In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <6BC7895D-BE87-457C-9247-202A673BDB8A@tuebingen.mpg.de> The newly established research group "Neural Computation and Behaviour" at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics T?bingen (http://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/research/rg/mackegroup.html) has an opening for a Phd student in the field of computational neuroscience and machine learning. The group is interested in gaining a better understanding of how populations of neurons collectively process sensory input, perform computations and control behaviour. To this end, we develop statistical methods and machine learning algorithms for neural data analysis, and collaborate with experimental laboratories performing measurements of neural activity and behaviour. The successful applicant will work on statistical methods for modelling the dynamics and across large-scale recordings of neural population activity. Applicants should have a a strong educational background with a first degree in a quantitative discipline (e.g. maths, physics, computer science), as well as an genuine interest in working on statistical modelling in neuroscience. Prior exposure to machine learning and programming skills (in particular in MATLAB) would be advantageous. The group is part of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (www.bccn-tuebingen.de) T?bingen and the Werner Reichhardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (http://www.cin.uni-tuebingen.de). The group also entertains close links with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the Eberhard Karls University of T?bingen. In mid June the Eberhard Karls University of T?bingen was placed among Germany?s elite universities in the highly competitive "Excellence Initiative" of the German government and the German Research Foundation. The thriving neuroscience research community in neuroscience and machine learning is composed of around sixty labs with more than 150 postdocs and 300 PhD students. Possibilities exist for multiple interactions between neurobiological, psychophysical, and theoretical researchers. In addition, T?bingen also features a newly established graduate school for Neural Information Processing (http://www.neuroschool-tuebingen-comput.de) which offers courses both on computational neuroscience and machine learning. T?bingen itself is a beautiful medieval town and home to one of the oldest European universities. It boasts a rich cultural community and is situated close to the Black Forest within 2h train or driving distance to France, Switzerland and Austria. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. All applications received before November 20, 2012 will receive full consideration. The starting date is flexible. Application materials should include a curriculum vitae, a brief and informal statement of research interests as well as the contact details of two referees. In addition, the application should include one or two samples of work of the applicant. This could be anything that is genuinely the own work of the applicant, e.g. a thesis, computer code, a research manuscript, an essay or course-work. Please send your application or informal inquiries to Jakob Macke, Jakob.Macke at tuebingen.mpg.de . From terry at salk.edu Fri Nov 2 14:59:04 2012 From: terry at salk.edu (Terry Sejnowski) Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:59:04 -0700 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL COMPUTATION - December, 2012 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Neural Computation - Contents -- Volume 24, Number 12 - December 1, 2012 Article The Shape of Phase Resetting Curves in Oscillators With a Saddle Node on an Invariant Circle Bifurcation Bard Ermentrout, Leon Glass, and Bart Oldeman Letters A Compartmental Model of Linear Resonance and Signal-transfer in Dendrites Alan Schoen, Ali Salehiomran, Matthew Larkum, and Erik Cook Exact Event-Driven Implementation for Recurrent Networks of Stochastic Perfect Integrate-and-Fire Neurons Thibaud Taillefumier, Jonathan Touboul, and Marcelo Magnasco Tuning Low-voltage-activated A-current for Silent Gain Modulation Ameera X Patel, Naomi Murphy, and Denis Burdakov Self-Consistent Learning of the Environment Kukjin Kang, Shun-ichi Amari Information-Geometric Measures for Estimation of Connection Weight Under Correlated Inputs Yimin Nie, Masami Tatsuno Design Strategies for Weight Matrices of Echo State Networks Tobias Strauss Welf Wustlich, and Roger Labahn Tangent Bundle Curve Completion With Locally Connected Parallel Networks Guy Ben-Yosef, Ohad Ben-Shahar A Common Network Architecture Efficiently Implements a Variety of Sparsity-based Inference Problems Adam S. Charles, Pierre Garrigues, and Christopher J. Rozell Linear Coordinate-Descent Message-Passing for Quadratic Optimization Guoqiang Zhang, Richard Heusdens Active Subspace: Towards Scalable Low-Rank Learning Guangcan Liu, Shuicheng Yan ------------ ON-LINE: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp COGNET: http://cognet.mit.edu/library/journals/journal?issn=08997667 SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2012 - VOLUME 24 - 12 ISSUES USA Others Electronic Only Student/Retired $70 $193 $65 Individual $124 $187 $115 Institution $1,035 $1,098 $926 Canada: Add 5% GST From rao at cs.washington.edu Sat Nov 3 16:25:30 2012 From: rao at cs.washington.edu (Rajesh Rao) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2012 13:25:30 -0700 Subject: Connectionists: First Indian Winter School and Conference on Computational Aspects of Neural Engineering Message-ID: We are pleased to announce the first Indian Winter School and Conference on Computational Aspects of Neural Engineering (see detailed schedule below). For further information, please visit the website below. Rajesh Rao (UW Seattle) and G. Rangarajan (IISc Bangalore) ========================================================================= First Indian Winter School and Conference on Computational Aspects of Neural Engineering Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India (Sponsored by VI-MSS and NSF SAVI) School: December 12-19 Conference: December 20-21 Organizers: Rajesh Rao (UW Seattle), G. Rangarajan (IISc Bangalore) Website: http://icerm.brown.edu/tw12-v2 Schedule -------------- Dec 12 Wed Day 1: Course Intro and Intro to Neuroscience 9:00-10:15am: Course Intro (Rajesh Rao & Govindan Rangarajan) 10:30-noon: Cellular neuroscience: neurons, spikes, synapses, plasticity (IISc faculty) Lunch 2-5pm: Systems neuroscience: Brain regions, functional specialization, motor control (IISc) Dec 13 Thu Day 2: Recording, Stimulation, and Signal Processing 9:00-10:15am: Recording/Stimulation techniques: Microelectrodes, EEG, ECoG, fMRI (IISc) 10:30-noon: Signal Processing: Fourier analysis, wavelets, PCA, ICA (IISc) Lunch 2-5pm: Lab: Intro to EEG data, basic signal processing (P. Brunner and J. Wander) Dec 14 Fri Day 3: Machine Learning, Electroencephalographic (EEG) BCIs 9-10am: Intro to machine learning and statistical inference (IISc) 10:15-noon: Regression, classification algorithms (IISc) Lunch 2-5pm: Intro, Principles and Survey of EEG BCIs (Peter Brunner) Dec 15 Sat Day 4: ECoG, EEG BCI lab 9:00-noon: Electrocorticography (ECoG): Intro and Examples (Nitish Thakor) Lunch 2-5pm: Lab: EEG BCI2000 demos (Brunner and Wander) Dec 15 Evening: Special Dinner for Winter School Speakers and Attendees Dec 16 Sun Day 5: Off day Dec 17 Mon Day 6: Electrocorticographic (ECoG) BCIs 9:00-noon: ECoG BCIs: Intro, Principles, Examples (Jeff Ojemann) Lunch 2-5pm: Lab: ECoG BCIs (Wander, Brunner) Dec 18 Tue Day 7: Intracortical BCIs 9am-noon: Intracortical BCIs Part I: Introduction, Principles, Examples (John Donoghue) Lunch 2-5pm: Intracortical BCIs Part II: Decoding Techniques, Examples (Wilson Truccolo) Dec 19 Wed Day 8: Applications, Ethics & Conclusion 9:00-noon: Applications, Ethics, Conclusion (Rajesh Rao) End of Winter School 4pm: Public lecture at IISc by John Donoghue Dec 20-21 Thu-Fri: Conference on Computational Aspects of Neural Engineering (Talks by all invited lecturers from school as well as other researchers) Dec 20 evening: Conference Dinner =============================== From aurel at ee.columbia.edu Sun Nov 4 16:13:53 2012 From: aurel at ee.columbia.edu (Aurel A. Lazar) Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2012 16:13:53 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: positions in computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, neuroinformatics and neurorobotics at Columbia University Message-ID: <1095055B-2EB5-40AE-B1ED-341B8C851A2D@ee.columbia.edu> TENURED/TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION (2012-2013) The Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia invites applications for tenure/tenure-track faculty positions at assistant professor, associate professor and full professor levels. One or more appointments will be considered. Applications are sought in all areas of electrical engineering, broadly interpreted. The department has particular needs in applications of EE in bioengineering including but not limited to computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, neuroinformatics and neurorobotics. The successful candidate should contribute to the advancement of the department by developing an externally funded research program, becoming a thought leader in the profession, contributing to the undergraduate and graduate educational mission of the department, and providing service to professional societies. The successful candidate is encouraged to establish multidisciplinary research and educational collaborations with academic departments and units across Columbia University. The department is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. First consideration will be given to applications received by December 31, 2012. For more information, see https://academicjobs.columbia.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1352062700130 Aurel http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20121104/a90b0f58/attachment.html From Julien.Mayor at unige.ch Mon Nov 5 08:12:26 2012 From: Julien.Mayor at unige.ch (Julien Mayor) Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:12:26 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Call for papers: Special Issue in Frontiers in Language Sciences Message-ID: Dear colleagues, In collaboration with Frontiers in Psychology, we are currently organizing a Research Topic (Special Issue), "50 years after the perceptron, 25 years after PDP: Neural computation in language sciences". The proposed structure of this Research Topic is provided below. Host Specialty: Frontiers in Language Sciences Research Topic Title: 50 years after the perceptron, 25 years after PDP: Neural computation in language sciences Topic Editor(s): Julien Mayor, Pablo Gomez, Franklin Chang, Gary Lupyan Description: The special issue aims to showcase the state of the art in language research while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the tremendously influential work of the PDP group, and the 50th anniversary of the perceptron. Although PDP models are often the gold standard to which new models are compared, the scope of this special issue is not constrained to connectionist models. Instead, we aim to create a landmark forum in which experts in the field define the state of the art and future directions of the psychological processes underlying language learning and use, broadly defined. We thus invite papers involving computational modeling and original research as well as technical, philosophical, or historical discussions pertaining to models of cognition. We especially invite submissions aimed at contrasting different computational frameworks, and their relationship to imaging and behavioral data. Article Submission Deadline: Apr 30, 2013 Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others). Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited. Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation. Details on Frontiers? fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures. For more information about this topic and Frontiers in Language Sciences, please visit: http://www.frontiersin.org/Language_Sciences/researchtopics/50_years_after_the_perceptron_/1287 It would be wonderful if you considered participating in this Research Topic. With best regards, Julien Mayor Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Language Sciences www.frontiersin.org --- Julien Mayor University of Geneva 40 Bd Pont d'Arve 1205 Gen?ve Tel: +41 (0)22 3798150 http://www.unige.ch/fapse/psycholinguistique/model.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20121105/eb7125c4/attachment.html From schwarzwaelder at bcos.uni-freiburg.de Mon Nov 5 03:31:23 2012 From: schwarzwaelder at bcos.uni-freiburg.de (=?ISO-8859-15?Q?Kerstin_Schwarzw=E4lder?=) Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:31:23 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Applications: Bernstein Award for Computational Neuroscience 2013 In-Reply-To: <509773BE.1030002@bcos.uni-freiburg.de> References: <509773BE.1030002@bcos.uni-freiburg.de> Message-ID: <5097795B.1070503@bcos.uni-freiburg.de> Dear colleagues, I would like to bring to your attention that for the eighth time, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has announced an open call for applications for a "Bernstein Award". The "Bernstein Award for Computational Neuroscience" is equipped with up to 1.25 Mio ? for a period of five years and allows young scientists of all nationalities to establish an independent research group at a German university or research institution. The BMBF announcement can be found under the following links: German version English version Posters to announce the Bernstein Award locally can be downloaded from here: German version English version *Application deadline is April 15, 2013.* Kind regards, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzw?lder Bernstein Coordination Site of the National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Hansastr. 9A 79104 Freiburg Germany phone: +49 761 203 9594 fax: +49 761 203 9585 schwarzwaelder at bcos.uni-freiburg.de www.nncn.de Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20121105/25b18c6b/attachment.html From bwyble at gmail.com Mon Nov 5 13:15:28 2012 From: bwyble at gmail.com (Brad Wyble) Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 13:15:28 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: PhD positions available at Penn State University Message-ID: Dear colleagues and students Strongly motivated PhD candidates are invited to apply for Ph.D candidacy in the Department of Psychology at Penn State University?s main campus in State College, PA. Applicants should ideally have strong computer programming skills (e.g., two or more years of experience programming in C, MatLab, Python, or equivalent) and a background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science or physics or biology. Fluency in English is also required. The research area will be some combination of visual attention, computer vision, and computational neuroscience, with a likely emphasis on understanding the temporal and spatial properties of visual processing, broadly construed. You can read more about the work in my lab at http://www.bradwyble.com/Labpage/Home.html. Penn State main campus offers a diverse array of resources for conducting research such as the SLEIC neuroimaging center: http://www.imaging.psu.edu/. There is also a diverse set of research interests both within the psychology department, and across the campus (e.g. Engineering: http://www.esm.psu.edu/wiki/research:cne:start; Neuroscience: http://www.huck.psu.edu/research/neurosciences, http://cbbc.psu.edu/; Social: http://www.ssri.psu.edu/) Interested applicants should apply to the Psychology department at http://psych.la.psu.edu/graduate/howToApply.html and should note that the deadline for applications is December 1st. Brad Wyble Assistant Professor Department of Psychology 140 Moore Building The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16801 bwyble at gmail.com www.bradwyble.com/Labpage From ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk Mon Nov 5 18:39:40 2012 From: ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk (Dr Amir Hussain) Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 23:39:40 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Final CFP for IEEE SSCI'13 with 14 Keynotes & 25 Special Sessions (planned) in Singapore, April 2013 Message-ID: Please forward to your colleagues and contacts who may be interested in attending this event. CALL For Contributions LISTING OF PLANNED KEYNOTES & TUTORIALS (more will be included to this listing): http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/epnsugan/index_files/SSCI2013/Keynote-Tutorial.htm To submit a paper, please go to: http://ieee-ssci.org/ IMPORTANT DATES: Tutorial \ Keynote Proposal Submission: Before 15th Jan 2013 Tutorial \ Keynote Decision Notification: 10 Feb 2013 Paper submission: 23 Nov 2012 (FINAL DEADLINE) Decision: 05 Jan 2013 Final submission: 05 Feb 2013 Early Registration: 05 Feb 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2013 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, IEEE SSCI 2013 15-19 April 2013, Singapore http://ieee-ssci.org/ IEEE SSCI 2013 is one of the two flagship biennial international events sponsored by the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE CIS) promoting all aspects of the theory and applications of computational intelligence. The IEEE SSCI co-locates several technical meetings at one location. This event attracts top researchers, professionals, and students from around the world. The IEEE SSCI 2013 (Singapore) now calls contributions from experts around the world. Please visit the IEEE SSCI 2013's web pages to learn more about the relevant topics and proposal submission procedures. The conference proceedings of the IEEE SSCI have always been included in the IEEE Xplore and indexed by all other important databases. For example, the proceedings of the IEEE SSCI 2011 have already been included in the IEEE Xplore and indexed by databases such as EI, SCOPUS, etc. LIST OF SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS: http://ieee-ssci.org/ ADPRL 2013, IEEE Symposium on Adaptive Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning, Marco Wiering, The Netherlands; Jagannathan Sarangapani, USA; Huaguang Zhang, China. IEEE ALIFE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Artificial Life, Terry Bossomaier, Australia; Chrystopher L. Nehaniv, UK; Hiroki Sayama, USA. CCMB 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence, Cognitive Algorithms, Mind, and Brain, Leonid Pervlovsky, USA; Damien Coyle, UK; Kai Keng Ang, Singapore; Jose F Fontanari, Brazil; Robert Kozma, USA. CIASG 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence Applications in Smart Grid, Ganesh K Venayagamoorthy, USA; Jung-Wook Park, Korea; Haibo He, USA. CIBCB 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Jung-Hsien Chiang, Taiwan; Pau-Choo (Julia) Chung, Taiwan. CIBIM 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Biometrics and Identity Management, David Zhang, Hong Kong; Qinghan Xiao, Canada; Fabio Scotti, Italy. CIC 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Creativity, Chuan-Kang Ting, Taiwan; Francisco Fern?ndez de Vega Spain; Palle Dahlstedt, Sweden; CICA 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Control and Automation, Xiao-Jun Zeng, UK. CICARE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Healthcare and e-health, Amir Hussain, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK; Calum MacRae, Harvard Medical School, USA; Warner Slack, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. CIComms 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Communication Systems, Maode Ma, Singapore; Paolo Rocca, Italy; Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, Ireland. CICS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Cyber Security, Dipankar Dasgupta, USA; Justin Zhan, USA; Kumaraguru Ponnurangam, India. CIDM 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Data Mining, Barbara Hammer, Germany; Zhi-Hua Zhou, China; Lipo Wang, Singapore; Nitesh Chawla, USA. CIDUE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Dynamic and Uncertain Environments, Yaochu Jin, UK; S Yang, UK; Robi Polikar, USA. CIES 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Engineering Solutions, Michael Beer, UK; Vladik Kreinovich, USA; Rudolf Kruse, Germany. CIEL 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Ensemble Learning, Nikhil R Pal, India; Xin Yao, UK; P N Suganthan, Singapore. CIFEr 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Financial Engineering and Economics, Shu-Heng Chen, Taiwan; Robert Golan, USA; Han La Poutre, The Netherlands; Ronald R. Yager, USA. CIfIoT 2013, IEEE International Workshop on Computational Intelligence for the Internet of Things, Antonio Manzalini, Italy; Hussein Mouftah, Canada; Vincenzo Piuri, Italy. CIHLI 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Human-like Intelligence, Jacek Mandziuk, Poland; Wlodzislaw Duch, Poland. CII 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Industry, Piero Bonissone, USA; Keeley Crockett, UK; Cristian Figueroa, Chile; Emilio Corchado, University of Salamanca, Spain. CIMI 2013, IEEE International Workshop on Computational Intelligence in Medical Imaging, Gerald Schaefer, UK; Sergio Damas, Spain. CIMSVP 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Multimedia Signal and Vision Processing, K M Iftekharuddin, USA; S Bouzerdoum, Australia. CIPLS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Production and Logistics Systems, B?lent ?atay, Turkey; Raymond Chiong, Australia; Patrick Siarry, France. CIRAT 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, Guilherme N DeSouza,USA; Shuzhi Sam Ge, Singapore. CISched 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Scheduling, Rong Qu, UK; Ling Wang, China; Quanke Pan, Liaocheng University, China. CISDA 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Security and Defense Applications, Akira Namatame, Japan; Nur Zincir-Heywood, Canada; Rami Abielmona, Canada. CIVI 2013, IEEE Workshop on Computational Intelligence for Visual Intelligence, Guilherme N DeSouza, USA; Yuanqiang (Evan) Dong, USA. CIVTS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Vehicles and Transportation Systems, Dimitar Filev, USA; Danil Prokhorov, USA. CompSens 2013, IEEE Workshop on Merging Fields of Computational Intelligence and Sensor Technology, Ivo Bukovsky, Czech Republic; Torsten Wagner, Japan EAIS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Evolving Adapting Intelligent Systems, Plamen Angelov, UK; Dimitar Filev, USA; Nikola Kasabov, New Zealand. FOCI 2013, IEEE Symposium on Foundations of computational Intelligence, Manuel Ojeda-Aciego, Spain; Carlos Cotta, Spain. GEFS 2013, IEEE International Workshop on Genetic and Evolutionary Fuzzy Systems, Rafael Alcala, Spain; Yusuke Nojima, Japan. HIMA 2013, IEEE Workshop on Hybrid Intelligent Models and Applications, Patricia Melin, Mexico; Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, India. IA 2013, IEEE Symposium on Intelligent Agents, Hani Hagras, UK; Vincenzo Loia, Italy. ICES 2013, IEEE International Conference on Evolvable Systems - From Biology to Hardware, Andy M Tyrrell, UK; Pauline C Haddow, Norway. MC 2013, IEEE Symposium on Memetic Computing, Zexuan Zhu, China; Maoguo Gong, China; Ji Zhen, China; Yew-Soon Ong, Singapore. MCDM 2013, IEEE Symposium on Multicriteria Decision-Making , Carlos A Coello Coello, Mexico; Piero Bonissone, USA; Yaochu Jin, UK. OC 2013, IEEE Workshop on Organic Computing, Rolf W?rtz, Germany. QCCI 2013, IEEE Symposium on Quantum Computing and Computational Intelligence, William N N Hung, USA; Swagatam Das, India; Marek Perkowski, USA. RiiSS 2013, IEEE Workshop on Robotic Intelligence in Informationally Structured Space, Honghai Liu, UK; Naoyuki Kubota, Japan. SDE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Differential Evolution, Janez Brest, Slovenia; Swagatam Das, India; Ferrante Neri, Finland; P N Suganthan, Singapore. SIS 2013, IEEE Swarm Intelligence Symposium, Yuhui Shi, P. R. China; P N Suganthan, Singapore. T2FUZZ 2013, IEEE Symposium on Advances in Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Systems, Simon Coupland, UK; Woeiwan Tan, National University of Singapore, Singapore WACI 2013, Workshop on Affective Computational Intelligence, Jean-Claude Martin, France, Marie-Jeanne Lesot, France; Maria Rifqi, France. -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. From roby at hials.no Mon Nov 5 19:15:57 2012 From: roby at hials.no (Robin T. Bye) Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2012 01:15:57 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: CFP: 27th European Conference on Modelling and Simulation in Aalesund, Norway, 27-30 May, 2013 Message-ID: <509856BD.1090408@hials.no> * Apologies for potential cross-posting * 27TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON MODELLING AND SIMULATION (ECMS2013) http://ecms2013.hials.no Dear fellow researchers in areas involving modelling, simulation, and its applications, We would like to cordially invite you to join us for the 27th European Conference on Modelling and Simulation (ECMS2013), to be held on May 27 - May 30 at AalesundUniversity College (AAUC), Norway. Please forward this information colleagues and research networks. CONFERENCE CHAIRS * Conference Chair: Associate Professor and Prorector, Webj?rnRekdalsbakken, AAUC * Conference Co-Chair and Programme Chair: Associate Professor Robin T. Bye, AAUC * Programme Co-Chair: Professor HouxiangZhang, AAUC KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Please visit http://ecms2013.hials.no/keynote-speakersfor details on keynote speakers and abstracts. ECMS2013 features outstanding researchers in their fields as keynote speakers: * Stephen Grossberg, Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems, Professor of Mathematics, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering, and Founding Director of the Center for Adaptive Systems, and the Center of Excellence for Learning in Education, Science, and Technology, Boston University, Boston, USA * May-BrittMoser, Professor and Founding Director at the KavliInstitute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for the Biology of Memory, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway * Peter D. Neilson, Associate Professor, Senior Visiting Fellow, and Founding Director of the NeuroengineeringLaboratory, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, UNSW, Sydney, Australia * MeganD. Neilson, Lecturer, Researcher, and Founding Director of the NeuroengineeringLaboratory, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, UNSW, Sydney, Australia * SigalBerman, Lecturer, Researcher and Head of the Intelligent Systems M.Sc. track in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-GurionUniversity of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. CALL FOR PAPERS Please visit http://ecms2013.hials.no/call-for-papersto download the call for papers. We welcome paper submissions on all aspects of modelling and simulation, including theoretical and applied research. Accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings. In addition, a small selection of high quality papers across all conference tracks may be published in well-known international journals. All submitted papers will be evaluated for the Best Conference Paper Award, and Best Student Paper Award. For details on deadlines, submissions, and fees, visit http://www.scs-europe.net/conf/ecms2013/deadlines.html The deadline for the full paper submission is February 15th, 2013. CONFERENCE TRACKS Please visit http://ecms2013.hials.no/conference-tracksfor a complete listing of track description and chairs. We now offer a variety of 16 tracks, including many of the traditional tracks but also many new ones. New tracks: ESE - Simulation, Experimental Science and Engineering in Maritime Operations (new chairs and different scope with maritime focus) MSRA- Modelingand Simulation in Robotic Applications (new) NEUROSIM- Simulation and Computational Neuroscience (new) SIMO- Simulation and Optimization (new) SIMVIS- Modelingand Simulation in Computer Vision for Image Understanding (new) SOCINT- Simulation of Social Interaction (new) SVT- Simulation and Visualization for Training and Education (new) Traditional tracks: ABS - Agent-Based Simulation CSM- Simulation of Complex Systems and Methodologies FES- Finance, Economics and Social Science HIPMOS- High Performance Modelling and Simulation IBS- Simulation in Industry, Business and Services IS - Simulation of Intelligent Systems LT - Discrete Event Modelling and Simulation in Logistics, Transport and Supply Chain Management MCT- Modelling, Simulation and Control of Technological Processes PM - Policy Modelling BACKGROUND The European Conference on Modelling and Simulation (ECMS) is the international conference dedicated to help define the state of the art in the field. For several years, ECMShas proven to be an outstanding forum for researchers and practitioners from different fields involved in creating, defining and building innovative simulation systems, simulation and modelling tools and techniques, and novel applications for modelling and simulation. SIMULATOR TOURS The local organizers and ECMSare very happy to announce an exciting programme that includes guided tours of the world's most advanced offshore simulator and world-renowned invited keynote speakers, thanks to financial support from local companies such as Rolls-Royce Marine, Offshore Simulator Centre, and Farstadshipping. LOCAL ATTRACTIONS Please visit http://www.visitalesund-geiranger.comfor travel information about ?lesundand the nearby UNESCO world heritage site Geirangerfjord. The town of ?lesundis beautifully situated on several islands on the coast of Sunnm?re, and is the gateway to some of the world's most famous fjords and natural attractions. The town has a strong and vibrant history, dating back to the Viking era, even though it was not granted municipal status until 1848. After being devastated in an enormous fire on January 23rd 1904, ?lesundwas rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style that characterizes the town today with its many turrets, ornaments and colourful facades. The town mountain Akslahas got a spectacular panoramic view of the Sunnm?reAlps, the town centre, the ocean and the islands in the archipelago. Today ?lesundis a modern and rapidly growing town, and with its 45.000 inhabitants it is the natural commercial and industrial capital of the Sunnm?reregion. The town has got a strong tradition in the maritime industry, and is considered the fisheries capital of Norway. ABOUT AALESUNDUNIVERSITY COLLEGE AalesundUniversity College (AAUC) is a university college with five faculties and more than 200 staff. We offer a wide range of study programmes in engineering, marine operations, biotechnology, business, and health. More information can be found on the ECMSoffice website http://www.scs-europe.net/conf/ecms2013 We look forward to welcoming you in Aalesund! Webj?rnRekdalsbakkenRobin T. Bye HouxiangZhang Conference Chair Conference Co-Chair & Programme Chair Programme Co-Chair -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de Tue Nov 6 05:54:50 2012 From: kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de (Janina Kirsch) Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2012 11:54:50 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Full Professorship (W3) in Optophysiology and Neurophysiology at the University of Freiburg, Germany Message-ID: <007801cdbc0d$2667dc70$73379550$@bcf.uni-freiburg.de> The Faculty of Biology and the newly established Research Cluster "BrainLinks-BrainTools" (BLBT), funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments, at the University of Freiburg invite applications for a %%%% %% %% Full Professorship (W3) %% in %% Optophysiology and Neurophysiology %% %%%% The applicant?s research should be in the area of systemic neurosciences and should focus on questions of neural networks and their activity dynamics in relation to neurotechnology and its applications. The application of modern neurobiological experimental techniques, in particular optogenetics and methods derived from it, is desired. The tasks associated with the position include teaching biology students in the field of optophysiology and neurophysiology. Close interactions and cooperations with the neuroscience research centers and institutions of the university are expected. For further information please visit the homepage of the Faculty of Biology at www.biologie.uni-freiburg.de and of the Cluster of Excellence ?BrainLinks-BrainTools? www.brainlinks-braintools.de. The position requires a completed university education, including PhD and German habilitation or equivalent scientific accomplishments, and teaching experience. The deadline for application is December 15, 2012. Complete applications along with all pertinent documents including a teaching record (exclusively in electronic form; e-mail: dekanat at biologie.uni-freiburg.de) should be addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Sch?nzlestrasse 1, D-79104 Freiburg. The University of Freiburg is an equal opportunity employer. Applications of women are strongly encouraged. Handicapped candidates with equivalent qualifications will be given preference. From daniele.marinazzo at gmail.com Tue Nov 6 10:33:42 2012 From: daniele.marinazzo at gmail.com (Daniele Marinazzo) Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2012 16:33:42 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Frontiers Research Topic: "Information-based methods for neuroimaging: analyzing structure, function and dynamics" Message-ID: In collaboration with Frontiers in Neuroscience, we are currently organizing a Research Topic, "Information-based methods for neuroimaging: analyzing structure, function and dynamics". The proposed structure of this Research Topic is provided below. Host Specialty: Frontiers in Neuroinformatics Research Topic Title: Information-based methods for neuroimaging: analyzing structure, function and dynamics Topic Editor(s): Daniele Marinazzo, Jesus Cortes, Miguel Angel Mu?oz Description: The aim of this Research Topic is to discuss the state of the art on the use of Information-based methods in the analysis of neuroimaging data. Information-based methods, typically built as extensions of the Shannon Entropy, are at the basis of model-free approaches which, being based on probability distributions rather than on specific expectations, can account for all possible non-linearities present in the data in a model-independent fashion. Thus, for instance, to compute the statistical dependence between two random variables, the Mutual Information accounts for the information bits that the two variables are sharing (if it is zero, the two variables are statistically independent). Mutual Information-like methods can also be applied on interacting dynamical variables described by time-series, thus addressing the uncertainty reduction (or information) in one variable by conditioning on another set of variables. This is the spirit of the growing-in-popularity Transfer Entropy (Schreiber 2000), an Information-based method to estimate directed influence. In the last years, different Information-based methods have been shown to be flexible and powerful tools to analyze neuroimaging data, with a wide range of different methodologies, including formulations-based on bivariate vs multivariate representations, frequency vs time domains, etc. Apart from methodological issues, the information bit as a common unit represents a convenient way to open the road for comparison and integration between different measurements of neuroimaging data in three complementary contexts: Structural Connectivity, Dynamical (Functional and Effective) Connectivity, and Consciousness. Mutual Information-based methods have provided new insights about common-principles in brain organization, showing the existence of an active default network when the brain is at rest. It is not clear, however, how this default network is generated, the different modules are intra-interacting, or disappearing in the presence of stimulation. Some of these open-questions at the functional level might find their mechanisms on their structural correlates. A key question is the link between structure and function and the use of structural priors for the understanding of the functional connectivity measures. As effective connectivity is concerned, recently a common framework has been proposed for Transfer Entropy and Granger Causality, a well-established methodology originally based on autoregressive models. This framework can open the way to new theories and applications. Information flow and transfer in the brain can be straightforwardly associated to consciousness: will the knowledge of the structure and the dynamics lead us to define consciousness? Do different information processing pathways exist in different consciousness states, or is simply the amount of information different? Information based measurements could help to clarify this issue. A Research Topic bringing together contributions from researchers from different backgrounds which are either developing new approaches, or applying existing methodologies to new data would be an optimal round table and starting platform for the development and validation of new Information-based methodologies for the understanding of brain structure, function, and dynamics. *Abstract Submission Deadline: March 01, 2013 Article Submission Deadline: November 01, 2013* Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others). Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited. Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation. Details on Frontiers? fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures. For more information about this topic and Frontiers in Neuroinformatics, please visit: http://www.frontiersin.org/Neuroinformatics/researchtopics/Information-based_methods_for_/1241 Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending a quick email and then your abstract using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/submissioninfo Daniele Marinazzo, Jesus M Cortes, Miguel Angel Mu?oz -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From matthewb at Princeton.EDU Tue Nov 6 12:11:57 2012 From: matthewb at Princeton.EDU (Matthew M. Botvinick) Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2012 17:11:57 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Princeton University: Application deadline Dec 1 Message-ID: <34702FF303339E44A25A632A6FC64D18467B5F74@CSGMBX204W.pu.win.princeton.edu> Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Princeton University: Application deadline Dec 1 Dear Colleague, We'll be grateful if you get a chance to forward this message to any interested students, or post the attached brochure, announcing the Ph.D. program in Neuroscience (http://neuroscience.princeton.edu/PhD) within the Princeton Neuroscience Institute (http://neuroscience.princeton.edu). Fall 2013 will see the fifth generation of students enrolling in this Ph.D. program. During our first four years, we have enrolled spectacular students, and we are again seeking the most highly motivated and creative students. Students from diverse backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply. Innovative coursework. A key component of our Ph.D. is year-long core course, taken in the first year and inspired by Woods Hole-style advanced courses. Students in this core course learn through a combination of lectures and first-hand experimental experience using modern, advanced methods. All students, regardless of previous experience, perform their own experiments. From single neurons and patch clamp, to ChR expression and activation, to in vivo electrophysiology in behaving animals, to computational modeling, to human neurophysiology and functional MRI, this course guides and teaches students about the brain as they learn to design, perform, analyze, and critique their own experiments. Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience track. We strongly encourage students with training in quantitative fields such as physics, mathematics, computer science, or engineering to apply to our PhD program. Research in quantitative approaches to the Life Sciences is particularly strong at Princeton University, including molecular biology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and psychology. A Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience (QCN) track exists within our neuroscience Ph.D. It teaches students with a quantitative background about neuroscience problems to which they can apply their quantitative skills. The QCN track also serves students with a biology background who wish to acquire further training in quantitative tools for the biological sciences. Faculty and research interests Michael Berry: Neural computation in the retina William Bialek (Associated): Interface between Physics and Biology David Blei (Affiliated): Probabilistic graphical models and approximate posterior inference Matthew Botvinick: Cognitive control, decision making, and working memory Lisa Boulanger: Neuronal functions of immune molecules Carlos Brody: Quantitative approaches to systems neuroscience Rebecca Burdine (Affiliated): Left-right patterning in the vertebrate embryo Tim Buschman: Understanding how neural circuits compute, drive behaviors, yield brain disorders, and can serve as therapeutic targets Rene Carmona (Affiliated): Stochastic models and image analysis Jonathan Cohen: Neural mechanisms of cognitive control Andrew Conway (Affiliated): Functional and effective connectivity of working memory networks Ingrid Daubechies (Affiliated): Time-frequency analysis and applications Lynn Enquist: Neurovirology Susan Fiske (Affiliated): Social Neuroscience: prejudice, social emotions, and dispositional attribution Liz Gavis (Affiliated): RNA localization and translational regulation during development in Drosophila Alan Gelperin (Associated): Biological, computational and electronic olfaction; learning and memory Asif Ghazanfar: Primate neuroethology and multisensory integration Elizabeth Gould: Neurogenesis and hippocampal function James Gould (Affiliated): Programming and decision making in animals Michael Graziano: Sensorimotor integration Charles Gross: Functions of the cerebral cortex in behavior Uri Hasson: Shared and idiosyncratic aspects of cortical response time courses Philip Holmes (Associated): Mathematical modeling John Hopfield (Emeritus): Computational neurobiology/biophysics Barry Jacobs: Brain monoamine neurotransmitters Sabine Kastner: Neural mechanisms of visual perception and attention Coleen Murphy (Associated): Molecular mechanisms of aging Mala Murthy: Neural codes underlying olfactory and auditory perception in Drosphila Yael Niv: Human and animal reinforcement learning and decision making Kenneth Norman: Cognitive neuroscience of learning and memory Daniel Osherson (Affiliated): How does the brain reason? Peter Ramadge (Affiliated): Video and image processing, and adaptive systems Michael Romalis (Affiliated): Biophysics theory and experiment Daniel Rubenstein (Affiliated): Adaptive patterns of social behavior Robert Schapire (Affiliated): Theoretical and applied aspects of machine learning Clarence Schutt (Affiliated): Biophysics and structural biology Robert Stengel (Affiliated): Optimal control of disease processes Jeffrey Stock (Affiliated): Membrance receptors and signal transduction David Tank: Measurement and analysis of neural circuit dynamics Alex Todorov (Affiliated): Cognitive neuroscience of social cognition and behavior Samuel Wang: Learning rules and design principles in neural circuits Ilana Witten: Neural circuits of learning probed with optogenetic tools For more information, please visit us at http://neuroscience.princeton.edu/PhD. Yours, Matt Botvinick --------------------------------------------------------------------- Matthew Botvinick, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor Director of Graduate Admissions Princeton Neuroscience Institute Princeton University 3-S-19 Green Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540 matthewb[at]princeton[dot]edu Phone: (609) 258-1280 Fax: (609) 258-1113 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Princeton_Neuroscience_PhD.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 892775 bytes Desc: Princeton_Neuroscience_PhD.pdf URL: From bengioy at iro.umontreal.ca Wed Nov 7 17:09:28 2012 From: bengioy at iro.umontreal.ca (Yoshua Bengio) Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 17:09:28 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: neural computation and adaptive perception / deep learning post-doc Message-ID: <279DAC59-0C37-4848-8917-5137FCEE5BA4@iro.umontreal.ca> Hello, The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research invites applications for a Junior Fellowship in Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception. Application deadline: January 21, 2013. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research brings together top international researchers to tackle many of the most interesting and pressing questions of our time. Our Junior Fellow Academy offers gifted, early career researchers the unique opportunity to participate in CIFAR?s global research network and to closely collaborate, and be mentored by, some of Canada?s and the world?s best researchers. CIFAR?s Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception (NCAP) Program is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to fill a Junior Fellowship position beginning in July 2013. The fellowship will be held in conjunction with a university postdoctoral appointment under the supervision of Yoshua Bengio and/or Pascal Vincent at the Universit? de Montr?al. Applicants should have a PhD in Computer Science, Computational Neuroscience, or a related discipline, and already have an exceptional track record of original research. The Junior Fellow will pursue his or her own research program, which should be related to computational approaches to how vision can be achieved by learning deep representations, preferably with some relevance to biological visual systems. To read the full advertisement and obtain application instructions, please visit: http://www.cifar.ca/JFA -- Yoshua Bengio -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From contact2013 at ecvp.uni-bremen.de Wed Nov 7 10:13:39 2012 From: contact2013 at ecvp.uni-bremen.de (ECVP 2013) Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:13:39 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Symposia ECVP 2013 Message-ID: <509A7AA3.2070103@ecvp.uni-bremen.de> *Call for Symposia ECVP 2013* The 36th European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP) will take place in Bremen, Germany, from August 25th to August 29th 2013. The special focus of the conference in 2013 will be Computational Neuroscience. ECVP features a number of user-organized symposia that provide a broad, but coherent overview about the state-of-the-art of a given topic. We highly encourage submissions of symposium proposals until December 31st 2012. We particularly also like to motivate young investigators to take the chance of organizing a symposium at this particularly pleasant and important conference. Symposia will have a total length of 2 hours. Individual talks should relate to each other and should be suited to also provoke discussion, but number and length of individual talks may be freely chosen. Symposia should be introduced by the organizer or another selected speaker to motivate both the general framework of the topic and the symposium's outline to the audience, and ideally should have a summary or prepared discussion at the end. Symposia are particularly beneficial if they aim at a diversity of ideas and people and should not restrict on single groups or 'schools'. To keep registration fees at a reasonable and low level, there is traditionally no extra financial support for symposia. Speakers are expected to register as normal participants to the conference. If you submit a proposal, please mail to symp2013 at ecvp.uni-bremen.de and include: 1. Organizer's address with affiliation, email and phone number. 2. The title of the proposed symposium and (not more than) one page that should clearly state the motivation, the aim and recurrent theme of the symposium. 3. List of speakers and the topic of contribution, and mention of whether they were contacted, have accepted, etc. All proposals will be reviewed by the program committee. Notification of symposium acceptance will be sent by January. You can find additional information at http://www.ecvp.uni-bremen.de/ In case of acceptance we will need: * Summary of symposium (200 words) for use in printed material. * List of agreed speakers, affiliations, email and mailing addresses. * Temporal structure of the symposium with exact sequence of talks. Include time for discussion and questions. * Abstracts of individual talks (each 200 words) * Special requests (audio-video, etc.) Best regards and awaiting many interesting proposals, ECVP 2013 team, Udo Ernst | Cathleen Grimsen | Detlef Wegener | Agnes Janssen -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr Wed Nov 7 09:10:21 2012 From: tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr (Tetiana AKSENOVA 218551) Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 14:10:21 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral Research Associate in neural engineering at CEA Grenoble, France Message-ID: Applicants are invited for a postdoctoral position in the field of neural engineering with the focus on Brain Computer Interface (BCI). The successful applicant will perform research in the fields of applied statistics, signal processing, adaptive modeling, machine learning and fast calculations for real time applications. The particular goal of the project is the development of ECoG based BCI with multiple degrees of freedom to control fragments of exoskeleton. He/she will be integrated to the group of signal processing working in collaboration with researchers of Clinatec whose expertise spans mathematics, computer science, microelectronics, and neuroscience with the goal of performing functional BCI system. The ideal candidate will have a doctoral degree, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline (Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics) with an emphasis on neuronal signals processing. Programming in Matlab and C/C++ will be part of the project. Candidates with the experience in BCI, EEG/ECoG data analysis, real time signal processing will be preferred. The work will be performed in CLINATEC (CEA, LETI, CLINATEC) at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission in Grenoble. For more information look at http://www-leti.cea.fr/fr/Decouvrez-le-Leti/Les-plateformes-d-innovation2/Clinatec Salary is commensurate with experience and the position carries a full social security and health coverage. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications including a CV, a motivation letter and the names of two references must be sent electronically to Tetiana Aksenova (tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr), Corinne Mestais (corinne.mestais at cea.fr). Selected candidates will be interviewed in Grenoble. For more information please e-mail to Dr.Tetiana Aksenova (tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr). _____________________ Dr. Tetiana Aksenova, Chair RTRA CEA/LETI/CLINATEC, MINATEC Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs 38054 GRENOBLE Cedex 9 Tel : +33 4 38 78 03 20 Fax : +33 4 38 78 54 56 Email : tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From weng at cse.msu.edu Thu Nov 8 00:28:23 2012 From: weng at cse.msu.edu (Juyang Weng) Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:28:23 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: New Book: Natural and Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Computational Brain-Mind Message-ID: <509B42F7.8050301@cse.msu.edu> Dear colleagues, You might be interested in this new book about the connectionist brain-mind. -John BMI Press New Book NAI-Front-Cover Natural and Artificial Intelligence Introduction to Computational Brain-Mind /Juyang Weng/ BMI Press , 2012 Hardcover, 445 pages, 104 illustrations Monograph and textbook with problems & math appendix Instructors contact the author for the instructor's package ISBN: 978-0-9858757-2-5 Price $65 Download the beginning in pdf NAI-Back-Cover About the book The mind is what the brain does. This book tries to map a mind model to the corresponding brain so as to not only deepen our understanding of both the brain and the mind, but also unveil computational underpinnings. That is why the words "Brain-Mind" are hyphenated in the title. This volume strives to unify natural intelligence with artificial intelligence. It approaches intelligence through not only what intelligence is but also how intelligence arises. Examples of disciplinary questions related to the material in this book: * Biology: How does each autonomous cell interact with the environment to give rise to animal behaviors, and what cellular roles is the genome likely to play? * Neuroscience: From an overarching perspective, how does a brain self-wire, perform top-down attention, and develop its functions? * Psychology: How does an integrated brain architecture accomplish multiple psychological learning models and develop brain's external behaviors? * Computer Science: How does a brain-like network compute, adapt, reason, and generalize, and how is the automaton theory related to the brain-like network? * Electrical Engineering: How does a brain-like network perform general-purpose, nonlinear, feedback sensing-and-control, beyond traditional nonlinear control? * Mathematics: How does a brain-like network perform general-purpose, nonlinear optimization, and how does a brain realize emergent functionals? * Physics: How do meanings arise from physics, and how does a brain-like network treat space and time in a unified way, reminiscent of relativity? * Social sciences: How do computational principles of human brains provide insight into possible solutions to a variety of social and political problems? Short bio about the author Juyang Weng received his BS degree from Fudan University, and MS and PhD degrees from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, all in Computer Science. He is a professor at the Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, a faculty member of the Cognitive Science Program and the Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is a fellow of IEEE. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: NAI-FrontCover-small.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 215548 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: NAI-BackCover-small.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 347428 bytes Desc: not available URL: From udo at neuro.uni-bremen.de Fri Nov 9 08:52:33 2012 From: udo at neuro.uni-bremen.de (Udo Ernst) Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:52:33 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PhD at Bremen University (3 years, salary E13/2): Neuronal mechanisms of rapid functional configuration Message-ID: <509D0AA1.2080302@neuro.uni-bremen.de> Open Position at University of Bremen, Germany: Rapid Parallel Configuration of Visual Information Processing (Bernstein Award Udo Ernst) Information processing in the brain is highly flexible and depends on various factors such as the current behavioural task, contextual information in the subjects? environment, and internal states of the brain. This flexibility allows our brain to rapidly configure different cognitive functions as required by the actual situation, and to reallocate limited neuronal resources to the most important computational processes. Our project aims at a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms and cognitive strategies supporting functional configuration and task switching. For the planned electrophysiological studies in subproject B, we seek a highly motivated PhD student who is also interested in closely collaborating with theoreticians. Starting date is as soon as possible, and applications will be considered ***until 6th of December 2012***. If you are interested, please send your application in English (or German) language, including your letter of motivation, CV, copies of school and university certificates (master/diploma or equivalent) to: Udo Ernst Cognium Hochschulring 18 Universit?t Bremen D-28359 Bremen Germany E-Mail: udo at neuro.uni-bremen.de Further information on the corresponding position and project below, see also http://www.bernstein.uni-bremen.de Goal of subproject B is to investigate neural signatures and mechanisms of parallel functional configuration in multiple visual areas with massively parallel multielectrode recordings. The PhD student will conduct experiments on awake behaving macaque monkeys in collaboration with the group of Prof. Dr. Andreas Kreiter (http://www.brain.uni-bremen.de), and analyze the collected data. This includes familiarization and training of the monkeys, preparation of the experimental setup and recordings, implantation of the electrode arrays, and recording of the data under different visual perception tasks. For analyzing the data, he/she should be familiar with the following methods: filtering, Wavelet-analysis, cross- and autocorrelation, standard techniques of coherence analysis (phase coherency, spectral coherence, etc.), classification with methods from machine learning, and elementary concepts from information theory. Behavioural and electrophysiological data shall be rapidly preprocessed, and made available, for the collaborators in subprojects A1 and A2. He or she should have a degree (master/diploma or equivalent) in natural sciences (e.g. Biology) with focus on experimental work (preferably Animal Physiology). Basic knowledge in programming and in formal methods/Computational Neuroscience are required. We expect a high motivation for communicating and collaborating with the other subprojects. From corticalcomputer at gmail.com Sun Nov 11 11:36:08 2012 From: corticalcomputer at gmail.com (Gene Sher) Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2012 11:36:08 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: eBook version of the "Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang" is now in print. Message-ID: Dear Connectionists, The eBook version of my the Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang, is now in print: http://www.springer.com/computer/swe/book/978-1-4614-4462-6 The Hardcover version will be available within the next 2-3 weeks from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Springer directly. Book overview: - Provides a friendly step-by-step guide on the construction of Topology and Weight Evolving Artificial Neural Network systems from start to finish - Covers novel material for using Erlang in the construction of TWEANN systems - Explains why Neural Network based Computational Intelligence systems map perfectly to Erlang?s architecture, and the importance of this programming language to the future of computational intelligence - Introduces new TWEANN algorithms, with the final result being a concurrent, cutting edge, direct and indirect encoded, plasticity enabled, TWEANN platform *Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang* presents both the theory behind, and the methodology of, developing a neuroevolutionary-based computational intelligence system using Erlang. With a foreword written by Joe Armstrong, this handbook offers an extensive tutorial for creating a state of the art Topology and Weight Evolving Artificial Neural Network (TWEANN) platform. In a step-by-step format, the reader is guided from a single simulated neuron to a complete system. By following these steps, the reader will be able to use novel technology to build a TWEANN system, which can be applied to Artificial Life simulation, and Forex trading. Because of Erlang?s architecture, it perfectly matches that of evolutionary and neurocomptational systems. As a programming language, it is a concurrent, message passing paradigm which allows the developers to make full use of the multi-core & multi-cpu systems. *Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang* explains how to leverage Erlang?s features in the field of machine learning, and the system?s real world applications, ranging from algorithmic financial trading to artificial life and robotics. It covers in detail the subject of Neuroevolution, its applications, why Erlang is the quintessential neural network programming language, and the construction of DXNN2: https://github.com/CorticalComputer/DXNN2 A robust, purely Erlang, Topology and Weight Evolving Artificial Neural Network platform, capable of evolving direct and indirect systems, with and without plasticity, and a hierarchical structure that yields easily to allow one to develop self-repairing intelligent agents. Best regards, -Gene -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr Thu Nov 15 08:17:02 2012 From: pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr (Pierre-Yves Oudeyer) Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:17:02 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: [publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development, Fall 2012 Message-ID: <3963E46A-3AD3-4B8D-8B78-54B3B8BA4F6C@inria.fr> Dear colleagues, It is my pleasure to announce you the release of the latest issue of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development, available at: http://www.cse.msu.edu/amdtc/amdnl/AMDNL-V9-N2.pdf === Dialog initiated by D. Mareschal, with responses from L. Smith, P. Dayan, G. Westermann, A. Karmiloff-Smith This newsletter features a stimulating dialog studying which are the adequate levels of abstraction for modeling cognitive development, and for capturing the corresponding dynamic interaction of biological and physical components at several scales of time and space. Together with an initiation and a synthesis by Denis Mareschal, the newsletter features contributions from Linda Smith, Peter Dayan, Gert Westemann and Annette Karmiloff-Smith. == New dialog initiated by J. Weng Then, a new dialog initiation by Juyang Weng digs into the concept of autonomy for ?skull-closed? learning robots, and its implications for socially assistive robotics, echoing the April 2012 dialog column on the interaction between HRI and developmental robotics scientific approaches. In particular he calls for a detailed argumentation of the pros and cons for using emergent representations and skull-closed developmental approaches for assistive robotics applications. Those of you interested in reacting to this dialog initiation are welcome to submit a response (contact pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr) by March 1st, 2013. The length of each response must be between 500 and 700 words (including references). Next to the dialogs, Angelo Cangelosi, the chair of the IEEE AMD TC, provides an overview of the news and activities of the TC. Finally, the newsletter features a call for paper for a IEEE TAMD special issue on "Microdynamics in Interaction: Capturing and Modeling Early Social Learning", edited by Gedeon Deak and Katharina Rohlfing. Deadline for paper submission is 15th january 2013. Information on IEEE TAMD journal: http://cis.ieee.org/ieee-transactions-on-autonomous-mental-development.html Let me remind you that previous issues of the newsletter are all open-access and available at: http://www.cse.msu.edu/amdtc/amdnl/ I wish you a stimulating reading! Best regards, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Editor of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development INRIA and Ensta-ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com http://flowers.inria.fr -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tomas.hromadka at gmail.com Mon Nov 12 05:14:29 2012 From: tomas.hromadka at gmail.com (Tomas Hromadka) Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:14:29 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: COSYNE2013: Abstract submission closes on Fri Nov 16 Message-ID: <50A0CC05.8090600@gmail.com> ================================================================= Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING WORKSHOPS Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2013 Mar 4 - 5, 2013 Salt Lake City, Utah Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah http://www.cosyne.org ================================================================= ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Fri 16 Nov 2012 (11:59pm PST) The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks are selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. INVITED SPEAKERS: William Bialek (Princeton) Kwabena Boahen (Stanford) Carlos Brody (Princeton) Ila Fiete (U Texas, Austin) Yves Fregnac (CNRS-UNIC) Deborah Gordon (Stanford) Eve Marder (Brandeis) J Anthony Movshon (NYU) Paul Schrater (U Minnesota) Terrence Sejnowski (Salk) Barbara Shinn-Cuningham (Boston U) When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. WORKSHOP TITLES: The awake and anesthetized cortex ? similar or different? Beyond optogenetics: new approaches for systems neuroscience. Dendritic computation in neural circuits. Furry statisticians ? how rodents infer the meaningful properties of unreliable environments. Large-scale neuronal simulations ? science, languages and platforms. Neural mechanisms for orienting decisions across the animal kingdom. Neural mechanisms of foraging decisions. A new chapter in the study of functional maps in visual cortex. Priors in perception, decision-making and physiology. Reticular microcircuits: from structure to function. Reward-based decision-making. Understanding the brain by building one: New neuroscience on VLSI hardware. Why does neocortex need six layers and even more cell types? ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chairs: Jonathan Pillow (UT Austin) and Nicole Rust (Penn) Program Chairs: Marlene Cohen (U Pittsburgh) and Peter Latham (UCL) Workshop Chairs: Jessica Cardin (Yale) and Tatyana Sharpee (Salk) Communications Chair: Kanaka Rajan (Princeton) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Anne Churchland (CSHL) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) From A.VanSchaik at uws.edu.au Wed Nov 14 01:50:38 2012 From: A.VanSchaik at uws.edu.au (Andre Van Schaik) Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:50:38 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Australian Research Council Future Fellowship at the MARCS Institute. Message-ID: Call for Expressions of Interest ARC Future Fellowships Brain and Behaviour Research at the MARCS Institute Australian Research Council Future Fellowships for mid-career researchers The Australian Research Council (ARC) is currently calling for applicants for the Future Fellowships scheme. This mid-career research fellowship provides salary and project costs for four-year to successful applicants who have been awarded their PhD between 5 and 15 years(see www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/futurefel/future_default.htm for further information). The MARCS Institute At the MARCS Institute, a vibrant interdisciplinary Research Institute of the University of Western Sydney, we will work with mid-career researchers to develop highly competitive Future Fellowship applications to conduct research in our well-equipped research environment in any of our 5 research programs: ? Bioelectronics & Neuroscience: computational and electronic modelling to reverse engineer the brain and biomedical instrumentation design. ? Human Machine Interaction: Believability of virtual agents? behaviour in cyber-physical worlds; cyber-physical interfaces, natural interaction between virtual and physical worlds. ? Multisensory Processing: Signal ? brain -, and behavioural level investigations of the multisensory processing that underpins our sense of being in a stable, interpretable world. ? Music Cognition & Action: Investigation of the temporal dynamics in individual and group performance and perception of music and dance. ? Speech & Language: Research within and between languages, with infants, children and adults focussing on speech perception, speech production, and related skills such as literacy. The MARCS Institute is 100-person strong, 1500m2 research hub with >$3.5M of specialist equipment for conducting behavioural, neuroscience, and computational research on human-human and human-machine communication in normal, heightened and degraded contexts. MARCS is involved in a range of national and international research collaborations and industry partnerships and the MARCS team includes members and collaborators from Medicine, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Linguistics, Psychology, Education, Music, and Communication Arts. More information about MARCS? research and researchers can be found at marcs.uws.edu.au. Expressions of Interest submission MARCS will offer expert assistance to Future Fellowship applications where these fit closely with one or more aspects of our research program. Please consult the Institute?s website (marcs.uws.edu.au/research) for further details of the Institute?s research program. Applicants seeking the endorsement of MARCS need to complete the attached Expression of Interest and forward it by 27 November 2012 (which is earlier than the date advised on the form). These should be sent to UWS Senior Project Development Manager Annette McLaren (a.mclaren at uws.edu.au). Prospective applicants are advised to contact Annette McLaren before completing the Expression of Interest for guidance regarding the fit between their proposed project and the Institute?s research, and the levels of research performance that applicants will need to demonstrate. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From retienne at jhu.edu Thu Nov 15 12:30:48 2012 From: retienne at jhu.edu (retienne) Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 12:30:48 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: 2013 Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Workshop: Call For Topics Message-ID: <50A526C8.2050907@jhu.edu> Call for Topic Area Proposals 2013 Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop Telluride, Colorado, June 30 -July 20, 2013 We are now accepting proposals for Topic Areas in the 2013 Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop. We support topics and projects in neuromorphic cognition, particularly those that involve solving challenging ?everyday? tasks that incorporate domain-specific knowledge, exploration, prediction, and problem solving. In particular, we are interested in projects that hold promise for addressing Grand Challenge types of problems that do not have strong solutions of any form, neuromorphic or not. These Challenge problems should feature long-duration sensorimotor problems that involve autonomous cognitive decision making. Examples might include tasks such as learning a new language, navigating through an unknown environment to locate an object or reach a desired location, adaptively manipulating unknown or complex objects in the service of a task, playing a game requiring inference of hidden information or long-term planning and learning, etc. Proposals related to hardware technologies that aim to bring these capabilities to reality are also encouraged. Topic proposals that aim to solve a particular problem using the multidisciplinary experience of participants will be favored over topics that simply gather a large number of people working within a discipline, or using a single technology, or approach. Topic areas for this summer's Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop will be chosen from proposals submitted to the organizers. Important: Due to the nature of our NSF grant (primary funding source), two topic areas are already established: ?Interpreting actions of manipulation? and ?Human-robot cooperation in the identification of speakers and exploration of space?. We will also have a ?Future hardware technologies? tutorial/projects group. Topic areas can span a large field; we are looking for leadership in planning activities and inviting good people in a field. Although past topic areas have tended to be very broad and discipline-oriented (e.g., cognition, audition, vision, robotics, neural interfacing, neuromorphic VLSI, etc.), application-oriented topic areas (e.g., sensor fusion, game-playing robot, object recognition, sound localization, human robot interaction, etc.) are especially desirable. Topic area leaders will receive housing for themselves and their invitees, and limited travel funds. Topic area leaders will help to define the field of neuromorphic cognition engineering through the projects they pursue and the people they invite. They shape their topic by inviting speakers and project leaders (the invitees) and by initiating topic area project discussions prior to the workshop. Teams of two organizers are required. One of the organizers should be an attendee of a previous Telluride Workshop (in any capacity) and has stayed at the Workshop for at least one week. Pre-workshop topic area choices and study assignments. Before the workshop begins, each topic area will be required to prepare and distribute study materials that constitute: 1) an introductory presentation (e.g., pptx, video, review paper) of the fundamental knowledge associated with the topic area that everyone at the workshop should be exposed to, and 2) a few critical papers that the participants in the topic area should read before the workshop. The topic area should 3) begin a serious group discussion of the projects (e.g., via Facebook, Skype, email, etc). The maximum 2-page proposals should include: 1. Title of topic area. 2. Names of the two topic leaders, their affiliations, and contact information (email addresses!). 3. A paragraph explaining the focus and goals of the topic area. 4. A list of possible specific topic area projects. 5. A list of example invitees (up to six names and institutions). No commitments necessary. 6. Any other material that fits within the two-page limit that will help us make a smart choice. Send your topic area proposal in pdf or text format to organizers13 at neuromorphs.net with subject line containing "topic area proposal". Proposals must be received by January 7, 2013; proposals received after the deadline may still be considered if space is available. Resources limit the workshop to roughly 2 additional topic areas, each with 5 invitees. If your proposal for the topic area is not accepted, we will work with you to see if there is a natural way to include your ideas (and you) into the accepted topic areas. We hope to have significant turn-over each year in the topic areas and leaders to ensure fresh new ideas and participants. See the Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering (www.ine-web.org) for background information on the workshop and neuromorphs.net for past workshop wikis. We look forward to your topic proposals! Deadline: January 7, 2013 The Workshop Directors: Cornelia Ferm?ller (University of Maryland), Ralph Etienne-Cummings (Johns Hopkins Univ.) Shih-Chii Liu (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich), Timmer Horiuchi (University of Maryland) Former Directors: Tobi Delbruck (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) -- ------------------------------------------------- Ralph Etienne-Cummings Professor Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering The Johns Hopkins University 105 Barton Hall 3400 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel: (410) 516 3494 Fax: (410) 516 2939 Email: retienne at jhu.edu URL: http://etienne.ece.jhu.edu/ -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Telluride Workshop 2013-Call for Proposals.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 76561 bytes Desc: not available URL: From pierre.kornprobst at inria.fr Mon Nov 19 07:55:56 2012 From: pierre.kornprobst at inria.fr (Pierre Kornprobst) Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:55:56 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc, Ph.D. and internship positions in mathematical and computational neuroscience are available at Inria Message-ID: Postdoctoral, Ph.D. and internships positions are available at Inria (France) in the mathematical and computational neuroscience team Neuromathcomp headed by Olivier Faugeras. The research effort involves several projects on modelling and analysing neural activity at different scales with applications to the understanding of the visual system. Your profile: You have a background in Computational Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Physics or Engineering Science and you are highly motivated to have an interdisciplinary experience between Neuroscience, Mathematics and Computer Science? We offer an exciting environment strongly conductive to academic research with excellent working conditions. Please visit our website to check our current offers: http://www-sop.inria.fr/neuromathcomp/public/jobs.shtml Pierre Kornprobst Web: http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Pierre.Kornprobst/ Tel: +33 (0)4 92 38 79 79 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dayan at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk Wed Nov 14 07:37:31 2012 From: dayan at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk (Peter Dayan) Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:37:31 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD places @ Gatsby Message-ID: <20121114123731.GA24813@gatsby.ucl.ac.uk> PhD programme at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/phd/index.html The deadline for all applications is 5pm 16th December 2012. The Unit is looking for exceptional PhD candidates. Applicants should have a strong analytical background, a keen interest in neuroscience and / or machine learning and a relevant first degree, for example in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology or Statistics. Students seeking to combine work in neuroscience and machine learning are particularly encouraged to apply. Competitive fully-funded studentships are available (to EU and overseas students) and the Unit also welcomes students with pre-secured funding or with other scholarship/studentship applications in progress. Although you may be able to bring funding it is not part of our admissions criteria. 1) Applicants are encouraged to apply directly to the Unit in the first instance by forwarding, in PDF or plain text format where possible: * their CV, * a statement of research interests, * transcript(s) for previous degrees: http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/phd/transcripts.html * and arranging for three academic referees to forward letters of reference in this format http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/phd/referee_form.html, 2) These should be sent to admissions at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk. General enquiries should also be directed to this e-mail address. For further details of research interests, please visit the Unit's website http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/research.html Applications for 2013 entry (commencing in late September 2013) should be received no later than 5pm 16th December 2012. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend interview in the week commencing 11th March 2013. Candidates offered a place on the Gatsby Unit programme will be required to meet UCL standard admissions requirements. Details of these can be found under 'Application and Entry' at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate-study/ Please note there are English language proficiency requirements for international applicants. From hakwan at gmail.com Mon Nov 19 20:10:49 2012 From: hakwan at gmail.com (Hakwan Lau) Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:10:49 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: postdoc at UCLA (multi-unit recording) Message-ID: Hi I wonder if I can post the following to your list? H A postdoctoral position to be based at the David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA is available to study the neuronal basis of subjective confidence & attention in visual perception. This project is a collaboration between Drs. Hakwan Lau and Michele Basso. In the newly constructed Fuster laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience there are state of the art facilities for electrophysiological and surgical procedures. The ideal candidate has some experience in conducting single or multi- unit neuronal recording in awake subjects, and is familiar with the primate visual system, especially the circuitries involved in perceptual decision making. UCLA has a thriving neuroscience community providing exciting opportunities for intellectual development for the candidate. To apply please send a brief statement describing research interests, a curriculum vitae, bibliography and at least 2 letters of reference to: Dr. Hakwan Lau (hakwan at gmail.com) and Dr Michele Basso (mbasso at mednet.ucla.edu), before Dec 7, 2012 (or as soon as possible). Hakwan Lau, D.Phil http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~hclau/ From bazhenov at salk.edu Thu Nov 15 13:17:42 2012 From: bazhenov at salk.edu (Maxim Bazhenov) Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:17:42 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience to study sleep oscillations Message-ID: <50A531C6.50603@salk.edu> Applications are invited for NIH-funded post-doctoral position in the laboratory of Dr. Maxim Bazhenov at the University of California, Riverside to study mechanisms and functions of sleep oscillations. The successful candidate will join a research team involving the laboratories of Eric Halgren (UCSD), Terry Sejnowski (UCSD) and Maxim Bazhenov (UC Riverside). For relevant references see Bonjean et al, Journal of Neuroscience, 2011, 2012. The ultimate goal of this work is to understand mechanisms and functions of sleep rhythms and the role of sleep oscillations in memory and learning. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design of a thalamocortical model generating sleep rhythms based on existing experimental data. These models will be used to understand underlying neural mechanisms, as well as guide data analysis and produce novel experimental predictions. Qualified applicants are expected to have experience in computational/theoretical neuroscience and conductance-based neural modeling. Programming experience with C/C++ is required. Knowledge of PYTHON or MATLAB is a plus. The University of California offers excellent benefits. Salary is based on research experience. The initial appointment is for 1 year with a possibility of extension. Applicants should send a brief statement of research interests, a CV and the names of three references to Maxim Bazhenov at maksim.bazhenov at ucr.edu -- Maxim Bazhenov, Ph.D. Professor, Cell Biology and Neuroscience University of California Riverside, CA 92521 Ph: 951-827-4370 http://biocluster.ucr.edu/~mbazhenov/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shimon.whiteson at gmail.com Sat Nov 17 02:47:06 2012 From: shimon.whiteson at gmail.com (Shimon Whiteson) Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2012 08:47:06 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Phd position in active perception and control at the University of Amsterdam Message-ID: <739F179B-00C9-4D55-B947-F8DFBAB41094@gmail.com> The Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam invites applications for a fully funded position for a PhD student in the area of active perception and control. The position is within the Intelligent Systems Lab Amsterdam and will be supervised by dr. Gwenn Englebienne and dr. Shimon Whiteson. Application closing date: 15 December 2012, or until position is filled Starting date: 1 February 2013 Duration: 4 years The research will focus on the development of active perception and control algorithms for teams of robots. This will require advancing the state of the art in computer vision, multimodal perception, and decision-theoretic planning and learning. The research will be conducted as part of a European project called "Multi-Robot Cognitive Systems Operating in Hospitals (MOnarCH)" in which the University of Amsterdam collaborates with several other European universities and companies. The project aims to develop a network of heterogeneous robots and sensors for deployment in the pediatric area of an oncological hospital. It will handle uncertainties introduced by people and robots, generate natural interactions, and engage in edutainment activities. Applicants must have a master's degree in computer science or a closely related area. In addition, a successful candidate should have: * strong math and programming skills. * strong background in artificial intelligence: particularly useful is knowledge of machine learning, reinforcement learning, robotics, and computer vision. Experience with human-computer interaction and multimodal interfaces are a plus. * strong oral and written communication skills. The successful candidate will be based in the Intelligent Systems Lab Amsterdam (ISLA) within the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam. The institute was recently ranked among the top 50 computer science departments in the world by the 2011 QS World University IT Rankings. ISLA consists of 20 members of faculty, 20 postdoctoral researchers, and more than 50 PhD students. Members of the lab are actively pursuing a variety of research initiatives, including machine learning, decision-theoretic planning and learning, multiagent systems, human-computer-interaction, natural language processing, information retrieval, and computer vision. Some of the things we have to offer: * competitive pay and excellent benefits * extremely friendly working environment * high-level of interaction * location near the city center (10 minutes by bicycle) of one Europe's most beautiful and lively cities * international environment (10+ nationalities in the group) * access to high-end computing facilities (cluster with 4,000+ cores) * brand-new building Since Amsterdam is a very international city where almost everybody speaks and understands English, candidates need not be afraid of the language barrier. For further information, including instructions on submitting an application, see the official job ad at bit.ly/STd3O2. Informal inquiries can be made by email to Gwenn Englebienne (g.englebienne at uva.nl) and Shimon Whiteson (s.a.whiteson at uva.nl). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbednar at inf.ed.ac.uk Thu Nov 15 13:45:24 2012 From: jbednar at inf.ed.ac.uk (James A. Bednar) Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:45:24 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: 12 PhD studentships in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience Message-ID: <20645.14404.880919.281408@hebb.inf.ed.ac.uk> We invite applications for 12 fully-funded PhD studentships for UK residents at the University of Edinburgh Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience, to start in September 2013. The DTC is a world-class centre for research at the interface between neuroscience and the engineering, computational, and physical sciences. Our four-year programme is ideal for students with strong computational and analytical skills who want to employ cutting-edge methodology to advance research in neuroscience and related fields, or to apply ideas from neuroscience to computational problems. The first year consists of courses in neuroscience and informatics, as well as lab projects. This is followed by a three-year PhD project done in collaboration with one of the many departments and institutes affiliated with the DTC. Current DTC PhD topics fall into five main areas: * Computational neuroscience: Using analytical and computational models, potentially supplemented with experiments, to gain quantitative understanding of the nervous system. Many projects focus on the development and function of sensory and motor systems in animals, including neural coding, learning, and memory. * Biomedical imaging algorithms and tools: Using advanced data analysis techniques, such as machine learning and Bayesian approaches, for imaging-based diagnosis and research. * Cognitive science: Studying human cognitive processes and analysing them in computational terms. * Neuromorphic engineering: Using insights from neuroscience to help build better hardware, such as neuromorphic VLSI circuits and robots that perform robustly under natural conditions. * Software systems and applications: Using discoveries from neuroscience to develop software that can handle real-world data, such as video, audio, or speech. Other related areas of research are also encouraged. Edinburgh has a large, world-class research community in these areas and leads the UK in creating a coherent programme in neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. The University of Edinburgh was ranked 21st worldwide in the latest QS World University Rankings, and the School of Informatics is the largest and highest-ranked computing department in the UK. Edinburgh has often been voted 'best place to live in Britain', and has many exciting cultural and student activities. Students with a strong background in computer science, mathematics, physics, or engineering are particularly encouraged to apply. Highly motivated students with other backgrounds will also be considered. Up to 12 full studentships (including stipend of 14,385-17,782 UK pounds/year) are available to UK or other EU citizens who have been residing in the UK for the past three years (whether for work or for education); see the web site (below) for full details. Other applicants can be accepted if they provide their own funding, typically via a scholarship from their country of origin. Prospective students of any nationality might also consider our sister programme EuroSPIN (deadline November 30th, 2012). Further information and application forms can be obtained from: http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/dtc For full consideration for entry in September 2013, the deadline for complete applications is December 14th, 2012. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From R.Bogacz at bristol.ac.uk Tue Nov 13 08:38:07 2012 From: R.Bogacz at bristol.ac.uk (Rafal Bogacz) Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:38:07 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD programme in Neural Dynamics at Brist Message-ID: <50A24D3F.20408@bristol.ac.uk> Dear Colleagues, 4-year PhD programme in Neural Dynamics at the University of Bristol is inviting applications for studentships fully funded by the Wellcome Trust. More information about the programme is available below. Best wishes, Rafal Bogacz Why investigate neural dynamics? A vital key to comprehending the brain is to understand how the complex changes in activity occurring at all levels of neural organization give rise to normal brain function. Furthermore, understanding of normal brain activity will allow us to investigate abnormalities of neural dynamics that underlie many neurological and psychiatric disorders (e.g. epilepsy, Parkinson?s disease, schizophrenia). Understanding neural dynamics requires interdisciplinary approaches that span many neuroscience areas, but crucially, depends on integration of experimental and clinical approaches with mathematical and computational expertise. This PhD programme trains a future generation of neuroscientists to successfully combine experimental and theoretical techniques in their research. Structure of the programme First year: students attend taught courses to gain an understanding of the biology of the nervous system and the ability to describe systems dynamics in mathematical models. Students carry out two extended research projects, each investigating dynamics in a different neural system. Each project is co-advised by one experimental or clinical neuroscientist and one mathematician or computer scientist. Subsequent years: Students develop one of the initial projects into a PhD project for the remaining 3 years. Who are we looking for? Applicants will have a 1st class/2.1 degree or a Masters in a biomedical science discipline or a relevant theoretical discipline (mathematics, computer science or physics). Crucially, we are looking for talented and motivated students willing to take up the many challenges in neural dynamics and who are open to learning about new disciplines and working across different fields. Why study at Bristol? Bristol has one of the largest concentrations of neuroscientists in Europe and is a major centre for basic and clinical neuroscience. The University of Bristol is an acknowledged world leader in many key areas of neural dynamics from both an experimental and theoretical perspective: Our research spans molecular, cellular and systems levels of neuroscience. Together with experts in systems dynamics, based in the Departments of Engineering Mathematics, Mathematics, Computer Science and the Bristol Robotics Lab we can provide considerable scope for ground breaking integrative research projects. How to apply: Application process: Please apply online at http://www.bris.ac.uk/prospectus/postgraduate/2012/apply.html Please ensure you include a CV, and two referees plus a cover letter outlining your own neuroscience interests by 3rd January 2013. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to our interview/open day on 31st January. The Wellcome Trust provides a stipend and PhD registration fees at UK/EU student rate, research expenses, contribution towards travel and a contribution towards transferable-skills training. The Wellcome Trust does not pay fees at the overseas rate. For further information contact: Lindsey Watson, Graduate Administration Manager, Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences Graduate School (Lindsey.Watson at bris.ac.uk) Further info on for applicants can be found at: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/neuroscience/postgrad/pg-phds/neural-dynamics/ Also see the website of this PhD programme at: http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/Research/NeuralDynamics/ From eero at cns.nyu.edu Sun Nov 18 09:13:28 2012 From: eero at cns.nyu.edu (Eero Simoncelli) Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2012 09:13:28 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Doctoral studies in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience at New York University Message-ID: <46A7A9AD-ED24-49F7-A910-B9D479EEEC2B@cns.nyu.edu> New York University is home to a thriving interdisciplinary community of researchers using computational and theoretical approaches in neuroscience. We are interested in exceptional PhD candidates with strong quantitative training (e.g., physics, mathematics, engineering) coupled with a clear interest in brain sciences. A full listing of neuroscience-related graduate programs is available at http://neuroscience.nyu.edu, and a listing of computationally-oriented faculty, sorted by their primary departmental affiliation, is given below. Doctoral programs are flexible, allowing students to pursue research across departmental boundaries. Nevertheless, admissions are handled separately by each department, and students interested in pursuing graduate studies should submit an application to the program that best fits their goals and interests. ** Center for Neural Science (CNS) (deadline: 12 December) [http://www.cns.nyu.edu/doctoral/] * Andr? A. Fenton - Molecular, neural, behavioral, and computational aspects of memory. * Paul W. Glimcher - Decision-making in humans and animals. * Roozbeh Kiani (starting Jan 2013) - Vision and decision-making. * Tony Movshon (also in Psychology) - Vision and visual development. * Bijan Pesaran - Neuronal dynamics and decision making. * Alex Reyes - Functional interactions of neurons in a network. * John Rinzel (also in Mathematics) - Biophysical mechanisms and theory of neural computation. * Nava Rubin (also in Psychology) - Visual perception and the neural basis of vision. * Robert Shapley (also in Psychology and Biology) - Visual physiology and perception. * Eero Simoncelli (also in Mathematics and Psychology) - Computational vision. * Xiao-Jing Wang - Computational neuroscience, decision-making and working memory, neural circuits. ** Psychology, Cognition & Perception program (deadline: 12 December) [http://www.psych.nyu.edu/programs/cp/] * Nathaniel Daw (also in CNS) - Models of decision-making and neuromodulation. * David Heeger (also in CNS) - fMRI, computational neuroscience, vision, attention. * Michael Landy (also in CNS) - Computational approaches to vision. * Laurence Maloney (also in CNS) - Mathematical approaches to psychology and neuroscience. * Gary Marcus - Origins of the human mind. * Denis Pelli (also in CNS) - Visual object recognition. * Jonathan Winawer (starting Sep 2013) - Visual perception and memory. ** Mathematics (deadline: 18 December ) [http://math.nyu.edu/degree/phd/] * David Cai - Nonlinear stochastic behavior in physical and biological systems. * David McLaughlin (also CNS) - Nonlinear wave equations, computational visual neuroscience. * Aaditya Rangan - computational neurobiology, numerical analysis. * Charles Peskin - Mathematical biology. * Michael Shelley (also CNS) - Modeling and large-scale computation, computational visual neuroscience. * Daniel Tranchina (also Biology and CNS) - Information processing in the retina. ** Computer Science (deadline: 12 December) [http://www.cs.nyu.edu/web/Research/Areas/graphicsvisionui.html] * Davi Geiger (also in CNS) - Computational vision and learning. * Yann LeCun (also in CNS) - machine learning, hierarchical visual processing, robotics. ** Electrical and Computer Engineering, Poly campus, Brooklyn (deadline: 1 December) [http://www.poly.edu/academics/programs/electrical-engineering-phd] * Jonathan Viventi - Brain-computer interfaces and brain recording technologies. ** Economics (deadline: 18 December) * Andrew Caplin - Economic theory, neurobiology of decision. * Andrew Schotter - Experimental economics, game theory, neurobiology of decision. From A.K.Seth at sussex.ac.uk Wed Nov 21 11:46:48 2012 From: A.K.Seth at sussex.ac.uk (Anil Seth) Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:46:48 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral vacancy at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science (School of Psychology, University of Sussex) Message-ID: <12651BA6-1980-4B98-B2C7-90ED090CBAC7@sussex.ac.uk> Please can I post job vacancy to your list: Thanks! Job available: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science and School of Psychology, University of Sussex Closing date for applications 01 Jan 2013, post duration 3 years (full time, fixed term). A full-time postdoctoral research position is available within the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex (www.sussex.ac.uk/sackler), based in the School of Psychology (www.sussex.ac.uk/psychology). This is an exciting opportunity to join a multidisciplinary and internationally leading team whose members are addressing one of the most fundamental questions of 21st century science: What is the biological basis of consciousness? Our core mission is to unravel the complex neural mechanisms underlying consciousness, and generating new insights into and treatments for clinical disorders of consciousness. The successful candidate will have an outstanding ability to design, initiate, and execute research in the broad field of ?consciousness science?, evidenced by a track-record of scientific publication and an extensive skill-set in the area of cognitive neuroscience. S/he will work alongside two other Sackler-funded research fellows (one in Informatics, one in the Brighton and Sussex Medical School) as well as with a number of other faculty, researchers, and students in the wider Sackler Centre community. The post has a broad remit with opportunities to follow your own research interests within the area of psychology and cognitive neuroscience relevant to consciousness and its clinical implications. Emphasis will be given to research that connects functional neuroimaging ? especially electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) - with behavioural experiments. The Sackler Centre has access to a wide-range of cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience facilities including fMRI, EEG, and TMS, as well as excellent psychophysiological equipment and high-performance computational resources. The Centre is distinguished by its multidisciplinary expertise integrating advanced experimental methodologies with theoretical neuroscience, computational modelling, mathematics and statistics, and psychophysiology and neuropsychiatry. Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent degree in a quantitative science discipline. Prior postdoctoral experience is preferred, as are candidates with a strong background in cognitive neuroscience and especially EEG. Salaries will be commensurate with experience. Employment will be subject to the right to work in the UK. For more details and information on how to apply, please see http://www.sussex.ac.uk/aboutus/jobs/918. For informal enquiries, contact Anil Seth (a.k.seth at sussex.ac.uk) --------------------------------------------------------- Anil Seth, D.Phil. Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Department of Informatics, University of Sussex www.anilseth.com www.sussex.ac.uk/sackler -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk Mon Nov 26 07:44:15 2012 From: ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk (Dr Amir Hussain) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:44:15 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: FINAL CALL for Papers - extended deadline to 12 Dec 2012: IEEE SSCI with 14 Keynotes & 28 Special Sessions (planned) in Singapore, April 2013 Message-ID: (with advance apologies for any cross postings!) Kindly forward to your colleagues and contacts who may be interested in attending this flagship biennial IEEE event.. ---- FINAL CALL For Contributions, with extended deadline (due to repeated requests from authors) to: 12 Dec 2012 (mid-night GMT) - no further extensions possible! LISTING OF PLANNED KEYNOTES & TUTORIALS (more to be included to this listing): http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/epnsugan/index_files/SSCI2013/Keynote-Tutorial.htm To submit a paper, please go to: http://ieee-ssci.org/ IMPORTANT DATES: Tutorial \ Keynote Proposal Submission: Before 15th Jan 2013 Tutorial \ Keynote Decision Notification: 10 Feb 2013 Paper submission: 12 Dec 2012 , Midnight GMT. Decision: 10 Jan 2013 Final submission: 05 Feb 2013 Early Registration: 05 Feb 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2013 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, IEEE SSCI 2013 15-19 April 2013, Singapore http://ieee-ssci.org/ IEEE SSCI 2013 is one of the two flagship biennial international events sponsored by the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE CIS) promoting all aspects of the theory and applications of computational intelligence. The IEEE SSCI co-locates several technical meetings at one location. This event attracts top researchers, professionals, and students from around the world. The IEEE SSCI 2013 (Singapore) now calls contributions from experts around the world. Please visit the IEEE SSCI 2013's web pages to learn more about the relevant topics and proposal submission procedures. The conference proceedings of the IEEE SSCI have always been included in the IEEE Xplore and indexed by all other important databases. For example, the proceedings of the IEEE SSCI 2011 have already been included in the IEEE Xplore and indexed by databases such as EI, SCOPUS, etc. LIST OF SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS: http://ieee-ssci.org/ CICARE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Healthcare and e-health, Amir Hussain, UK; Calum MacRae, Harvard Medical School, USA; Warner Slack, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. ADPRL 2013, IEEE Symposium on Adaptive Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning, Marco Wiering, The Netherlands; Jagannathan Sarangapani, USA; Huaguang Zhang, China. IEEE ALIFE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Artificial Life, Terry Bossomaier, Australia; Chrystopher L. Nehaniv, UK; Hiroki Sayama, USA. CCMB 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence, Cognitive Algorithms, Mind, and Brain, Leonid Pervlovsky, USA; Damien Coyle, UK; Kai Keng Ang, Singapore; Jose F Fontanari, Brazil; Robert Kozma, USA. CIASG 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence Applications in Smart Grid, Ganesh K Venayagamoorthy, USA; Jung-Wook Park, Korea; Haibo He, USA. CIBCB 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Jung-Hsien Chiang, Taiwan; Pau-Choo (Julia) Chung, Taiwan. CIBIM 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Biometrics and Identity Management, David Zhang, Hong Kong; Qinghan Xiao, Canada; Fabio Scotti, Italy. CIC 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Creativity, Chuan-Kang Ting, Taiwan; Francisco Fern?ndez de Vega Spain; Palle Dahlstedt, Sweden; CICA 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Control and Automation, Xiao-Jun Zeng, UK. CIComms 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Communication Systems, Maode Ma, Singapore; Paolo Rocca, Italy; Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, Ireland. CICS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Cyber Security, Dipankar Dasgupta, USA; Justin Zhan, USA; Kumaraguru Ponnurangam, India. CIDM 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Data Mining, Barbara Hammer, Germany; Zhi-Hua Zhou, China; Lipo Wang, Singapore; Nitesh Chawla, USA. CIDUE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Dynamic and Uncertain Environments, Yaochu Jin, UK; S Yang, UK; Robi Polikar, USA. CIES 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Engineering Solutions, Michael Beer, UK; Vladik Kreinovich, USA; Rudolf Kruse, Germany. CIEL 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Ensemble Learning, Nikhil R Pal, India; Xin Yao, UK; P N Suganthan, Singapore. CIFEr 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Financial Engineering and Economics, Shu-Heng Chen, Taiwan; Robert Golan, USA; Han La Poutre, The Netherlands; Ronald R. Yager, USA. CIfIoT 2013, IEEE International Workshop on Computational Intelligence for the Internet of Things, Antonio Manzalini, Italy; Hussein Mouftah, Canada; Vincenzo Piuri, Italy. CIHLI 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Human-like Intelligence, Jacek Mandziuk, Poland; Wlodzislaw Duch, Poland. CII 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Industry, Piero Bonissone, USA; Keeley Crockett, UK; Cristian Figueroa, Chile; Emilio Corchado, University of Salamanca, Spain. CIMI 2013, IEEE International Workshop on Computational Intelligence in Medical Imaging, Gerald Schaefer, UK; Sergio Damas, Spain. CIMSVP 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Multimedia Signal and Vision Processing, K M Iftekharuddin, USA; S Bouzerdoum, Australia. CIPLS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Production and Logistics Systems, B?lent ?atay, Turkey; Raymond Chiong, Australia; Patrick Siarry, France. CIRAT 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, Guilherme N DeSouza,USA; Shuzhi Sam Ge, Singapore. CISched 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Scheduling, Rong Qu, UK; Ling Wang, China; Quanke Pan, Liaocheng University, China. CISDA 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence for Security and Defense Applications, Akira Namatame, Japan; Nur Zincir-Heywood, Canada; Rami Abielmona, Canada. CIVI 2013, IEEE Workshop on Computational Intelligence for Visual Intelligence, Guilherme N DeSouza, USA; Yuanqiang (Evan) Dong, USA. CIVTS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Vehicles and Transportation Systems, Dimitar Filev, USA; Danil Prokhorov, USA. CompSens 2013, IEEE Workshop on Merging Fields of Computational Intelligence and Sensor Technology, Ivo Bukovsky, Czech Republic; Torsten Wagner, Japan EAIS 2013, IEEE Symposium on Evolving Adapting Intelligent Systems, Plamen Angelov, UK; Dimitar Filev, USA; Nikola Kasabov, New Zealand. FOCI 2013, IEEE Symposium on Foundations of computational Intelligence, Manuel Ojeda-Aciego, Spain; Carlos Cotta, Spain. GEFS 2013, IEEE International Workshop on Genetic and Evolutionary Fuzzy Systems, Rafael Alcala, Spain; Yusuke Nojima, Japan. HIMA 2013, IEEE Workshop on Hybrid Intelligent Models and Applications, Patricia Melin, Mexico; Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, India. IA 2013, IEEE Symposium on Intelligent Agents, Hani Hagras, UK; Vincenzo Loia, Italy. ICES 2013, IEEE International Conference on Evolvable Systems - From Biology to Hardware, Andy M Tyrrell, UK; Pauline C Haddow, Norway. MC 2013, IEEE Symposium on Memetic Computing, Zexuan Zhu, China; Maoguo Gong, China; Ji Zhen, China; Yew-Soon Ong, Singapore. MCDM 2013, IEEE Symposium on Multicriteria Decision-Making , Carlos A Coello Coello, Mexico; Piero Bonissone, USA; Yaochu Jin, UK. OC 2013, IEEE Workshop on Organic Computing, Rolf W?rtz, Germany. QCCI 2013, IEEE Symposium on Quantum Computing and Computational Intelligence, William N N Hung, USA; Swagatam Das, India; Marek Perkowski, USA. RiiSS 2013, IEEE Workshop on Robotic Intelligence in Informationally Structured Space, Honghai Liu, UK; Naoyuki Kubota, Japan. SDE 2013, IEEE Symposium on Differential Evolution, Janez Brest, Slovenia; Swagatam Das, India; Ferrante Neri, Finland; P N Suganthan, Singapore. SIS 2013, IEEE Swarm Intelligence Symposium, Yuhui Shi, P. R. China; P N Suganthan, Singapore. T2FUZZ 2013, IEEE Symposium on Advances in Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Systems, Simon Coupland, UK; Woeiwan Tan, National University of Singapore, Singapore WACI 2013, Workshop on Affective Computational Intelligence, Jean-Claude Martin, France, Marie-Jeanne Lesot, France; Maria Rifqi, France. -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. From ale at sissa.it Wed Nov 21 15:57:56 2012 From: ale at sissa.it (Alessandro Treves) Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:57:56 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Independent-minded Postdoc in Neural Computation at SISSA, Trieste, Italy Message-ID: <20121121215756.Horde.okhgLx8V4mxQrUBU3de1bCA@webmail.sissa.it> A postdoctoral position is available from March 1st, 2013, for 2 years renewable, to study the mechanisms underlying grid and place cell activity and spatial memory in mammals. The research, to be carried out within the LIMBO group at SISSA, is part of a collaboration coordinated by Edvard Moser in Trondheim, including also Richard Morris in Edinburgh and Jorg Conradt in Munich and funded by the EU contract GRIDMAP. At SISSA, activity will focus on mathematical analyses of neural network models, on network simulations and on the analysis of neural activity recorded in Trondheim. The ideal candidate is one who brings into the project a perspective different from mine, who is a proficient programmer and a creative thinker. Moreover, as I will be on a 2-year leave until Aug 31st, 2013, for up to 6 months the new postdoc will be left to reboot research in LIMBO, with the help of finishing PhD student Federico Stella. A lack of familiarity with grid cells, the hippocampus and spatial navigation may be advantageous, if combined with an open mind and plastic synapses. The fellowship will be higher than for other postdocs, to reflect this additional responsibility. The new SISSA campus overlooking the gulf reinforces its position as the best place where to do research in Italy. I will review applications from January 1st, and until the position is filled. Alessandro -- Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy from Sept 2011 on leave to +972-3-5104004 ext. 129 Embassy of Italy - Science Office, HaMered 25, 68125 Tel Aviv, Israel From christos.dimitrakakis at gmail.com Mon Nov 26 10:50:52 2012 From: christos.dimitrakakis at gmail.com (Christos Dimitrakakis) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:50:52 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Reinforcement Learning Competition 2013 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <50B38FDC.1040904@gmail.com> Dear all, After a four year hiatus, the reinforcement-learning competition is back. The primary aim of the competition is to test both general and domain-specific reinforcement learning algorithms, using an unbiased and transparent methodology. As a side-effect, the competition will generate a set of benchmarks domains and benchmark results in those domains, which can then be used as a basis of comparison in future work. As in the previous years, the competition will be hosted at http://www.rl-competition.org/ The format will be remain as is. Agents may compete in one or more of a set of known domains. This set will include a polyathlon event, where the agents compete in a sequence of arbitrary environments. We envisage the actual competition to take place in June 2013. We invite: 1. Submissions of evaluation domains. 2. Expressions of interest to aid with the organisation. 3. Donation of prizes for the competition. Domain submissions ------------------ In order to keep the competition fresh, we solicit submission of new domains. These can be used either as stand-alone domains, or be incorporated in the polyathlon event. Everyone is encouraged to submit a short, one-paragraph, domain proposal by Dec 15, 2012. Complete draft domains may be submitted until January 15th. Accepted proposals will be invited to submit a complete, tested, domain by Feb 15. Requirements for domains: 1. All domains must have appropriate rl-glue interfaces so that they can be used in the competition without modification. 2. All domains must be accompanied by a demo agent. 3. The domain must support parameter randomisation out of the box. We particularly encourage domains with a lot of potential variability. An appropriate experiment should be provided demonstrating this. 4. There must be adequate documentation in plain text and/or HTML with images, such that it can be easily inserted in the competition website. 5. Domains requiring protocol extensions are strongly discouraged. Organisation ------------ We also encourage anybody who is interested to help with the organisation to contact us by email as soon as possible. We invite expressions of interests for help with the following tasks: 1. Website. Setting up and maintaining the competition website. 2. Publicity. Advertising the competition. 3. Funding. To cover prizes and incidental expenses. 4. Domain-specific technical support. Ideally this would be provided by the contributor of each domain, with the exception of the polyathlon event. Tentative Schedule ------------------ Dec 15th - Domain proposal submission. Jan 15th - Draft domains submitted. Feb 15th - Final domains submitted. March 15th - Proving phase begins. May 15th - Testing phase begins. June 15th - Competition ends Please submit your domains or express your interest in organisation by sending an email to christos.dimitrakakis at gmail.com with the subject "RL Competition 2013" -- Dr. Christos Dimitrakakis EPFL / LIA / INR 239 http://liawww.epfl.ch/People/dimitrak/ +41 21 69 3669 From cie.conference.series at gmail.com Sun Nov 25 18:12:05 2012 From: cie.conference.series at gmail.com (CiE Conference Series) Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2012 23:12:05 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: CALL FOR PAPERS CiE 2013: The Nature of Computation Message-ID: ************************************************************************ CALL FOR PAPERS: CiE 2013: The Nature of Computation Logic, Algorithms, Applications Milan, Italy July 1 - 5, 2013 http://cie2013.disco.unimib.it IMPORTANT DATES: Submission Deadline for LNCS: 20 January 2013 Notification of authors: 4 March 2013 Deadline for final revisions: 1 April 2013 CiE 2013 is the ninth conference organised by CiE (Computability in Europe), a European association of mathematicians, logicians, computer scientists, philosophers, physicists and others interested in new developments in computability and their underlying significance for the real world. Previous meetings have taken place in Amsterdam (2005), Swansea (2006), Siena (2007), Athens (2008), Heidelberg (2009), Ponte Dalgada (2010), Sofia (2011) and Cambridge (2012). The Nature of Computation is meant to emphasize the special focus of CIE13 on the unexpected and strong changes that studies on Nature have brought in several areas of mathematics, physics, and computer science. Starting from Alan Turing, research on Nature with a computational perspective has produced novel contributions, giving rise even to new disciplines. Two complementary research perspectives pervade the Nature of Computation theme. One is focused on the understanding of new computational paradigms inspired by the processes occurring in the biological world, while focusing on a deeper and modern understanding of the theory of computation. The other perspective is on our understanding of how computations really occur in Nature, on how we can interact with those computations, and on their applications. CiE 2013 conference topics include, but not exclusively: * Admissible sets * Algorithms * Analog computation * Artificial intelligence * Automata theory * Bioinformatics * Classical computability and degree structures * Cognitive science and modelling * Complexity classes * Computability theoretic aspects of programs * Computable analysis and real computation * Computable structures and models * Computational and proof complexity * Computational biology * Computational creativity * Computational learning and complexity * Computational linguistics * Concurrency and distributed computation * Constructive mathematics * Cryptographic complexity * Decidability of theories * Derandomization * DNA computing * Domain theory and computability * Dynamical systems and computational models * Effective descriptive set theory * Emerging and Non-standard Models of Computation * Finite model theory * Formal aspects of program analysis * Formal methods * Foundations of computer science * Games * Generalized recursion theory * History of computation * Hybrid systems * Higher type computability * Hypercomputational models * Infinite time Turing machines * Kolmogorov complexity * Lambda and combinatory calculi * L-systems and membrane computation * Machine learning * Mathematical models of emergence * Molecular computation * Morphogenesis and developmental biology * Multi-agent systems * Natural Computation * Neural nets and connectionist models * Philosophy of science and computation * Physics and computability * Probabilistic systems * Process algebras and concurrent systems * Programming language semantics * Proof mining and applications * Proof theory and computability * Proof complexity * Quantum computing and complexity * Randomness * Reducibilities and relative computation * Relativistic computation * Reverse mathematics * Semantics and logic of computation * Swarm intelligence and self-organisation * Type systems and type theory * Uncertain Reasoning * Weak systems of arithmetic and applications We particularly welcome submissions in emergent areas, such as bioinformatics and natural computation, where they have a basic connection with computability. Contributed papers will be selected from submissions received by the PROGRAM COMMITTEE consisting of: * Gerard Alberts (Amsterdam) * Lu??s Antunes (Porto) * Arnold Beckmann (Swansea) * Laurent Bienvenu (Paris) * Paola Bonizzoni (Milan, co-chair) * Vasco Brattka (Munich and Cape Town, co-chair) * Cameron Buckner (Houston TX) * Bruno Codenotti (Pisa) * Stephen Cook (Toronto ON) * Barry Cooper (Leeds) * Ann Copestake (Cambridge) * Erzs??bet Csuhaj-Varj?? (Budapest) * Anuj Dawar (Cambridge) * Gianluca Della Vedova (Milan) * Liesbeth De Mol (Gent) * J??r??me Durand-Lose (Orl??ans) * Viv Kendon (Leeds) * Bj??rn Kjos-Hanssen (Honolulu, HI) * Antonina Kolokolova (St. John???s NF) * Benedikt L??we (Amsterdam) * Giancarlo Mauri (Milan) * Rolf Niedermeier (Berlin) * Geoffrey Pullum (Edinburgh) * Nicole Schweikardt (Frankfurt) * Sonja Smets (Amsterdam) * Susan Stepney (York) * S. P. Suresh (Chennai) * Peter van Emde Boas (Amsterdam) The PROGRAMME COMMITTEE cordially invites all researchers (European and non-European) in computability related areas to submit their papers (in PDF format, max 10 pages using the LNCS style) for presentation at CiE 2013. The submission site https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cie2013 is open. We particularly invite papers that build bridges between different parts of the research community. The CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS will be published by LNCS, Springer Verlag. Contact: Paola Bonizzoni - bonizzoni at disco.unimib.it Website: http://cie2013.disco.unimib.it ************************************************************************ From compsens at medizin.uni-tuebingen.de Tue Nov 20 03:26:49 2012 From: compsens at medizin.uni-tuebingen.de (Compsens) Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:26:49 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PHD POSITION: COMPUTATIONAL NEURAL MECHANISMS OF VISUAL ACTION PROCESSING (Hertie Institute / Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Tuebingen, Germany) Message-ID: <20121120092649.14035a760nlthjnt@webmail.uni-tuebingen.de> PHD POSITION: COMPUTATIONAL NEURAL MECHANISMS OF VISUAL ACTION PROCESSING (Hertie Institute / Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Tuebingen, Germany) ============================================================= The interaction between action perception and execution has received a lot of interest in recent research in neuroscience. The clarification of the underlying neural mechanisms requires the tight interaction between theoretical and experimental neuroscience. Collaborating closely with physiologists from the Department of Cognitive Neurology and M.I.T., we develop physiologically inspired, probabilistic and information-theoretical models for the visual processing of actions and its interaction with motor representations. In addition, we collaborate on the development of new experimental paradigms in humans and monkeys to identify underlying computational neural mechanisms exploiting advanced technologies from computer graphics. Ideal candidates for this position should have: * a Masters degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or Biology with good mathematical and reasonable programming skills * basic knowledge about neural networks or machine learning, or models of biological functions * programming experience (Matlab, C++, or Python) * a strong interest in theoretical and experimental neuroscience, and especially in higher-level vision and motor control * English speaking and writing skills. Applications with inappropriate background, e.g. in molecular or cell biology, will not be considered. Committed to Equal Opportunities. The Section of Computational Sensomotorics is working on computational and neural models of action processing, and technical applications related to action perception and control. Our lab is part of the Dept. of Cognitive Neurology at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), a leading European institution in Clinical Neuroscience. It is also part of the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), an Excellence cluster from the German Research Society (DFG) with more than 70 groups working on different aspects of systems neuroscience, and of the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) in T?bingen. Please send applications preferentially electronically (including CV, marks and 2 letters of reference) as soon as possible to Prof. Dr. Martin Giese, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Otfried-Mueller-Str. 25, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; email: martin.giese at uni-tuebingen.de ================================================== From frank.ritter at psu.edu Mon Nov 19 13:05:56 2012 From: frank.ritter at psu.edu (Frank Ritter) Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:05:56 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: CogModel notes: ICCM13/BRIMS13/books/software/Jobs [please forward/post] Message-ID: [please forward and/or chop up and use.] This is based on the International Cognitive Modeling Conference mailing list that I maintain. I forward messages about twice a year. (however, this is the first one for ICCM 2013.) The first announcement is driving this email -- the call for papers for ICCM 2013 in Ottawa. The rest indicate things are cooking in Cog Sci and in modeling. If you would like to be removed, please just let me know. I maintain it by hand to keep it small. cheers, Frank Ritter frank.e.ritter at gmail.com http://acs.ist.psu.edu http://www.frankritter.com **************************************************************** 1. ICCM 2013, Ottawa, 11-14 July 2013, Papers due: 25 March 2013 http://www.iccm-conference.org/2013/ 2. ICCM 2012 tutorials proposals call, Ottawa, due: 20 mar 12 http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2013/tutorials-call.html 3. BRIMS 2013, 12-14 Mar 2013 papers / tutorials new deadline: 17 dec 2012 4. How to run studies book, review copies available http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book237263 5. Computing for Ordinary Mortals, book, 20% off http://tinyurl.com/d53opjk 6. iTunes app with Soar in it: Soar Liar's Dice https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/michigan-liars-dice/id562997948?mt=8 7. Nominations for the 2013 Glushko Dissertation Prizes, due 15 jan 2013 http://cognitrn.psych.indiana.edu/CogSciPrizes/index.htm Deadline: January 15, 2013 8. NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/factSheet/toolbox.htm 9. Online study on words, semantics, and Cognitive Science, Ongoing http://www.smallworldofwords.com 10. Databrary, large video data repository https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8b3Kohr-n1GQUFPYWtaU2lMVFE 11. Registration / logistics for Advances in Cognitive Systems Due: 22 Nov 2012, conf 6-8 Dec 2012 12. Cognitive Computation journal: ToC, Vol 4 (2) http://www.springer.com/12559 13. Summer School in Cognitive Linguistics, July 22-26, 2013, Bangor, UK Early registration: 15 april 2013 14. Book chapter on how many times to run a simulation http://acs.ist.psu.edu/papers/ritterSQK11.pdf 15. IJHCS Special Issue - Interplay between User Exp. Eval. & Software Dev. Due: 28th Feb 2013 16. Databrary Project Systems Architect http://databrary.org 17. Looking for Ph.D. students in cognitive modeling, Wright State due: 1 jan 2013 18. Fellowships in Groningen, The Netherlands ongoing 19. GE Global Research Starting: 1 Nov 2012 20. Postdoctoral Res Fellow and Res. Assist. in HF at Wright State Ongoing 21. Faculty openings Cognitive Psych or Cog Neuro, Drexel Ongoing review 22. PhD position Cognitive Modeling group, U. of Gronigen Starting: 1 Nov 2012 23. PhD/Post-Doc in Neuro-Comp. Modeling of Vis. Per. & Spatial Cog., TU/Chemnitz Review starting: 20 Oct 2012 24. Frymoyer Endowed Chair Professor Position in IST at PSU http://ist.psu.edu/research/frymoyer-chair 25. Faculty openings at UT Austin School of Information Review starting: 1 Nov 2012 26. UC Santa Barbara Postdoc fellowship announcement Due: 1 Dec 2012 27. Faculty positions at Rensselaer in Cognitive Science Review starting date: 1 Dec 2012 http://www.hass.rpi.edu/pl/news-s17/faculty-position-announcement 28. Res. Fellow on User Modelling and Adaptive Interfaces for Learning Tech. Closing date: 11 November 2012 29. Faculty Job announcemnt, American U. of Beirut Until filled 30. Penn State, Psychology, Systems Neuroscience, senior position Review starting 1 Nov 2012 31. Faculty for Computer Science, Habib University, Karachi, Pakistan http://www.habibuniversity.edu.pk/Faculty/OFP 32. Tenure-track position at UCSD, Department of Cognitive Science Due: 1 Nov 2012 (reviews start) 33. "Ramon y Cajal" Tenure Track program and postdoc program Due: 20 Nov 2012 34. Computational Neuroscience staff position at Sandia National Labs Due: 30 Nov 2012 35. Open position in Applied Cognitive Science, Michigan Tech Due: 30 Nov 2012 36. PHD Studentships in Computational Cognitive Science, PSU Due: 15 Dec 2012 37. Tenure-track Positions in Human-Centered Computing, IU/PUI Due: 1 dec 2012 http://informatics.iupui.edu/files/hcc-tenure-track-2012.pdf 38. PhD positions available at Penn State University, Psych Due: 1 dec 2012 39. PhD training opportunities at Georgia State University Due: 10 dec 2012 40. Tenure Track Opening in HCDE at UWash Due: 31 dec 2012 41. Two Tenure-track Assistant Professor Positions at UMBC, immediate http://www.is.umbc.edu 42. Postdoctoral Positions in Computational Cognitive Science Hongbin.Wang at uth.tmc.edu 42. Call for Papers: COSIT 2013, papers due: 4 Mar 2013 http://www.cosit2013.org/ **************************************************************** **************************************************************** 1. ICCM 2013, Ottawa, 11-14 July 2013, Papers due: 25 Mar 2013 http://www.iccm-conference.org/2013/ The conference will be held from 11 to 14 July 2013 in Ottawa, Canada at Carleton Universitat. The tutorials will be held 11 July 2013. We hope to see you in Ottawa! The International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM) is the premier conference for research on computational models and computation-based theories of human behavior. ICCM is a forum for presenting, discussing, and evaluating the complete spectrum of cognitive modeling approaches, including connectionism, symbolic modeling, dynamical systems, Bayesian modeling, and cognitive architectures. ICCM includes basic and applied research, across a wide variety of domains, ranging from low-level perception and attention to higher-level problem-solving and learning. The chairs are: Robert L. West Terrence C. Stewart (tcstewar at uwaterloo.ca) The proceedings from previous conferences are now available at http://iccm-conference.org/previous-conferences **************************************************************** 2. ICCM 2012 tutorials proposals call, Ottawa, due: 20 mar 12 http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2013/tutorials-call.html The Tutorials program at the International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM) 2013 will be held on 11 July 2013. It will provide conference participants with the opportunity to gain new insights, knowledge, and skills from a broad range of areas in the field of cognitive modeling. Tutorial topics will be presented in a taught format and are likely to range from practical guidelines to theoretical issues or software. Tutorials at ICCM have been held many times before, and this year's program will be modelled after them and after the series held at the Cognitive Science Conference. http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2013/tutorials-call.html provides details for submitting a tutorial proposal. **************************************************************** 3. BRIMS 2013, 12-14 Mar 2013, papers / tutorials due 17 dec 12 http://brimsconference.org/ Conference Location: San Antonio, Texas Conference Dates: March 12-14, 2013 All Submissions Due: 17 dec 2012 (Note: Paper submissions are full papers) [Note: new due date] Tutorials Held: March 11, 2013 BRiMS 2013 Opens: March 12, 2013 Call for Papers Document: http://brimsconference.org/submissions/ 2012 Conference Proceedings: http://brimsconference.org/submissions/ Hotel/Travel Information: http://brimsconference.org/submissions/ Contact us "William G Kennedy" , Robert St Amant , "David Reitter" dreitter at ist.psu.edu, Program Co-Chairs Dan Cassenti , General Chair Jean Eury, Jeury at lodestar-group.com, Arrangements Chair 540-829-9585 CALL FOR PAPERS The BRiMS Society is announcing an extension on the deadline for BRiMS conference paper submissions to December 17, 2012. The original deadline was made too early relative to the traditional deadline and the extended deadline aligns the conference with author expectations. Feedback from inside government research institutions also indicates that government employees are seeing increased rates of rejection for travel funds to conferences. This year BRiMS is entirely funded by U.S. government sponsors and thus should not face the same travel restrictions as other conferences as long as government researchers inform travel authorizing officials of the funding situation. BRiMS may be one of the few conferences that includes behavioral modeling research from government researchers, so please consider that when planning your conference papers! You are invited to participate in the 22nd Conference on Behavior Representation in Modeling and Simulation (BRiMS).The BRiMS Conference enables modeling and simulation research scientists, engineers, and technical communities across disciplines to meet, share ideas, identify capability gaps, discuss cutting-edge research directions, highlight promising technologies, and showcase the state-of-the-art in applications. The BRiMS Executive Committee invites papers, posters, demos, symposia, panel discussions, and tutorials on topics related to the representation of individuals, groups, teams, and organizations in models and simulations. All submissions are peer-reviewed. Special Topic Areas of Interest BRiMS welcomes submissions analyzing human factors and human-machine systems through modeling and simulation of empirical data related to the following areas: * Modeling and Simulation (M&S) in Military Domains * Tools for Building Distributed/Large-scale M&S Systems * Data-driven Modeling and Simulation * Virtual World Research * Biological Influences on Behavioral Models * Networked Systems Models/Social Cognition Please view the complete Call For Papers Document here with general topics and additional information. Please note that all submissions are due by November 15, 2012. For more information visit the BRiMS Conference website at http://www.BRiMSConference.org **************************************************************** 4. How to run studies book, review copies available http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book237263 Running Behavioral Experiments With Human Participants: A Practical Guide (Ritter, Kim, Morgan & Carlson, 2013) provides a concrete, practical roadmap for the implementation of experiments and controlled observation using human participants. Covering both conceptual and practical issues critical to implementing an experiment, the book is organized to follow the standard process in experiment-based research, covering such issues as potential ethical problems, risks to validity, experimental setup, running a study, and concluding a study. The detailed guidance on each step of an experiment is ideal for those in both universities and industry who have had little or no previous practical training in research methodology. The book provides example scenarios to help readers organize how they run experimental studies and anticipate problems, and example forms that can serve as effective initial "recipes." Examples and forms are drawn from areas such as cognitive psychology, human factors, human-computer interaction, and human-robotic interaction. It has been used at 8 universities in the US, Canada, and the UK. You can order copies or review copies from http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book237263 **************************************************************** 5. Computing for Ordinary Mortals, book, 20% off http://tinyurl.com/d53opjk [this book has information useful for cognitive modeling and may be useful to teachers in hci and ai] Computing for Ordinary Mortals Robert St. Amant Oct 2012, In Stock Price: $29.95 http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Psychology/CognitivePsychology/?view=usa&ci=9780199775309 Computing isn't only (or even mostly) about hardware and software; it's also about the ideas behind the technology. In Computing for Ordinary Mortals, computer scientist Robert St. Amant explains this "really interesting part" of computing, introducing basic computing concepts and strategies in a way that readers without a technical background can understand and appreciate. Each of the chapters illustrates ideas from a different area of computing, and together they provide important insights into what drives the field as a whole. St. Amant starts off with an overview of basic concepts as well as a brief history of the earliest computers, and then he traces two different threads through the fabric of computing. One thread is practical, illuminating the architecture of a computer and showing how this architecture makes computation efficient. St. Amant shows us how to write down instructions so that a computer can accomplish specific tasks (programming), how the computer manages those tasks as it runs (in its operating system), and how computers can communicate with each other (over a network). The other thread is theoretical, describing how computers are, in the abstract, machines for solving problems. Some of these ideas are embedded in much of what we do as humans, and thus this discussion can also give us insight into our own daily activities, how we interact with other people, and in some cases even what's going on in our heads. This book is intended for use as a textbook, contact Rob (stamant at csc.ncsu.edu) to find out how to get review copies. Visit http://www.oup.com/us and enter promo code 30997 to get 20% off. (enter the code on the upper right) **************************************************************** 6. Cognitive Models and Architectures and HTI books, 20% off The books in the OUP series on cognitive models and architectures (http://tinyurl.com/ab6zbab) and the series on human-technology interaction are available at 20% off. http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/series/OxfordSeriesonCognitiveModelsand/ How Can the Human Mind Occur in the Physical Universe? $26.99 Paper ISBN13: 9780195398953 $42.95 Hard ISBN13: 9780195324259 Principles of Synthetic Intelligence PSI: An Architecture of Motivated Cognition $75.00 Hard ISBN13: 9780195370676 Integrated Models of Cognitive Systems $49.95 Hard ISBN13: 9780195189193 In Order to Learn $85.00 Hard ISBN13: 9780195178845 The Multitasking Mind $46.50 Hard ISBN13: 9780199733569 http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/series/HumanTechnologyInteractionSeries Taming Information Technology $65.00 Paper ISBN13: 9780195374124 Adaptive Perspectives on Human-Technology Interaction $39.99 Paper ISBN13: 9780195374827 Adaptive Perspectives on Human-Technology Interaction $75.00 Hard ISBN13: 9780195171822 Exposing the Magic of Design $49.95 Hard ISBN13: 9780199744336 Attention $85.00 Hard ISBN13: 9780195305722 Computers, Phones, and the Internet $55.00 Paper ISBN13: 9780195312805 Computers, Phones, and the Internet $99.00 Hard ISBN13: 9780195179637 Neuroergonomics $59.99 Paper ISBN13: 9780195368659 Information Foraging Theory $32.99 Paper ISBN13: 9780195387797 Being There Together $65.00 Paper ISBN13: 9780195371284 Cross-Cultural Technology Design $79.99 Hard ISBN13: 9780199744763 Human-Tech $79.95 Hard ISBN13: 9780199765140 Visit http://www.oup.com/us and enter promo code 30997 to get 20% off. (enter the code on the upper right) **************************************************************** 6. iTunes app with Soar in it: Soar Liar's Dice https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/michigan-liars-dice/id562997948?mt=8 It's alive! It's free! It is Soar on an iPhone! The iPhone app for playing the dice game against Soar is available: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/michigan-liars-dice/id562997948?mt=8 (The name of the app is Michigan Liar's Dice.) It runs on all iPhones, and it is extremely fun (personal opinion). Please download and play the game (and maybe give it a good rating!). We'd really like to get lots of people to use it. It does have a small issue on iOS6 for iPads, but it looks like that is an Apple problem and not ours. Thanks to everyone who helped develop this: Miller Tinkerhess, Alex Turner, Nate Derbinsky John Laird soar-group mailing list https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/soar-group **************************************************************** 7. Nominations for the 2013 Glushko Dissertation Prizes, due 15 jan 2013 http://cognitrn.psych.indiana.edu/CogSciPrizes/index.htm Deadline: January 15, 2013 Call for Nominations The Robert J. Glushko Dissertation Prizes in Cognitive Science Nomination Deadline: January 15, 2013 The Cognitive Science Society and the http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~glushko/ Glushko-Samuelson Foundation seek nominations for up to five outstanding dissertation prizes in cognitive science. The goals of these prizes are to increase the prominence of cognitive science, and encourage students to engage in interdisciplinary efforts to understand minds and intelligent systems. The hope is that the prizes will recognize and honor young researchers conducting ground-breaking research in cognitive science. The eventual goal is to aid in efforts to bridge between the areas of cognitive science and create theories of general interest to the multiple fields concerned with scientifically understanding the nature of minds and intelligent systems. Promoting a unified cognitive science is consistent with the belief that understanding how minds work will require the synthesis of many different empirical methods, formal tools, and analytic theories. The prize was first begun in 2011, so 2013 will occasion the induction of the third group of prize winners. Up-to-date information on the prizes can be found at http://cognitrn.psych.indiana.edu/CogSciPrizes/index.htm . This is the third year for the prize. Information about previous recipients can be viewed at http://www.cognitivesciencesociety.org/about_awards_glushko_recipients.html Prize-winners must have received a PhD degree no more than two years before the January 15 nomination deadline. For the 2013 prizes, dissertations will be considered from individuals who received their PhD degrees during the period from January 15, 2011 to January 15, 2013. **************************************************************** 8. NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/factSheet/toolbox.htm [I've thought this type of tool to be useful for modeling, there are others. it appears to be free with registration.] Many clinical studies collect data on neurological function and behavior. Historically, though, the tests available for such studies were expensive, time-consuming, and required specialized training to administer. Many of the most commonly used tests also lacked uniformity. These limitations made it difficult to acquire data and compare it across studies. The NIH Toolbox is an integrated set of tools for measuring cognitive, emotional, motor and sensory function. These tools have been validated for use in diverse cultures, ethnic and geographic groups, ages (3-85 years) and study types. The toolbox: * Is low-cost and royalty-free * Uses state-of-the art psychometric approaches * Uses computer-adaptive testing so that the tests can be calibrated to a subject's abilities * Can be administered within two hours * Is adaptable to changes in measurement and technology * Is available in English and Spanish The toolbox is expected to provide a more complete picture of neurological and behavioral health in large-scale longitudinal studies, epidemiological studies, and clinical trials; and to facilitate cross-study comparisons. **************************************************************** 9. Online study on words, semantics, and Cognitive Science, Ongoing http://www.smallworldofwords.com Over the past few months, we have been trying to set up a scientific study that is important for many researchers interested in words, word meaning, semantics, and cognitive science in general. It is a huge word association project, in which people are asked to participate in a small task that doesn't last longer than 5 minutes. Our goal is to build a global word association network that contains connections between about 40,000 words, the size of the lexicon of an average adult. Setting up such a network might learn us a lot about semantic memory, how it develops, and maybe also about how it can deteriorate (like in Alzheimer's disease). Most people enjoy doing the task, but we need thousands of participants to succeed. After sending e-mails to psychology and cognitive science students from colleagues that I know personally some weeks ago, we got about 50,000 participants quickly, but unfortunately the frequency of participation slowed down and we need more subjects. That is why we address you. Would it be possible to distribute this call for participation to your undergraduate and graduate students, please? The task can be found at: http://www.smallworldofwords.com (Due to a problem we have not been able to identify yet, some people who received this mail did not get the webpage with this name after clicking on it. Typing in this web address gets you to the right place for sure.) If you like the task and/or if you like the idea of the existence of such a data set, you can forward the call to friends, family, colleagues etc. or distribute the call through facebook, twitter, etc. if you don't like the task, please send this mail to your enemies ... We thank you in advance. If you want more information, don't hesitate to contact me. With kind regards, Prof. G. Storms Department of Psychology University of Leuven, Belgium **************************************************************** 10. Databrary, large video data repository https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8b3Kohr-n1GQUFPYWtaU2lMVFE Karen Adolph and I [Rick Gilmore ] discussed open data sharing and the new NSF-funded Databrary (http://databrary.org) project with the CSC's Early Pathways to Competence (EPC) group today. The presentation. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8b3Kohr-n1GQUFPYWtaU2lMVFE If you are interested in the topic and want to join in the discussion, we'd welcome your input. We've started a Google discussion group precisely for this purpose. https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups&hl=en#!forum/databrary **************************************************************** 11. Registration / logistics for Advances in Cognitive Systems Due: 22 Nov 2012, conf 6-8 Dec 2012 I am writing to let you know that registration for the First Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems is open. You can register online at http://www.cogsys.org/registration for US$200 before midnight on Thursday, November 22, 2012 and for US$250 starting on Friday, November 23, 2012. The purpose is to report progress toward the original goals of artificial intelligence: explaining the mind in computational terms and reproducing the entire range of human cognitive abilities in mechanical artifacts. The meeting will include technical talks, extended breaks to encourage discussions, and evening poster receptions to foster additional interactions among participants. Note that the dates have changed slightly; the conference will now run from 9 AM on Thursday, December 6, until 2 PM on Saturday, December 8, 2012. The event will take place at the Oshman Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, California, midway between San Fransisco and San Jose. The Web page at http://www.cogsys.org/logistics contains useful information about nearby hotels, airports, car rentals, shuttles, and taxis. I encourage you to arrange lodging soon, since the meeting is only six weeks away and local hotels fill up quickly. If you have any questions, please send email to acs at cogsys.org. I hope to see you at the conference this December. Pat Langley, Program Chair First Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems **************************************************************** 12. Cognitive Computation journal: ToC, Vol 4 (2) http://www.springer.com/12559 Cognitive Computation journal: ToC, Vol 4 (2) June 2012 issue & First ISI Impact Factor! We are delighted to announce the publication of Volume 4, No. 2 / June 2012, of Springer's Cognitive Computation journal - www.springer.com/12559 The individual list of published articles (Table of Contents) for Vol. 4(2) / June 2012 can be viewed here (and also at the end of this message, followed by an overview of the previous Issues/Archive listings): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/2/ A list of the most downloaded articles (which can always be read for free) can be found here: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559#realtime ======================================================= NEW: First ISI Impact Factor for Cognitive Computation of 1.000 for 2011! ======================================================= For further information on the journal and to sign up for electronic "Table of Contents alerts" please visit Cognitive Computation http://www.springer.com/12559 or follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/CognComput for the latest On-line First Issues. Finally, we would like to invite you to submit short or regular papers describing original research or timely review of important areas - our aim is to peer review all papers within approximately six weeks of receipt. We also welcome relevant high quality proposals for Special Issues - five are already planned for 2012-13, including a new special issue to celebrate the work of the late Professor John Taylor, founding Chair of Cognitive Computation's Editorial Advisory Board, CFP can be found here (with a submission deadline of 1 Sep 2012): http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/CogComp-Special-Issue-cfp-1-Vass-rev-Amir.doc?SGWID=0-0-45-1326237-p173836203 ------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents: Springer's Cognitive Computation, Vol. 4(2) / June 2012 A Time-Dependent Saliency Model Combining Center and Depth Biases for 2D and 3D Viewing Conditions J. Gautier & O. Le Meur http://www.springerlink.com/content/p487157836305731/ CO-WORKER: Toward Real-Time and Context-Aware Systems for Human Collaborative Knowledge Building Stefano Squartini & Anna Esposito http://www.springerlink.com/content/f69j56942733571u/ Extended Sparse Distributed Memory and Sequence Storage Javier Snaider & Stan Franklin http://www.springerlink.com/content/nw6327w8663q785t/ Qualitative Information Processing in Tripartite Synapses: A Hypothetical Model Bernhard J. Mitterauer http://www.springerlink.com/content/y135h23114j17u55/ An Information Analysis of In-Air and On-Surface Trajectories in Online Handwriting Enric Sesa-Nogueras, Marcos Faundez-Zanuy & Jifii Mekyska http://www.springerlink.com/content/m43370741458736g/ Non-Classical Connectionist Models of Visual Object Recognition Tarik Hadzibeganovic & F. W. S. Lima http://www.springerlink.com/content/913t237184319875/ ------------------------------------------------ Previous Issues/Archive: Overview: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/1/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/2/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/3/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/4/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/1/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/2/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/3/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/4/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/1/ Special Issue on: Saliency, Attention, Active Visual Search and Picture Scanning http://www.springerlink.com/content/hu2245056415633l/ Guest Editorial can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/2/ Special Issue on: Cognitive Behavioural Systems, http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/3/ Guest Editorial http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4718567520t2h84/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/4/ http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/1/ Amir Hussain, PhD (Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) E-mail: ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk (University of Stirling, Scotland, www.cs.stir.ac.uk/~ahu/) Comp-neuro mailing list http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro **************************************************************** 13. Summer School in Cognitive Linguistics, July 22-26, 2013, Bangor, UK Early registration: 15 april 2013 Summer School in Cognitive Linguistics July 22-26, 2013, Bangor University, UK http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cogling-summerschool The Summer School in Cognitive Linguistics is a one-week international programme held at Bangor University in July 2013. The Summer School will consist of 16 courses on topics in cognitive linguistics and will be taught by leading researchers in the field. Our teaching faculty will be drawn from across the cognitive sciences and include local instructors as well as distinguished researchers from outside Bangor. The Summer School will also feature keynote speeches by Gilles Fauconnier, Adele Goldberg, and Vyvyan Evans, and a poster session during which participants can present their work and obtain feedback. Teaching faculty: - Benjamin Bergen (University of California, San Diego) - Silke Brandt (Lancaster University) - Daniel Casasanto (New School for Social Research, New York) - Alan J. Cienki (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) - Ewa Dabrowska (Northumbria University) - Christopher Hart (Northumbria University) - Willem Hollmann (Lancaster University) - June Luchjenbroers (Bangor University) - Laura Michaelis (University of Colorado, Boulder) - Aliyah Morgenstern (Universite Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3) - Patrick Rebuschat (Bangor University) - Gabriella Rundblad (King's College London) - Christopher Shank (Bangor University) - Luc Steels (Vrije Universiteit Brussels) - Thora Tenbrink (Bangor University) - Alan Wallington (Bangor University) This event provides a unique opportunity for students and researchers to get a snapshot of the exciting work done in cognitive linguistics and to discuss their research. It is also a wonderful opportunity to visit North Wales and to enjoy some of the most beautiful landscapes and historical sites in the United Kingdom. Registration opens in October 2012 and closes in June 2013. Early-bird rates are available for participants who register by April 15, 2013. - Early-bird fee with accommodation: ?475* - Early-bird fee without accommodation: ?375 *includes transfer to/from Manchester airport For more information, please consult the Summer School website (www.bangor.ac.uk/cogling-summerschool) or email the School Director, Dr. Patrick Rebuschat (p.rebuschat at bangor.ac.uk). ------------------------------------------------ Thora Tenbrink, t.tenbrink at bangor.ac.uk +44 (0)1248 38 2263 Lecturer in Cognitive Linguistics/ Darlithydd mewn Ieithyddiaeth Wybyddol School of Linguistics & English Language/ Ysgol Ieithyddiaeth ac Iaith Saesneg Bangor University/ Prifysgol Bangor www.bangor.ac.uk/linguistics **************************************************************** 14. Book chapter on how many times to run a simulation http://acs.ist.psu.edu/papers/ritterSQK11.pdf >From a book on human in the loop simulation: How many times should a simulation be run to generate valid predictions? With a deterministic simulation, the answer simply is just once. With a stochastic simulation, the answer is more complex. Different researchers have proposed and used different heuristics. A review of models presented at a conference on cognitive modeling illustrates the range of solutions and the problems in this area. We present the argument that because the simulation is a theory, not data, it should not so much be sampled but run enough times to provide stable predictions of performance and of the variance of performance. This applies to both pure simulations as well as human-in-loop simulations. We demonstrate the importance of running the simulation until it has stable performance as defined by the effect size of interest. When runs are expensive we suggest a minimum numbers of runs based on power calculations; when runs are inexpensive we suggest a maximum necessary number of runs. We also suggest how to adjust the number of runs for different effect sizes of interest. Ritter, F. E., Schoelles, M. J., Quigley, K. S., & Klein, L. C. (2011). Determining the number of model runs: Treating cognitive models as theories by not sampling their behavior. In L. Rothrock & S. Narayanan (Eds.), Human-in-the-loop simulations: Methods and practice (pp. 97-116). London: Springer-Verlag. http://acs.ist.psu.edu/papers/ritterSQK11.pdf **************************************************************** 15. IJHCS Special Issue - Interplay between User Exp. Eval. & Software Dev. Due: 28th Feb 2013 [I include this announcement because Pew & Mavor (2007) noted that models could have an important role to play in such systems] International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS) SPECIAL ISSUE ========================================= Topic: Interplay between User Experience Evaluation and Software Development Deadline for submission: 28th February 2013 (Thursday) Guest Editors: Effie L-C Law, Silvia Abrahao ========================================= GOAL ---- While the gap between HCI and Software Engineering (SE) with regard to usability has somewhat been narrowed, it may be widened again due to the new emphasis on user experience (UX). This Special Issue aims to build a body of applied knowledge on the increasingly relevant topic of Interplay between User Experience (UX) Evaluation and System Development. Specifically, the topic will be studied from both the HCI and SE perspectives, identifying plausible resolutions to the challenge of optimizing the impact of UX evaluation feedback on software development. RATIONALES & CHALLENGES ----------------------- Usability evaluation methods (UEMs) and metrics are relatively more mature. In contrast, UX evaluation methods which draw largely on UEMs are still taking shape. It is conceivable that feeding outcomes of UX evaluation back to the software development lifecycle to instigate the required changes can even be more challenging than doing so for usability evaluation. It leads to several key issues: ? UX attributes are (much) more fuzzy and malleable, what kinds of diagnostic information and improvement suggestion can be drawn from evaluation data on experiences? ? Conducting usability evaluation in the early phases of a development lifecycle with low fidelity prototypes may facilitate necessary changes to be made cost-effectively. However, is this principle applicable to UX evaluation? Is it feasible to capture authentic experiential responses with a low-fidelity prototype? If yes, how can we draw insights from these responses? ? The persuasiveness of empirical feedback determines its worth. Earlier research indicates that software development teams need to be convinced about the urgency and necessity of fixing usability problems. Is UX evaluation feedback less persuasive than usability feedback? If yes, will the impact of UX evaluation be weaker than usability evaluation? ? The SE community has recognized the importance of usability. Can such recognition and implications be taken for granted for UX, as UX evaluation methodologies and measures could be very different (e.g. artistic performance)? ? Analysis approaches developed by researchers are applied to a limited extent by practitioners. Could such divorce between research and practice be bitterer in UX analysis approaches, which are essentially lacking? This Special Issue aims to address the above as well as other related ones. TOPICS --------------- Contributions, preferably with empirical studies, are invited but are not limited to the following topics: * Which artefacts of software development are useful as the basis for UX evaluation and how do such artefacts influence the selection of UX evaluation methods? * What are the forms and characteristics of UX evaluation feedback that are considered or proved useful and necessary for software development (including the UI design)? * How can UX evaluation methods be integrated in emerging techniques and approaches for software development (e.g., agile development, aspect-oriented software development, model-driven development? * How do software designers/developers perceptions of UX evaluation feedback relate to their redesign strategies and approaches (e.g. prioritisation)? * How can the effectiveness of UX evaluation feedback in improving software quality be evaluated (i.e., the issue of downstream utility)? * How can analysis in UX practical evaluation be supported with techniques and tools applicable to actual industrial practices? SUBMISSION PROCEDURE ---------------------------------------- http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/622846/authorinstructions IMPORTANT DATES --------------------------- * Deadline for submission: 28th February 2013 * Author notification (1st round): 30th April 2013 * Paper revision submission deadline: 11th June 2013 * Camera-ready version submission ready: 23rd August 2013 Guest Editors ------------------ * Effie Lai-Chong Law, University of Leicester, UK law at TIK.EE.ETHZ.CH * Silvia Abrahao, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain chi-resources-subscribe-request at listserv.acm.org CHI-ANNOUNCEMENTS at LISTSERV.ACM.ORG **************************************************************** 16. Databrary Project Systems Architect http://databrary.org Databrary (http://databrary.org) is a web-based data library where scientists who collect and analyze video can store and share their data openly with other researchers. Databrary's leaders, based at New York University and Penn State, have been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to create Databrary, improve an existing free, cross-platform video coding and analysis tool (http://openshapa.org), and build a desktop lab/data management tool to make data sharing easy and convenient. The goal is to accelerate the pace of discovery in psychology and developmental science and improve scientific transparency and accountability. Databrary seeks a visionary, entrepreneurial systems architect to lead the project, steer its design, and hire and manage the development team. Candidates should have 5-8 years of software development and management experience as a solutions architect, systems architect, project manager, or test manager. Responsibilities - Designing and developing a new web-based tool for sharing large research data sets. - Maintaining and improving an existing desktop analysis tool. - Designing and developing a desktop data management tool to integrate video analysis with a web-based video data library. - Building a small team of developers to execute the above. Writing position descriptions, and conducting interviews. - Mentoring and providing leadership for junior development staff. - Defining software development methodologies and practice. Qualifications - Experience developing in a modern MVC based web development framework (Django, Rails, Tower.js etc). - Experience as a technical team leader, project manager, or systems architect. - Prior development experience in Java and or C/C++. - History of active contributions to open source projects. - Established track record of shipping reliable software products. - Experience developing cross-platform applications for Windows and OSX. Preferred - An understanding of configuration management practices using Chef or Puppet. - Experience with video playback/transcoding tools such as FFmpeg and VLC. - Experience working with large research data sets. Compensation Salary range competitive with senior level positions plus full NYU benefits, including health and tuition remission. To apply send the following to Lisa Steiger (lisa.steiger at nyu.edu): - One page cover letter (PDF). - Academic transcript of your formal qualifications (PDF). - Links to your open source contributions. - Resume (PDF). **************************************************************** 17. Looking for Ph.D. students in cognitive modeling, Wright State due: 1 jan 2013 Looking for Ph.D. students with interest in cognitive modeling The Cognitive Modeling Group in the Department of Psychology at Wright State University is seeking candidates for multiple funded graduate student positions. The group is lead by Drs. Ion Juvina (http://psych-scholar.wright.edu/ijuvina) and Joseph Houpt (http://www.wright.edu/~joseph.houpt). We work in areas ranging from low-level perceptual modeling to high-level cognitive processes such as decision-making and cognitive control. Our interests include both computational modeling, particularly with ACT-R, and mathematical modeling, including dynamic systems and stochastic processes. Graduate students will have the opportunity to work on both theoretical and applied problems. Our group has active collaborations with a number of groups at the nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as well as connections in academia and industry. Students will work toward a Ph.D. in Human Factors Psychology with a minor in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. We are seeking candidates who have backgrounds in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, mathematics, computer science or engineering. Candidates should be able to communicate effectively in English, both in writing and speaking. Additional desired qualifications include programming skills (especially in R, Matlab, Lisp or Python); experience with statistical analysis and modeling (especially in R or Matlab); and experience with fMRI or EEG data collection and analysis. Applications must be received by January 1, 2013. Required applications materials are a statement of research interests, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts and an official copy of your GRE scores. For information on application procedures, see: http://www.wright.edu/cosm/departments/psychology/graduate/howtoapply.html. International students are encouraged to apply. Additional information for international applicants is available at: http://www.wright.edu/ucie/student/graduate_admissions.html Ion Juvina, Ph.D. ion.juvina at wright.edu Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Wright State University **************************************************************** 18. Fellowships in Groningen, The Netherlands ongoing The University of Groningen is awarding a number of fellowships to young, talented international scholars. Although the program is primarily aimed at female researchers, anyone can apply. A fellowship consists of a assistant professorship position, with predefined criteria for tenure (i.e., promotion to associate professorship). People working in our field could apply to the fellowships advertised at the Natural Sciences and/or at the Social Sciences departments. More information regarding the procedure at Social Sciences (Psychology, contact Hedderik van Rijn for more information): http://www.rug.nl/gmw/onderzoek/rff/index And at Natural Sciences (Artificial Intelligence, Niels Taatgen) http://www.rug.nl/fwn/vacatures/rff/index We would be happy to provide more information, - Hedderik. ACT-R-users mailing list **************************************************************** 19. GE Global Research Starting: 1 Nov 2012 Job search: Forwarded on behalf of Arnie Lund So here is the situation. I've just joined GE Global Research in their new software center our here in San Ramon, CA. Global Research is GE's version of Bell Labs, or Microsoft Research, etc. The role, therefore, is on the one hand to create/explore new technologies, and in our human factors/UX/HCI space to advance understanding of how to design compelling and valuable experiences. And on the other hand, to explore those advances in GE-relevant domains and to enable to business to offer more value to customers, innovate with new products, etc. I'm running the UX Innovation Lab here. I've got one person who "owns" work in the healthcare domain. We've got some work on new visualization experiences and interaction techniques for MRIs, etc., and some explorations of novel forms of tele-presence to connect doctors. I've got another person who owns the energy space. There we are helping them build an e-commerce experience, but of special interest is management of very domain sets. We are also doing some simulation work around managing energy grids. But a new domain that is emerging is transportation, which especially focuses on aerospace and railroads. We're expecting virtual reality work, information visualization and modeling, control room design and other projects. So I'm looking for someone to lead the transportation research area. Their official title here for this role is senior scientist. They'll be leading a team of designers, more junior researchers and developers; and defining and driving the research program in the area. Does that help? Know anyone? ARNIE lund at ge.com **************************************************************** 20. Postdoctoral Res Fellow and Res. Assist. in HF at Wright State Ongoing Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Research Assistant in Human Factors in Surgical Simulation and Training Department of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering Wright State University. We are seeking several highly qualified postdoctoral research associates (2) and research assistants (3) to perform research in surgical simulation and training. This multidisciplinary research is funded by 3 NIH R01 grants and is multi-institutional, involving engineers and physicians from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Wright State University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and the Cambridge Health Alliance Hospitals. Successful candidates will hold one-year appointments, renewable for four years. Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate or Research Assistant Qualifications: 1. Earned Ph.D. degree in human factors engineering, experimental psychology, biomedical engineering, computer science, or equivalent, with an interest in medical devices and systems design, virtual reality simulation, haptics, and/or human performance evaluation and training. 2. Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on research projects. 3. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. 4. Experience in conducting research with human and animal subjects, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and the IRB and IACUC process. 5. Ability to prioritise tasks, manage team members, and disseminate results in a timely manner. 6. Experience with virtual or augmented reality, haptic devices, HCI and UI design, programming in C, C++, OpenGL, and statistical data analysis packages such as SAS, SPSS, or R. Responsibilities: 1. Conduct literature reviews. 2. Conduct field studies and controlled laboratory experiments in the hospital operating room, animal labs, and simulation labs. 3. Perform task analysis, cognitive task analysis, work domain analysis, etc of the surgical environment and of emerging surgical techniques. 4. Manage project activities and team members. 5. Assist in writing grant proposals and developing research ideas. 6. Develop and design data acquisition apparatus and measurement protocols. 7. Co-author conference papers and peer-??reviewed journal papers. Job Title: Research Assistant Qualifications: 1. Earned Bachelor's or Master's degree in human factors engineering, experimental psychology, biomedical engineering, computer science, or equivalent, with an interest in medical devices and systems design, virtual reality simulation, haptics, and/or human performance evaluation and training. 2. Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on research projects. 3. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. 4. Experience in conducting research with human and animal subjects, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. 5. Experience with virtual or augmented reality, haptic devices, HCI and UI design, programming in C, C++, OpenGL, and statistical data analysis packages such as SAS, SPSS, or R. Responsibilities: 1. Conduct literature reviews. 2. Conduct field studies and controlled laboratory experiments in the hospital operating room, animal labs, and simulation labs. 3. Perform task analysis, cognitive task analysis, work domain analysis, etc of the surgical environment and of emerging surgical techniques. 4. Develop and design data acquisition apparatus and measurement protocols. 5. Co-author conference papers and peer-reviewed journal papers. Qualified and interested candidates are invited to send a copy of their CV, along with the name and contact information of three references, to Dr. Caroline Cao at caroline.cao at wright.edu with the subject line "NIH Postdoc application" or "NIH Research Assistant application. Review of applications will begin immediately until the positions are filled. **************************************************************** 21. Faculty openings Cognitive Psych or Cog Neuro, Drexel Ongoing review Tenure-Track Assistant Professorships, Cognitive Psychology or Cognitive Neuroscience Requisition Number 4947 Job Overview The College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology at Drexel University invites applications for two full-time Assistant Professorships in any area of Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or Cognitive Engineering. Both positions will begin in Fall, 2013, pending final funding approval. Qualifications Applicants must have a Ph.D. (in hand or expected in 2013) with a developing research and scholarly program in some area of Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or Cognitive Engineering. Successful candidates will have established a publication record and will demonstrate strong potential for external research funding. Essential Functions Qualified candidates will join the Psychology Department's growing doctoral program in Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences (ACBS) to pursue an active program of basic research in cognition with the potential to address real-world problems. Applicants with the potential to collaborate with other faculty both within the Department and in other Departments and Colleges within the University are particularly encouraged. The ACBS program joins the Department's existing nationally ranked APA-accredited doctoral program in Clinical Psychology and a strong J.D./Ph.D. program. Other potential sources of collaboration include the School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, the Department of Computer Science, the College of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and the University's new Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center. There also exist opportunities to form collaborative ties across the numerous colleges, universities, and research institutions in the Philadelphia area. They will teach both undergraduate and graduate courses, mentor and supervise students at all levels, and have a voice in curriculum and program growth planning for the ACBS program. Supplemental Posting Information The University offers an attractive benefits package and an opportunity to join a talented team of professionals and contribute to the University's reputation, quality, and record growth as a Research I institution. Drexel University is located in the University City and Center City neighborhoods of Philadelphia, a major metropolitan area with numerous cultural, medical, educational, and recreational opportunities, as well as easy access to New York City, Washington, DC, and the New Jersey shore. Documents that must be associated with this posting Resume Cover Letter Selected Publication PDF's Three letters of reference (sent independently) https://www.drexeljobs.com/applicants/jsp/shared/position/PrinterFriendlyJobDetails.jsp?time=1347568253513 To apply for this position, please apply online at: http://www.drexeljobs.com and search for Tenure Track Faculty, Cognitive Psychologist or Cognitive Neuroscientist. The requisition # is 4947. Please submit a letter of interest, a current CV, and selected publications and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent. Please indicate teaching specialties for your undergraduate and graduate areas of interest. Interviews are anticipated to begin in late 2012. For additional information regarding your application, please contact: Dr. Douglas L. Chute, Ph.D., Professor of Neuropsychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St. Philadelphia PA 19104, and/or e-mail chute at drexel.edu. For more information about Drexel University, please visit www.drexel.edu . For more information about the Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences program and about the Psychology Department within the College of Arts and Sciences, please visit http://www.drexel.edu/psychology/academics/graduate/acbs/ . **************************************************************** 22. PhD position Cognitive Modeling group, U. of Gronigen Starting: 1 Nov 2012 The Cognitive Modeling group is part of the ALICE research institute of the Department of Artificial Intelligence. The group has a world-class reputation in cognitive modeling, largely based on the ACT-R architecture. The PhD student will carry out his or her research within this group, but will also participate in the Graduate School of Science of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, and the School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences. Job description This particular project focuses on the transfer of cognitive skill, that is, how learning one skill can benefit learning other skills. This topic has recently become very relevant in research on "brain training", but also has a broad relevance for education, and general theory development in cognitive science. The particular direction of the project is still somewhat open, depending on the candidate. It can focus on experimental work that may include eye tracking and fMRI, or developmental phenomena, in which case the focus will be more on modeling itself. This project will be part of a larger 5-year project "Towards safe and productive multitasking" that is funded by the European Research Council. The project as a whole will involve several research methodologies: human experimentation, fMRI research, computational cognitive modeling and the construction of applications that support multitasking. The team for this project will consist of two other PhD students, a postdoc, and the primary investigator. Qualifications A successful candidate has a Master's degree in Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, Experimental Psychology, Artificial Intelligence or a related field, and has programming skills. Experience in running behavioral experiments or in modeling cognition is an advantage. Conditions of employment The University of Groningen offers a salary of 2,042 gross per month in the first year up to a maximum of 2,612 gross per month in the final year. The appointment is for a period of four years, which should be finished with a PhD examination. The full time appointment is temporary for 1 year with the perspective of prolongation for another 3 years. After 9 months, there will be an evaluation of the feasibility of successful completion of the PhD thesis within the next three years. A training programme within the Graduate School of Science is part of the agreement. You and your supervisor will make up a plan for additional education and supervising that is specific to your needs. How to apply: Send a cover letter (with professional goals and a statement of interest), a curriculum vitae and two references or letters of recommendation (PDF format) before 17 October 2012 by means of the application form, although applications received after the deadline may be considered. (http://www.rug.nl/corporate/vacatures/jobOpportunitiesRUG?lang=en opening, and on the bottom of the page you'll find an "Apply" link). Starting date: as soon as possible. For information you can contact: Prof. Niels A. Taatgen, n.a.taatgen at rug.nl http://research.ai.rug.nl/index.php/cogmod/cogmodhome http://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/ **************************************************************** 23. PhD/Post-Doc in Neuro-Comp. Modeling of Vis. Per. & Spatial Cog., TU/Chemnitz Review starting: 20 Oct 2012 PhD/Post-Doc in Neuro-Computational Modeling of Visual Perception and Spatial Cognition (Hamker Lab) A PhD or postdoctoral position is available in the lab of Fred Hamker at Chemnitz University of Technology in the Department of Computer Science, given a final confirmation of funding. The position is for three years, starting March 2013. However, an earlier starting date could be possible if required. The research position is part of the EU project "Spatial Cognition" in the program of Future Emerging Technologies: Neuro-bio-inspired systems. In our consortium, that consists of the following partners: Fred Hamker, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany (coordinator) Neil Burgess, University College London, England Pieter Medendorp, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands Patrick Cavanagh, Universite Paris Descartes, France Rufin VanRullen, Universite Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France a strong exchange of experimental and neuro-computational work is planned and required. The research at our lab aims at developing a large-scale model of visual perception focusing on the parietal cortex and its interactions with the Hippocampus, oculomotor and visual areas. Among others we will address research questions such as the updating of visual attention around eye movements, the subjective experience of a stable world, the perception of intra-saccadic displacements of visual stimuli and the role of corollary discharge. The final model will be demonstrated as a virtual human interacting in a virtual reality. See http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/informatik/KI/research/journal.html for our previous work in this field. In particular: Ziesche, A., Hamker, F. H. (2011). A Computational Model for the Influence of Corollary Discharge and Proprioception on the Perisaccadic Mislocalization of Briefly Presented Stimuli in Complete Darkness Journal of Neuroscience, 31(48): 17392-17405. The candidate should have an interest in developing neurocomputational systems, particularly with respect to data in the neurosciences and psychology. Experience in interdisciplinary projects or in experimental studies is welcome. Good programming experience is essential. The salary is according to German standards (PostDoc E13 TV-L, PhD initially 50% E13 TV-L). The university is an equal opportunity employer. Women are encouraged to apply. Disabled applicants will receive priority in case they have equal qualifications. Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the state of Saxony and close to scenic mountains. Major cities nearby are Leipzig and Dresden with a rich tradition of music and culture. [and it has a nice public pool as well as nice city center.] Applications should be sent by email (preferably in PDF format) to (fred.hamker at informatik.tu-chemnitz.de) until October 20th. Later applications will be considered until the position is filled. I am happy to meet with potential candidates at the SfN meeting in New Orleans. Prof. Dr. Fred H Hamker Artificial Intelligence & Neuro Cognitive Systems Department of Computer Science TU/Chemnitz D - 09107 Chemnitz Germany www: http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/informatik/KI/ Comp-neuro mailing list **************************************************************** 24. Frymoyer Endowed Chair Professor Position in IST at PSU http://ist.psu.edu/research/frymoyer-chair The Pennsylvania State University College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) is seeking candidates for the position of Frymoyer Chair. The Frymoyer Chair is a tenured, full professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology. The anticipated start date is Fall 2012 or Spring 2013. The endowed chair was established in 1999 through a gift of $1.5 million from the Edward J. Frymoyer Foundation. The holder of the Frymoyer Chair is expected to have a significant impact not only in the College, but also across multiple disciplines at the University and in the public and private sectors. Funds from the endowment will support the chair holder's contributions to instruction, research, and public service with the overall intent to foster the use, benefits, and effectiveness of the information sciences around the globe. The College was founded in 1998 to develop information science and technology leaders for the digital, global society, and enrolled its first class of students in the 1999-2000 academic year. The College at University Park, which includes 50 full-time faculty, currently serves approximately 1100 undergraduate students, 110 resident graduate students, primarily in the Ph.D. program, and 100 non-resident graduate students in a professional master's degree program. In addition, the IST undergraduate curriculum is offered at 19 other Penn State campuses. In January 2004, the College moved into a new 190,000 square foot building on the University Park campus. The building houses both the College of IST and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. To learn more about our structure, vision, mission, goals, faculty and students, please see http://ist.psu.edu. We seek a candidate who will provide research leadership as our College moves forward in its second decade of existence. We have faculty strengths in: (1) computational informatics and artificial intelligence; (2) human computer interaction and cognitive studies; (3) information systems development/enterprise architecture; (4) security and informatics; and (5) social policy, economics and informatics. As an interdisciplinary faculty we collaborate on problems of national significance. We are particularly interested in candidates with demonstrated research leadership in cutting edge problem areas such as infrastructure and internet security and privacy, innovation in web search, health informatics, network science, social media, and educational technology. The successful candidate will have a well defined and sustained record of funded research and accomplishments. However, we will not limit our search to specific research areas or problems. Applications from those who seek to be a part of a vibrant, civil and diverse academic community and who do research and teaching in any of the information and technology sciences are welcome. Qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter with their research vision, their curriculum vita, as well as names and email addresses of four persons who will write letters of recommendation to chairsearch at ist.psu.edu. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce. **************************************************************** 25. Faculty openings at UT Austin School of Information Review starting: 1 Nov 2012 The School of Information (iSchool) at the University of Texas at Austin has openings for new faculty at all levels: http://cra.org/ads/ads-view/assistant_associate_or_full_professor_university_of_texas_at_austin/ from the ad: "...including technical areas such as information retrieval and natural language processing, data sciences, visualization, digital libraries, educational and assistive technologies, security and information assurance, informatics, and especially human-computer interaction and design" To ensure full consideration, candidate materials should be received by November 1. ============================== Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor The School of Information at The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for multiple full-time, tenure-track faculty positions, anticipated to start in Fall 2013. We are considering applicants at both the junior and senior levels. Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. We seek candidates with excellent research and teaching abilities and a commitment to shaping the future of the school and the discipline of information studies. We welcome applications from excellent candidates who can enhance our offerings in any area of information studies, including technical areas such as information retrieval and natural language processing, data sciences, visualization, digital libraries, educational and assistive technologies, security and information assurance, informatics, and especially human-computer interaction and design. Candidates must hold a doctorate degree in a field that is relevant to their area of research and be able to articulate clearly a research agenda that fits within the School's core areas of focus. Our program is ranked among the top ten programs in information studies. Admission to our graduate-only degree programs is highly competitive. Our students are high academic achievers, many of them with undergraduate majors in the humanities or social sciences. With over 20 faculty members and lecturers, the School is home to approximately 300 graduate students. The School moved into new facilities in 2009 with extended labs and class space, and offers cutting-edge research and education on the human, social and cultural aspects of information, broadly construed. Application Instructions Applications will be accepted until positions are filled, but we will begin to evaluate applications and invite candidates on November 1, 2012. Send inquiries and applications, including curriculum vitae, a statement outlining how you see a fit with our program, and the names of three references by email to: facultysearch at ischool.utexas.edu -- Matt Lease, Voice: (512) 471-9350 Assistant Professor School of Information University of Texas at Austin http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~ml CHI-JOBS list: **************************************************************** 26. UC Santa Barbara Postdoc fellowship announcement Due: 1 Dec 2012 Sage Junior Fellow Program, Sage Center for the Study of Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara Three postdoctoral positions will be available beginning on July 1, 2013. The initial appointment is for one year, with a possible extension to a second year. The SAGE Center Junior Fellowship will foster interdisciplinary research in the study of brain-mind interaction at the postdoctoral level. We are seeking exceptional scholars who will engage in research and participate in teaching graduate-level courses at UCSB. In addition to developing research programs in close collaboration with individual faculty, Junior Fellows will enjoy special privileges, including access to Visiting SAGE Scholars and attendance at regular group meetings to collaborate and share information about the role of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, economics, political science, anthropology, biology, and philosophy on the study of mind. To be eligible for the Junior Fellows program, a candidate must be at an early stage of his or her postdoctoral career. Proposed research topics must be related to brain-mind interaction. We encourage candidates to apply as an interdisciplinary team with a common research topic; individual applicants may propose any suitable topic. If no viable team application is selected, the search committee will strive to create a team based on common interests of the top individual applicants. Team applicants, please send: 1. A complete CV, published article and three letters of recommendation for each candidate 2. A statement of research interests that outlines your team's proposed topic, the expected contributions of each team member, and a description of how your team's interests complement the goals of the SAGE Center. Individual applicants, please send: 1. A complete CV, published article and three letters of recommendation 2. A statement of your research interests and a description of how those interests complement the goals of the SAGE Center. Application materials are due by December 1, 2012. Letters of recommendation may be sent by applicants or by recommenders. Email the required application materials to juniorfellows at sagecenter.ucsb.edu; include the last names of the members of your team--or your last name if you are applying as an individual--in the subject line of all correspondence. Alternatively, you or your recommenders may send hard copies to this address: Michael S. Gazzaniga, Ph.D. Director, Sage Center for the Study of Mind University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660 http://www.sagecenter.ucsb.edu/ http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/~gazzanig/ The Department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service. John Hajda, Ph.D. hajda at sagecenter.ucsb.edu Associate Director Phone 805-893-4460 Sage Center for the Study of the Mind Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660 Comp-neuro mailing list http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro **************************************************************** 27. Faculty positions at Rensselaer in Cognitive Science Review starting date: 1 Dec 2012 http://www.hass.rpi.edu/pl/news-s17/faculty-position-announcement http://www.hass.rpi.edu/pl/news-s17/faculty-position-announcement will take you to position announcement for about 9 positions in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Rensselaer. One of these is a Senior hire in the Cognitive Science Department. Please look at this carefully and see if it attracts you or forward it to a colleague who you think it might fit (even if you don't know whether she is "looking" or not). There is a potential junior position hidden it the "Candidates for all levels, Immersive Intelligent Learning Environments" link. The plan is to hire three junior faculty who meet the general criterion but would be considered by one of the HASS Departments to be strong in that discipline. Of course, Cognitive Science is hoping that one of the strongest candidates is a cognitive scientist. Please free to pass this onto your students, your colleagues, yourself. I would be pleased to field any questions you might have. Wayne D. Gray grayw at rpi.edu Professor of Cognitive Science & Office: 518-276-3315 Professor of Computer Science http://www.rpi.edu/~grayw/ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ACT-R-users mailing list http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/mailman/listinfo/act-r-users **************************************************************** 28. Res. Fellow on User Modelling and Adaptive Interfaces for Learning Tech. Closing date: 11 November 2012 Research Fellow User Modelling and Adaptive Interfaces for Learning Technologies University of Birmingham -School of Computer Science Salary from ?27,578 to ?38,140 a year. The post is available from 15 January 2013 and is currently funded for up to 24 months. We are looking for a Research Fellow to join the HCI centre at the University of Birmingham. The HCI centre is a joint venture between the Schools of Computer Science and Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering. We take a people-centred perspective on interaction and technology to lead the development of our understanding on how people interact with technologies, and how one transforms the other. The Research Fellow will join the EU funded Technology Enhanced Learning project ILearnRW. The project aims to develop a personalised tutoring system to assist dyslexic children in reading and writing. This includes user modelling of a child's dyslexia type to match teaching material to the child's level. The approach will be interdisciplinary drawing on computer science, HCI and design, education and cognitive psychology. The Research Fellow will be expected to conduct internationally leading research on user modelling and adaptive interfaces. S/He will develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research and will contribute to writing future bids for research funding. S/He will also analyse and interpret research findings and results with the aim of disseminating them to top international journals and conferences. To apply you must have completed, or be near completion of a PhD degree relevant to the research area or equivalent qualifications or research experience. You should have a proven high level of analytical capability and programming skills, as well as experience in user modelling and adaptive user interfaces. Informal enquiries may be made to Dr. Mina Vasalou (a.vasalou at bham.ac.uk) at the School of Computer Science. Closing date: 11 November 2012 More information at http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AFH760/research-fellow/ --------------------------------------------------------------- For news of CHI books, courses & software, join CHI-RESOURCES mailto: chi-resources-subscribe-request at listserv.acm.org For further details of CHI lists see http://listserv.acm.org **************************************************************** 29. Faculty Job announcemnt, American U. of Beirut Until filled My department is looking for another one of "us" - people who apply engineering models to organizations and organizational models to engineers. Here is the full announcement in case you are interested or know someone who fits the bill. The Engineering Management Program, Faculty of Engineering & Architecture at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, invites applicants for a full time faculty position, preferably at the assistant professor level, starting September 2013. The search is open for candidates with a background in Industrial Engineering or Engineering Management and research interests preferably related to the management of technology and technological innovations, technology entrepreneurship, product development, or computational / Mathematical organization Science. Those applying for this position should have the desire to excel, both in teaching and research, in an interdisciplinary work environment. This position will be at the assistant professor rank, but exceptionally qualified candidates with established research and teaching credentials will be considered at higher ranks. The successful candidate must (a) have a PhD degree in industrial and systems engineering or a related field, (b) have at least one degree in an engineering discipline, and (c) demonstrate a record of independent research and publications. Upon appointment, the successful candidate will teach graduate and undergraduate courses in the engineering management program, participate in program development, and be active in research. The candidate is expected to take an active role in developing research initiatives leading to external funding and publications in internationally recognized journals, and should have the ability to work in a team-oriented environment. Applications will be reviewed as received and the process will continue until the position is filled, but no later than April 30, 2013. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Applications should include a letter of interest; research, teaching, and service statements; complete curriculum vitae; and the names, e-mails, and addresses of at least three professional references. The complete application should be sent via email in PDF format or air mail to: Dean of Engineering and Architecture (fea at aub.edu.lb), Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, the American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El-Solh, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon. Information on the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at AUB can be found at http://www.aub.edu.lb/fea/. The American University of Beirut is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. For general information consult the AUB's home page http://www.aub.edu.lb Walid Nasrallah Associate Professor of Engineering Management http://www.aub.edu.lb American University of Beirut http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=author%3Aw-nasrallah&hl=en http://about.me/Dr_Walid The NAACSOS mailing list is a service of NAACSOS, the North American Association for Computational and Organizational Science (http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/naacsos/). **************************************************************** 30. Penn State, Psychology, Systems Neuroscience, senior position Review starting 1 Nov 2012 The Department of Psychology at Penn State (http://psych.la.psu.edu/) is recruiting for a systems or computational neuroscientist (open rank) with expertise in advanced data analysis techniques (e.g., graph theory, meta-analysis, data mining, structural equation modeling) as applied to neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) data. Candidates with expertise in how structural or functional connectivity relates to behavior are especially encouraged to apply. We prefer candidates at the associate professor level or higher who can contribute leadership to the growing neuroscience and imaging communities, but we will consider outstanding junior candidates. The position is co-funded by the Children, Youth, and Families Consortium (http://www.ssri.psu.edu/cyfc/), and successful applicants are expected to participate in and contribute to the Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center (http://www.imaging.psu.edu). Participation in and contribution to the Graduate Program in Neuroscience (http://www.huck.psu.edu/education/neuroscience) and the Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition (http://cbbc.psu.edu/) would be welcome. Rich opportunities exist for collaboration within the department's substantive focal areas (cognitive, developmental, social, clinical, and industrial/organizational psychology) and across the campus. Applicants who could also contribute to an overarching department initiative to enhance diversity and our understanding of diversity are particularly encouraged to apply. Candidates are expected to have a record of excellence in research and teaching, and a history or promise of external funding. Review of applications for the position begins November 1, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates should submit a letter of application including concise statements of research and teaching interests, a CV, and selected (p)reprints. Junior candidates should submit at least three letters of recommendation; letters of recommendation for senior candidates will be requested from those selected as finalists. Electronic submission is strongly preferred; please submit materials at http://www.la.psu.edu/facultysearch/. If unable to submit electronically, mail materials to Neuroscience Faculty Search Committee - Box A, Department of Psychology, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802. Questions regarding the application process can be emailed to Judy Bowman, jak8 at psu.edu, and questions regarding the position can be sent to Rick Gilmore, rogilmore at psu.edu. Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with [NEW, late, misguided, inappropriate, PSU] University policies. We especially encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce. **************************************************************** 31. Faculty for Computer Science, Habib University, Karachi, Pakistan http://www.habibuniversity.edu.pk/Faculty/OFP Faculty for Computer Science for School of Science and Engineering Habib University, Karachi, Pakistan The Habib University Foundation is establishing a world class institution of higher learning in Karachi, Pakistan. Beginning in Fall 2014, Habib University will offer undergraduate programs with a unique interdisciplinary education in Science, Engineering, Arts, Humanities, and the Social Sciences. Habib University is establishing a School of Science and Engineering, which will initially offer Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering, and Bachelors of Science in Computer Science. The School will initiate classes with 120 students and will continue to increase enrollment each year. The University has long-term plans for the School to offer additional programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Undergraduate program in Computer Science The Computer Science program at Habib University will prepare students for the next phase of innovation in information technology. The integrated curriculum will offer a strong set of core of Computer Science courses along with several courses in its subfields. It will also offer a broad range of subjects from the arts, humanities and social sciences, that will enable students to think outside the box. Entrepreneurial skills are important for the computing industry, and these have been given great importance in the curriculum, along with computing ethics. Habib University is inviting applications for faculty positions at any level (assistant, associate, or full professor). We encourage applications in the areas of Software Engineering, Distributed Computing/High Performance Computing; Computer Graphics & Visualization; Computer Animation, Graphics, Game Design & Development; Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining & Visualization; Databases & Data Warehousing; Cyber, Computer and Network Security; Data Compression & Coding; Mobile Application Development; Computer Networks; Semantic Web Technologies; Theoretical Computer Science (Graph Theory, Computational Complexity, Programming Logics); Interaction Design/Human Computer Interaction; and Intelligent, Soft Computing Systems to apply. Habib University is seeking candidates with excellent teaching, and scholarly credentials who have a passion for undergraduate education, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to communicate and work well in teams. The University will offer opportunities for faculty to pursue research and scholarly advancement across the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences and Engineering. As academic leaders, faculty will have the unique opportunity to build a new institution, shape programs and foster synergies across fields. The terms of employment are competitive and include additional employment benefits. Applicants need to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching interests, representative publications and three letters of reference in PDF format to be considered. The application package can be emailed to minerva.john at huf.org.pk. Please visit the website to download the application form (http://www.habibuniversity.edu.pk/Faculty/OFP). If you have any inquiries, please contact minerva.john at huf.org.pk **************************************************************** 32. Tenure-track position at UCSD, Department of Cognitive Science Due: 1 Nov 2012 (reviews start) Please note that my department has a computational cognitive science position open this fall (deadline: 11/01/12). Please encourage qualified candidates to apply. Angela J. Yu, ajyu at ucsd.edu Assistant Professor http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~ajyu Department of Cognitive Science 858-822-3317 UCSD, Mail Code 0515 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA 92093-0515 ------------------------------------------------ *Assistant Professor in Computational Cognitive Science* DEPARTMENT OF COGNITIVE SCIENCE AT UCSD The Department of Cognitive Science http://cogsci.ucsd.edu within the Division of Social Sciences at UC San Diego is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff and student body. The department invites applications for a tenure-track position in computational cognitive science. The department has a preference for a junior researcher to be appointed at the assistant professor level. Applicants must have a Ph.D. at the time of appointment that will begin July 1, 2013. Areas of particular interest include: big data, machine learning, brain-computer interaction, but other specializations will be considered. An interdisciplinary perspective and experience with multiple methodologies is highly valued. Strong teaching and research skills in advanced computational methods are required. The preferred candidate will have experience or a willingness to participate in teaching, mentoring, research or service towards building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment. The department is truly interdisciplinary, with a faculty whose interests span anthropology, computer science, design, human development, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. UCSD Department of Cognitive Science was the first of its kind, and is part of an exceptional scientific community with close ties to California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), UCSD Supercomputer Center, the Institute for Neural Computation, and the NSF Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and based on University of California pay scales. Review of applications will commence on 11/1/2012 and continue until the position is filled. Application will be accepted electronically at https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/applyCandidate should submit the following: a vita; reprints of up to four representative publications; a short cover letter describing background and interests and at least three references (name, title, address and email). Applicants are also asked to contribute a separate statement in which they describe their past or potential experience in activities that promote diversity. For further information about contribution to diversity statement, see http://facultyequity.ucsd.edu/Faculty-Applicant-C2D-Info.asp Comp-neuro mailing list http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro **************************************************************** 33. "Ramon y Cajal" Tenure Track program and postdoc program Due: 20 Nov 2012 The Granada Neurophysics group (http://ergodic.ugr.es/neurofisica/neurofisica.html) within the Institute "Carlos I" for Theoretical and Computatinal Physics (http://ic1.ugr.es/) is looking for suitable candidates interested to apply for the Spanish "Ramon y Cajal" program to incorporate researchers in the Spanish research institutions including the universities. In some sense it is similar to a tenure track position program (assistant/associate professor level). In case of success the candidate will be incorporated in our group at the Granada University (we are looking candidates with research topics in the frontier of biology, physics, neuroscience, biophysics, computational neuroscience, etc. Experiementalists are also welcome). The "Ramon y Cajal" program is very competitive so the suitable candidates must have a strong scientific background with a large record of high impact factor publications, and to have more than 4 year of postdoctoral experience. The application procedure started last October 29th 2012 and will finish the next November 27th 2012 The gross salary per year for the successful candidate will be 33.720 ?. All information is included in this pdf: http://boe.es/boe/dias/2012/10/24/pdfs/BOE-A-2012-13213.pdf (in Spanish) An official Spanish government web page in English follows http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=d24669dad3f88310VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&lang_choosen=en Only are eligible candidates that have obtained their Ph.D. after 01/01/2002 For people interested in a two-year postdoc in our lab there is also an additional postdoc contract program "Juan de la Cierva" with deadline for candidate application the next November 20th 2012. Please visit the link below for further information: http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=fdf669dad3f88310VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=76c9282978ea0210VgnVCM1000001034e20aRCRD Granada is a very pleasant city to live, with a well know university and with many cultural events along the year. It is also one of the cheapest cities to live in Spain. There also very interesting places to visit in the surroundings of the city including the highest mountains in Spain (the Sierra Nevada mountain range) with a well known sky resort (which is further south across Europe) very near to the city. Also Granada is just 30 miles far from the Mediterranean sea with very beautiful and pleasant beaches. Concerning our group we constitute a theoretical and computational neuroscience group at University of Granada. The group is formed for an small number of researchers experts in theoretical physics, statistical physics, neurophysics and computational neuroscience. Most of our recent work is focused in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of neural networks, computational neuroscience, biophysics, theoretical biology, complex networks applied to neuroscience, stochastic resonance phenomena in biological systems, etc. For more details visit http://www.ugr.es/~jtorres/ Comp-neuro mailing list **************************************************************** 34. Computational Neuroscience staff position at Sandia National Labs Due: 30 Nov 2012 Sandia National Laboratories has a staff position open for a computational neuroscientist in our cognitive modeling department. A portion of the full job posting is appended below. To see more details and apply, search for Job ID #641996 at http://www.sandia.gov/careers/ps-forward Brad Aimone (505) 284-3147 Senior Member of Technical Staff Cognitive Modeling Department Sandia National Laboratories Job Summary We are seeking computational neuroscientists to join our interdisciplinary research program in developing multi-scale models of neural processes. We are particularly interested in the cellular and circuit level mechanisms underlying human cognitive functions such as learning, memory, decision-making, etc. Example research topics of interest include the development and validation of large-scale high-fidelity neural simulations, algorithmic understanding of neural circuits, neural basis of decision-making, neuromorphic computing, and methods for analysis of both real and simulated neural data. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a strong background in neuroscience, and an understanding of relations between neuroscience, cognitive science, and computation. Successful staff members at Sandia are expected both to contribute to ongoing projects and to develop new lines of research with potential for application in solving complex problems. Job duties may include writing proposals, conducting research both independently and in teams, giving presentations, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and contributing to program development. The positions are located at Sandia's Albuquerque, NM, USA site. This job series typically applies integrated technical judgment--which requires using the scientific method to recognize and formulate problems, to collect data through observation and experimentation, and to formulate and test hypotheses--to anticipate, innovate, and deliver solutions to Sandia National Laboratories missions. Roots the work in the fundamentals of science and engineering while applying a deep understanding of engineering and scientific principles. Creates and applies scientific theories and laws and engineering methods used within scientific and engineering disciplines to develop or demonstrate new designs, concepts, materials, machines, products, processes, or systems. Uses physical and computational simulation, analysis, and evaluation as inherent activities of development. Plans, conducts, and executes Sandia's science and engineering programs within the spectrum of fundamental research, development, or demonstration. Participates in the development and application of computational capabilities to solve problems in science and engineering. Applies methods and techniques that merge disciplines in science and engineering with computer science. Includes the research, development, deployment and in-depth technical support of general scientific and engineering application software and related tools. Required 1. A Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, or related field. 2. Passion for applying fundamental neuroscience to develop theories of cognitive function that can be implemented and tested computationally. 3. Experience with neuroscience research methods and data analysis. 4. Strong publication record. 5. Excellent interpersonal, communication and writing skills. 6. Demonstrated ability to contribute to, form, and lead multidisciplinary teams. 7. Willingness to travel. 8. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Energy security clearance. Desired 1. Laboratory experience in any of: electrophysiology, neural imaging, connectomics, pharmacological manipulations combined with measurement of neural activity. Experimental experience is preferred over clinical experience. 2. Demonstrated abilities in mathematical, physical, and computational modeling of neural or cognitive function. 3. Understanding of related domains, such as: physics, biochemistry, theory of computation, numerical analysis, brain inspired computing, high performance computing. Comp-neuro mailing list http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro **************************************************************** 35. Open position in Applied Cognitive Science, Michigan Tech Due: 30 Nov 2012 Below is an advertisement for a (second) open position here at Michigan Tech (rank of full, associate, or possibly advanced assistant). Our description is fairly broad, but we are very much interested in researchers who do computational modeling in a ways that bridge basic and applied domains. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you questions, and I'll be at the SCiP and Psychonomics if anyone has questions. Shane Mueller ======================================= *2012 Associate/Full Professor Faculty Search Advertisement* The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences at Michigan Technological University seeks applicants for a tenure-track Associate or Full Professor of Psychology to begin Fall 2013. Advanced Assistant professor candidates may also be considered. The successful candidate will assume a leadership role in our rapidly growing Ph.D. program in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors. Specialization should be in human factors, applied cognitive science, or a closely related field. A Ph.D. in psychology or related discipline is required. Special consideration will be given to candidates with areas of expertise that complement and broaden our Department's strengths in Expert Performance, Decision Making, Computational Modeling, Neuroergonomics, and User Interfaces. The ideal candidate will bridge basic and applied research, have a strong record of publications and external funding, and will pursue interdisciplinary research collaborations with MTU faculty in psychology and affiliated programs. Typical teaching load is 2 (undergraduate and graduate) courses per semester. Michigan Tech, one of the state's four public research universities, is ranked in the top tier of national universities according to the U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2012." The university is rated as one of the safest college campuses in the United States. Twenty-five percent of incoming students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, named one of the 100 best small towns in America for its world-class cultural events, community resources and four-season recreation opportunities. This area is known for natural beauty, pleasant summers and abundant snowfall. National Geographic Adventure Magazine rates us as one of the top-ten outdoor adventure spots in the US for our bike trails, Olympic-caliber cross country ski trails and Lake Superior shoreline. Full consideration will be given to applications received by Nov 30th, 2012. Applications should be submitted online https://www.jobs.mtu.edu/postings/680. Michigan Tech is an ADVANCE institution, one of a limited number of universities in receipt of NSF funds in support of our commitment to increase diversity and the participation and advancement of women in STEM. The university is also in its sixth year of a strategic faculty hiring initiative (see www.mtu.edu/sfhi). We also have a Dual Career Program which assists departments with partner orientation to the university and community and identification of possible positions for partners (see www.dual.mtu.edu). ACT-R-users mailing list **************************************************************** 36. PHD Studentships in Computational Cognitive Science, PSU Due: 15 Dec 2012 Up to three fully funded PhD studentships will be available in computational cognition at the College of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State University, beginning 2013. Research topics of interest include - computational models of language processing, - cognitive models of heuristics and biases in decision-making, and - networked cognition and mixed human/agent systems. We seek applicants with undergraduate or master's level degrees with interest in theoretically motivated, but data-driven scientific inquiry. Solid programming and communication skills are required. Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) brings together scientists in informatics. Graduate students working in computational cognition may anticipate interacting with researchers in human-computer interaction, security, intelligence analysis, cyber law, online business, and mobile computing. The newly formed working group for Computational Cognition collaborates with other local laboratories at the college, such as Applied Cognitive Sciences (F.E. Ritter), Intelligent Information Systems Research/CiteSeer (C. L. Giles), or Intelligent Agents (J. Yen). With its main campus located in beautiful, affordable and fun State College, PA, Penn State is one of the largest tier-one research universities in the United States. IST attracts funding from the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Defense as well as from private industry. The positions advertised here are college-funded research and teaching assistantships, include tuition and stipends. Informal inquiries: David Reitter, reitter at psu.edu, http://www.david-reitter.com About the college: http://ist.psu.edu/about http://ist.psu.edu/graduate-students/future-graduate-students/phd http://ist.psu.edu/graduate-students/future-graduate-students/apply Due date: December 15, 2012 **************************************************************** 37. Tenure-track Positions in Human-Centered Computing, IU/PUI Due: 1 dec 2012 http://informatics.iupui.edu/files/hcc-tenure-track-2012.pdf The Indiana University School of Informatics invites applications for two tenured or tenure-track faculty positions in its new (as of July 1, 2013) Department of Human-Centered Computing. The appointment will begin August 1, 2013 at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. Exceptional researchers are being sought to join our new, fast-growing, dynamic department. Candidates must demonstrate an outstanding scholarly record and excellent research credentials, exhibited by original peer-reviewed publications in highly-selective international venues, and a forward-looking, vigorous research agenda that will secure competitive, external funding. While we are seeking candidates in all areas of Human-Centered Computing, we are particularly interested in those with strong research and teaching experience in one or more of the following areas: Human Computer Interaction (HCI), ubiquitous and pervasive computing; digital gaming theory, applications, and simulations; interactive visualization and discovery environments for "big data," especially in the health and life sciences. Qualifications: * Ph.D. in an area such as human-centered computing, human-computer interaction, information science, computer science, communications, design, informatics, or related fields. Applicants must have completed their doctorate degree by the date of appointment. * Demonstrated ability to develop a record of outstanding research productivity and high scholarly impact * Demonstrated ability to secure external research funding * Proven ability to exhibit effective teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level * A strong commitment to teaching, mentoring, interdisciplinary research, and cultural diversity The Department of Human-Centered Computing is home to a dynamic and interdisciplinary group of 21 faculty members and over 500 students across its Informatics, Media Arts & Science, and Human-Computer Interaction programs. The Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Informatics, a Bachelor and Master of Science in Media Arts and Science, an Undergraduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate, and Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction, and a Ph.D. in Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction Track. The faculty in the department conduct groundbreaking research in the areas of emerging media technologies, human-computer interaction design, ubiquitous computing, collaborative decision-making, computer-mediated communication and cross-cultural cognition, human-robot interaction and android science, and biomedical visualization. For additional information about the Indiana University School of Informatics, including degrees, course descriptions, plans of study and faculty research, please see http://www.informatics.iupui.edu . Submit PDF files containing (1) curriculum vita, (2) cover letter explaining your interest in this position, (3) research statement and philosophy of teaching, and (4) the names and contact information of three references to: Teresa Stukey, Human Resources Coordinator informhr at iupui.edu To ensure full consideration, please submit your application materials by December 1, 2012. However, the position will remain open until filled. ____________________________________________________ Davide Bolchini, Ph.D. dbolchin at iupui.edu Assistant Professor 1 (317) 278 5144 Director, Human-Computer Interaction Program Indiana University School of Informatics at IUPUI Informatics & Communications Technology Complex, IT 485 CHI-JOBS list **************************************************************** 38. PhD positions available at Penn State University, Psych Due: 1 dec 2012 Strongly motivated PhD candidates are invited to apply for Ph.D candidacy in the Department of Psychology at Penn State University's main campus in State College, PA. Applicants should ideally have strong computer programming skills (e.g., two or more years of experience programming in C, MatLab, Python, or equivalent) and a background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science or physics or biology. Fluency in English is also required. The research area will be some combination of visual attention, computer vision, and computational neuroscience, with a likely emphasis on understanding the temporal and spatial properties of visual processing, broadly construed. You can read more about the work in my lab at http://www.bradwyble.com/Labpage/Home.html. Penn State main campus offers a diverse array of resources for conducting research such as the SLEIC neuroimaging center: http://www.imaging.psu.edu/. There is also a diverse set of research interests both within the psychology department, and across the campus (e.g. Engineering: http://www.esm.psu.edu/wiki/research:cne:start; Neuroscience: http://www.huck.psu.edu/research/neurosciences, http://cbbc.psu.edu/; Social: http://www.ssri.psu.edu/) Interested applicants should apply to the Psychology department at http://psych.la.psu.edu/graduate/howToApply.html and should note that the deadline for applications is December 1st. Brad Wyble bwyble at gmail.com Assistant Professor http://www.bradwyble.com/Labpage Department of Psychology The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16801 _______________________________________________ Comp-neuro mailing list Comp-neuro at neuroinf.org http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro **************************************************************** 39. PhD training opportunities at Georgia State University Due: 10 dec 2012 We are recruiting PhD applicants in the areas of computational and mathematical neuroscience at Georgia State University's interdisciplinary Neuroscience Institute, located in Atlanta, GA. We have faculty strengths in dynamical systems modeling, neural rhythm generation and circuits, neuroinformatics, neurophysics, neuromechanics, and neuroimaging. See http://sites.google.com/site/neuroscienceevents/research for more details. Together with training across a broad range of neuroscience, we offer a range of basic and advanced modeling courses that tie in with applications from biophysics to behavior. Stipends are competitive and guaranteed for students in good standing. Students should apply directly to the Neuroscience Graduate Program, http://neuroscience.gsu.edu/graduate_program.html. The application deadline is Dec 10. Inquiries can be directed to any of the faculty members, or to the Director for Graduate Studies, Dr. Laura Carruth. -- Robert Clewley, Ph.D. rob.clewley at gmail.com Assistant Professor 404-413-6420 Neuroscience Institute and Dep. of Mathematics & Statistics Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30302, USA http://www2.gsu.edu/~matrhc http://neuroscience.gsu.edu/rclewley.html Comp-neuro at neuroinf.org **************************************************************** 40. Tenure Track Opening in HCDE at UWash Due: 31 dec 2012 The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington has posted a revised tenure track faculty ad. Tenure Track Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering Position open, particular interest in visualization, social media, human centered computing, big data, ubiquitous computing, CSCW, or interaction design. The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (http://www.hcde.washington.edu) at the University of Washington invites applications for a full time tenure track Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor. We are seeking a top caliber researcher and teacher to join our growing and dynamic department. We are most interested in candidates whose research is outstanding in quality and originality, although we are especially interested in candidates with expertise in visualization, social media, human centered computing, big data, ubiquitous computing, CSCW, or interaction design. We are also interested in candidates who engage critically with theory in their research. This faculty member will be joining a growing interdisciplinary community of engineers, social scientists, computer scientists, and humanities scholars at the University of Washington. We will consider candidates from a range of disciplinary backgrounds who use innovative methodological, computational, or theoretical approaches to address current challenges in human centered design and engineering. HCDE is an interdisciplinary community that incorporates a range of research traditions. More information about our department can be found at hcde.washington.edu. The successful candidate is expected to develop a substantial program of research including peer-reviewed publications and external funding. HCDE offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees. The candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and will supervise doctoral dissertations. The yearly teaching load is three courses (one per quarter) plus supervision of research groups. Teaching opportunities will be based on current course offerings and the individual's areas of scholarly expertise. The successful candidate will join a vibrant faculty conducting interdisciplinary research in human-computer interaction and the design of sociotechnical systems. Current faculty research includes work in CSCW, sociotechnical systems, HCI, computer-mediated communication, ICTD, user research, emerging communication technologies, engineering design, scientific collaboration, and engineering education. The department collaborates with colleagues around campus, including Computer Science and Engineering, the Information School, the eScience Institute, and the School of Art. The faculty also routinely engage in research projects with affiliates from the region's noted high-tech industry. Seattle is home to many prominent technology companies, along with a robust startup and global health community. Appointment begins in autumn 2013, contingent on budgetary approval. Review of applications will begin on December 31, 2012, and will continue until the position is filled. PhD, or equivalent, in a related field is required. Exceptional candidates who are awaiting conferral of their PhDs will also be considered at the Acting Assistant Professor level. To apply, the following materials should be sent to <> hcdefac at uw.edu: (1) a letter of application, (2) a current cv, (3) a statement of research and teaching goals, and (4) at least three letters of recommendation. All materials should be addressed to Professor Jennifer Turns, Search Committee Chair. Jan Spyridakis Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 206-685-1557 http://www.hcde.uw.edu/jansp CHI-JOBS at LISTSERV.ACM.ORG ********************************************************************** 41. Two Tenure-track Assistant Professor Positions at UMBC, immediate http://www.is.umbc.edu The Information Systems Department at UMBC invites applications for two tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in the area of human-centered computing as well as the area of intelligent information systems starting August 2013. Candidates must have earned a PhD in Information Systems or a related field no later than August 2013. For the human-centered computing position, the primary research areas of interest are social computing, computer-supported cooperative work, social informatics, interaction design, and usability. For the intelligent information systems position, individuals should be engaged in artificial intelligence research that builds on state of the art work in machine learning, statistical natural language processing, personalization, mobile computing, knowledge representation, and information extraction, are especially encouraged to apply. Secondary research interests in Health IT or cybersecurity are desirable, but not mandatory for both positions. Ideal candidates will be engaged in research that spans two or more of these areas with preference given to those who can collaborate with current faculty. Candidates for both positions should have a strong potential for excellence in research, the ability to develop and sustain an externally funded research program, and the ability to contribute to our graduate and undergraduate teaching mission. The Department offers undergraduate degrees in Information Systems and Business Technology Administration. Graduate degree programs, MS and PhD, are offered in both Information Systems and Human-Centered Computing, including an innovative online MS in IS program. Consistent with the UMBC vision, the Department has excellent teaching facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories, and outstanding technical support. UMBC's Technology Center, Research Park, and Center for Entrepreneurship are major indicators of active research and outreach. Further details on our research, academic programs, and faculty can be found at http://www.is.umbc.edu/ and http://hcc.umbc.edu. Members of under-represented groups including women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. Applications will not be reviewed until the following materials are received: a cover letter, a one-page statement of teaching interests, a one to two-page statement of research interests, one or more sample research papers, and a CV. Applicants should also arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent to the department as soon as possible. Electronic submission of materials as PDF documents is preferred. Electronic copies should be sent to bmorris at umbc.edu. Copies can also be sent to: Dr. Aryya Gangopadhyay, Chair of Faculty Search Committee, Information Systems Department, UMBC, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250-5398. For inquiries, please contact Barbara Morris at (410) 455-3795 or bmorris at umbc.edu Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. This position is subject to the availability of funds. Shaun Kane CHI-JOBS at LISTSERV.ACM.ORG **************************************************************** 41. Postdoctoral Positions in Computational Cognitive Science Hongbin.Wang at uth.tmc.edu Postdoctoral Positions Available in Computational Cognitive Science Two (2) post-doctoral research fellow positions are available in the Computational Cognitive Science Laboratory (C2SL) of the UT Health, School of Biomedical Informatics at Houston. Candidates will be expected to work on a newly funded project to develop a biologically inspired computational account for human trust and suspicion behavior in cyberspace. Candidates with various backgrounds will be considered, including computer science (AI or security), mathematics/engineering, informatics, cognitive science/neuroscience, psychology or related disciplines. Though an multidisciplinary background is preferred candidates with a strong background in any single area will also be considered. Ideal candidates should be able to think about real-world problems in computational and quantitative terms, and are self-motivated and eager to learn new ideas and techniques. If interested, please contact Dr. Hongbin Wang, Professor, at Hongbin.Wang at uth.tmc.edu (Fax: 713-500-0360). **************************************************************** 42. Call for Papers: COSIT 2013, papers due: 4 Mar 2013 http://www.cosit2013.org/ First announcement for 11th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory, COSIT 2013 September 2-6, 2013, Scarborough, UK. http://www.cosit2013.org/ Spatial information theory is concerned with all aspects of space and spatial environments as experienced and represented by humans and also by other animals and artificial agents. The scope of the conference includes both applications to specific domains and also the development of general theories of space and spatial information. Papers may address aspects of spatial information from the viewpoint of any discipline including (but not limited to) the following. Cognitive, Perceptual, and Environmental Psychology Geography and Geoinformation Science Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Cognitive Science Mathematics, Logic, Philosophy and Ontology Engineering and Human Factors Cognitive Anthropology, Psycholinguistics and Linguistics Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Design Papers will be selected through a rigorous review of full papers based on relevance to the conference, scientific significance, novelty, relation to previously published literature, clarity of presentation, and interdisciplinary context. The proceedings will be published by Springer-Verlag in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. Papers should not exceed 20 pages in the LNCS format. Since 1993 the COSIT series has been one of the most important events in this highly interdisciplinary area. An idea of the conference's orientation can be gained from the previous COSIT proceedings published by Springer-Verlag in the LNCS series. The following (non-exclusive) topics are indicative of the fields of interest: activity-based models of spatial knowledge cognitive structure of spatial knowledge cognitive vision cooperative work with spatial information events and processes in geographic space and time incomplete or imprecise spatial knowledge knowledge representation for space and time languages of spatial relations naive geography/behavioral geography navigation and wayfinding, including robot navigation ontology of space presentation and communication of spatial information qualitative and commonsense spatial representation quality issues in geographic information semantics of geographic information social and cultural organization of space spatial and temporal language spatial aspects of social networks spatial data integration/interoperability spatial decision-support systems structure of geographic information theory and practice of spatial and temporal reasoning time in geographic information user-interface design/spatialization of interfaces virtual spaces The conference will be held at the Royal Hotel, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, UK. The town of Scarborough is a characterful Victorian seaside resort on the East coast of England. There are good road and rail links to the rest of the UK including a direct train service from Manchester Airport which has flights from many international airports. The conference will be preceded by a day of workshops and tutorials. [these are also welcomed] The doctoral colloquium, after the conference, provides a forum for PhD students working on any aspect of spatial information. Separate calls for workshops and tutorials and for the doctoral colloquium will be issued. Important dates March 4, 2013 - Full paper submission April 20, 2013 - Notification of acceptance June 17, 2013 - Camera-Ready copy due September 2, 2013 - Workshops and Tutorials September 3-5, 2013 - Conference September 6, 2013 - Doctoral Colloquium General Chairs Brandon Bennett, University of Leeds, UK Antony Galton, University of Exeter, UK Program Chairs John Stell, University of Leeds, UK Thora Tenbrink, Bangor University, UK Sponsorship Chair Zena Wood, University of Exeter, UK **************************************************************** -30- From Harel.Shouval at uth.tmc.edu Mon Nov 26 12:54:41 2012 From: Harel.Shouval at uth.tmc.edu (Shouval, Harel) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:54:41 -0600 Subject: Connectionists: Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Graduate Studies in Houston Message-ID: The Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience track of the Neuroscience program at UT Medical School in Houston The Neuroscience program at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston now offers a Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Track. The goal of the specialization is to train the next generation of neuroscientists with the broad range of computational and analytical skills that are essential to understand the organization and function of complex neural systems. The specialization is intended for students with backgrounds in neuroscience, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science, engineering, and mathematics. The specialization allows Neuroscience students to concentrate on a focused program of rigorous course work in both the theoretical and experimental aspects ofcomputational neuroscience. Students are encouraged to pursue thesis research that includes both an experimental and a computational component. Students may have two mentors, a primary and a secondary mentor, one being a theorist and the other an experimentalist. The Neuroscience program has an excellent group of associated faculty members and many of them have a strong interest and an active ongoing program in computational neuroscience. The theoretical group at UTHSC-H is part of a larger group that includes several universities and medical schools in the Houston area, the Gulf Coast Consortium in theoretical and computational neuroscience (GCC-TCN). Many of the courses offered are combined courses across these different institutions, and this provides a larger community of faculty and students that are interested in similar topics. Through the GCC-TCN it is possible to obtain additional training grants, as well as have joint mentors from other universities and disciplines. Applications should go directly to the graduateschool of biological sciences (GSBS) if you have any questions about the program please write me an email (harel.shouval at uth.tmc.edu). Harel Shouval Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy The University of Texas Medical School at Houston http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/resources/faculty/members/shouval.htm http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/homepage/shouval/ From jbednar at inf.ed.ac.uk Mon Nov 26 06:13:24 2012 From: jbednar at inf.ed.ac.uk (James A. Bednar) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:13:24 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Modelling software + major V1 modelling review paper Message-ID: <20659.20180.741194.684799@hebb.inf.ed.ac.uk> I am pleased to announce the release of a set of software packages for modelling neural regions and systems, along with a new review paper that ties together work from dozens of projects with collaborators using this software to model the primary visual cortex. The review paper shows how these separate projects add up into what is hoped to be the most complete model of the development of functional properties of V1 neurons to date: James A. Bednar. Building a mechanistic model of the development and function of the primary visual cortex. Journal of Physiology-Paris, 106:194-211, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphysparis.2011.12.001 http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/jbednar/papers/bednar.jpp12.pdf The freely available, cross-platform (Linux, Mac, Windows) Python software packages include: Param/ParamTk: Handling parameters used in scientific programs ImaGen: Generating input patterns and connection patterns Topographica: Modelling interconnected neural regions More details about each package and the review paper are included below. Links to 31 publications using this software so far are available here: http://topographica.org/Home/pubs.html Thanks to the 30+ collaborators who have contributed to the research and software development reported here, each cited in the review paper or listed on topographica.org. We would very much appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or ideas for future collaboration. Jim James A. Bednar, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh Director, Computational Systems Neuroscience Group http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/jbednar/research.html Director, Edinburgh Doctoral Training Centre in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience http://anc.ed.ac.uk/dtc _______________________________________________________________________________ OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE PACKAGES Param 1.0 released 7/2012 (http://ioam.github.com/param/): The Param library makes it simple to add support for Parameters; Param has no dependencies and is very lightweight, so that it can be used with any Python program. A Parameter is a special type of Python attribute extended to have features such as type and range checking, dynamically generated values, documentation strings, default values, etc., each of which is inherited from parent classes if not specified in a subclass. Parameters are extremely useful for writing scientific software, making it clear which values are intended to be changed in practice and avoiding potentially dangerous user errors. ParamTk 0.8 released 7/2012 (http://ioam.github.com/paramtk/): Optional extension to Param that provides a GUI for editing parameter values for your objects without requiring any GUI-specific coding. ImaGen 1.0 released 7/2012 (http://ioam.github.com/imagen/): Provies comprehensive support for creating resolution-independent spatial pattern distributions. ImaGen consists of a large library of primarily two-dimensional patterns, including mathematical functions, geometric primitives, images read from files, and many ways to combine or select from any other patterns. These patterns can be used in any Python program that needs configurable patterns or a series of patterns, with only a small amount of user-level code to specify or use each pattern. Topographica 0.9.8 released 11/2012 (http://topographica.org/): Topographica allows researchers to set up models of complete neural regions and systems relatively easily, because it takes care of a lot of the otherwise-painful details of spatial coordinate systems, mapping between brain regions and between layers in the same region, scaling between different sampling densities, having spatially restricted patterns of connectivity, specifying input and weight patterns (via ImaGen), and measuring tuning curves, receptive fields, and maps. Topographica is a general-purpose object-oriented event-driven simulator that provides extensive flexibility, with families of parameterized objects that can be customized and adapted for new modelling projects. Current models primarily focus on the visual system, but they are implemented using generic primitives that have also been used for somatosensory and auditory cortex modelling, as well as subcortical and motor-output models. _______________________________________________________________________________ The review paper (citation below) describes the GCAL model, which shows how a relatively small number of simple biological mechanisms, based on Hebbian learning and homeostatic plasticity, can lead an unorganized neural region to develop: - Receptive fields selective for orientation, ocular dominance, motion direction, spatial frequency, disparity, and color - Preferences for each of these organized into realistic topographic maps - Lateral connections between neurons that reflect the structure of the maps, as found experimentally - Both simple and complex cells The resulting neurons exhibit: - Realistic surround modulation effects, including their diversity, caused by interactions between these neurons - Contrast-gain control and contrast-invariant tuning, ensuring that they retain selectivity robustly - Long-term and short-term plasticity (e.g. aftereffects), emerging from mechanisms originally implemented for development These properties each arise from an initially undifferentiated cortical region model, suggesting that the mechanisms involved will also explain a large variety of cortical phenomena across different areas and modalities. @Article{bednar:jpp12, title = "Building a Mechanistic Model of the Development and Function of the Primary Visual Cortex", author = "James A. Bednar", journal = "Journal of Physiology - Paris", year = 2012, volume = 106, pages = "194--211", url = "http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphysparis.2011.12.001", urlalt = "http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/jbednar/papers/bednar.jpp12.pdf", abstract = "Researchers have used a very wide range of different experimental and theoretical approaches to help understand mammalian visual systems. These approaches tend to have quite different assumptions, strengths, and weaknesses. Computational models of the visual cortex, in particular, have typically implemented either a proposed circuit for part of the visual cortex of the adult, assuming a very specific wiring pattern based on findings from adults, or else attempted to explain the long-term development of a visual cortex region from an initially undifferentiated starting point. Previous models of adult V1 have been able to account for many of the measured properties of V1 neurons, while not explaining how these properties arise or why neurons have those properties in particular. Previous developmental models have been able to reproduce the overall organization of specific feature maps in V1, such as orientation maps, but the neurons in the simulated maps behave quite unlike real V1 neurons, and in many cases are not even testable on actual visual stimuli because the developmental models are so abstract. In this review of results from a large set of models developed from shared principles and a set of underlying software components, I show how these models represent a single, consistent explanation for a wide body of experimental evidence, and form a compact hypothesis for much of the development and behavior of neurons in the visual cortex. The models are the first developmental models with wiring consistent with V1, the first to have realistic behavior with respect to visual contrast, the first to include all of the demonstrated visual feature dimensions, and the first to have wiring compatible with anatomical results. The goal is to have a comprehensive explanation for why V1 is wired as it is in the adult, and how that circuitry leads to the observed behavior of the neurons during visual tasks.", } -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From kiebel at cbs.mpg.de Fri Nov 23 10:37:36 2012 From: kiebel at cbs.mpg.de (Stefan Kiebel) Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:37:36 +0100 (CET) Subject: Connectionists: postdoc: computational neuroscience/fMRI In-Reply-To: <319711158.5406.1353685033412.JavaMail.root@zimbra> Message-ID: <389392178.5411.1353685056623.JavaMail.root@zimbra> We are seeking a postdoc to work in the group 'Modelling of dynamic perception and action' at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI-CBS), in Leipzig, Germany, (http://www.cbs.mpg.de/depts/n-3/dyn). The goal of the group is to develop models for human perception, learning and decision making using Bayesian inference. The specific project is to model the neural mechanisms of value-based decision making. This project is in collaboration with the group of John O?Doherty at Caltech (http://www.odohertylab.org/). An emphasis will be placed on linking the theoretical modeling work at Leipzig to experimental findings based on neuroimaging (fMRI) data acquired at Caltech. We expect strong interactions between both groups, supported by a generous travel budget for visits between the MPI-CBS and Caltech groups. The research will be conducted at the MPI-CBS in Leipzig, Germany, an internationally leading centre for cognitive and imaging neuroscience. For theoretical work, the institute is equipped with high-performance computing facilities. For experimental work, the institute is equipped with a 7.0 T MRI scanner, two 3.0 MRI scanners, a 306 channels MEG system, a TMS and several EEG systems. All facilities are supported by experienced IT and physics staff. The candidate must have a PhD (or equivalent) in computational neuroscience, physics, or a related field. Essential skills comprise prior experience in computational neuroscience or decision making. Experience in modelling of neuroimaging data and matlab programming expertise would be advantageous. The position is for three years, starting at the candidate?s earliest convenience. Salary is dependent on experience and according to German Public service regulations. Interested candidates are encouraged to get in touch at their earliest convenience. Applications are considered until 30th of November 2012 but reviewing of the applications will start immediately. For questions about this position please contact Dr. Stefan Kiebel (kiebel at cbs.mpg.de). The following documents should be included in the application in a single PDF-file and sent by email to dynamics at cbs.mpg.de: A cover letter including a brief description of personal qualifications and future research interests, curriculum vitae, and contact details of two personal references. We seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are under-represented and therefore explicitly encourage women to apply. We are committed to employing more handicapped individuals and especially encourage them to apply. -- Dr. Stefan Kiebel Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany Phone: ++49 341/9940-2435 Fax: ++49 341/9940-2221 http://www.cbs.mpg.de/~kiebel From Thomas_Wiecki at brown.edu Mon Nov 26 10:23:09 2012 From: Thomas_Wiecki at brown.edu (Thomas Wiecki) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:23:09 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: ANN: HDDM 0.4 released. Message-ID: We are very excited to announce the release of HDDM 0.4 with many new features. About: HDDM is a python software package that implements Hierarchical Bayesian parameter estimation of Drift Diffusion Models (via PyMC). Homepage (with installation instructions): http://ski.clps.brown.edu/hddm_docs/ Release notes: HDDM 0.4 is now distributed under the simplified BSD license (see the LICENSE file) instead of GPLv3. New features ------------------ * Handling of outliers via mixture model. http://ski.clps.brown.edu/hddm_docs/howto.html#deal-with-outliers * New model HDDMRegression to allow estimation of trial-by-trial regressions with a covariate. http://ski.clps.brown.edu/hddm_docs/howto.html#estimate-a-regression-model * New model HDDMStimulusCoding. http://ski.clps.brown.edu/hddm_docs/howto.html#code-subject-responses * New model HLBA -- a hierarchical Linear Ballistic Accumulator model (hddm.HLBA). * Posterior predictive quantile plots (see model.plot_posterior_quantiles()). Regards, The HDDM developers. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Vittorio.Murino at iit.it Tue Nov 20 03:41:54 2012 From: Vittorio.Murino at iit.it (Vittorio Murino) Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:41:54 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: postdoc at UCLA (multi-unit recording) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <50AB4252.107@iit.it> Apologize for multiple posting ------------------------------------------- Open positions for Junior and Senior postdoc in PAVIS dept. at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy The PAVIS department at Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT (www.iit.it) is looking for highly qualified researchers in the field of Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition, Image Analysis and Machine Learning. The main mission of PAVIS is to design and develop innovative video surveillance systems, characterized by the use of highly-functional smart sensors and advanced video analytics features. PAVIS has also an active role in supporting the research facilities in IIT providing solutions to life-scientists in Neuroscience, Drug Discovery and Development and Nanophysics. To this end, the group is involved in activities concerning computer vision and pattern recognition, machine learning, multimodal data analysis and sensor fusion, sensors networks, and embedded computer vision systems. The lab will pursue this goal by working collaboratively and in cooperation with external private and public partners. This call aims at consolidating PAVIS expertise in the following research areas: ? low-level video analytics: signal/image processing, tagging and tracking (individuals, groups, crowd, etc.); ? high-level video analytics: behaviour analysis, activity recognition, reasoning paradigms, graphical models. ? Multi-modal sensor fusion, sensor networks, localisation and cooperative 3D reconstruction in heterogeneous sensor networks. Applicants research experience and qualification on computer vision and pattern recognition/machine learning are clearly a must, and evidence of top quality research on the above specified areas in the form of published papers and/or patents are mandatory. As a further mandatory skill for the Senior position, the candidate should be able to attract international funding opportunities and have experience in project proposal preparation and coordination at European and/or international level. The postdoctoral position is up to 4 years starting as soon as possible. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in computer vision, machine learning, signal processing, image analysis or related areas and research experience at postdoctoral level of at least three years. Evidence of top quality research on the above areas in the form of published papers are definitely required. The salary will be commensurate to qualification and experience and in line to that of the research institutes in the rest of Europe. There is no closing date for applications, they will be processed by a first-come first-serve basis, so prompt applications are encouraged. We?ll contact the applicants for the follow-on of the procedure. Further details and informal enquires can be made by email to pavis at iit.it Completed application forms along with a curriculum listing all publications, a pdf of your most representative publications and a research statement describing your previous research experience and outlining its relevance to these topics should by email to pavis at iit.it Please, if possible, also indicate three independent references inside the CV or the email. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is a non-profit institution based in Genova, situated in north-west part of Italy close to both the Italian Riviera and the Alps, established jointly by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to promote excellence in basic and applied research and to contribute to the economic development of Italy. The primary goals of the IIT are the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge as well as the strengthening of Italy?s technological competitiveness. The IIT intends to become an international leading centre in scientific research and advanced technology, able to attract researchers from around the world, and cooperating with both academic institutions and private organizations. For more info, please visit www.iit.it and www.iit.it/pavis.html. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Vittorio Murino **************************** Prof. Vittorio Murino, Ph.D. PAVIS - Pattern Analysis & Computer Vision IIT Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova, Italy Phone: +39 010 71781 504 Mobile: +39 329 6508554 Fax: +39 010 71781 236 E-mail: vittorio.murino at iit.it http://www.iit.it/pavis.html *************************************************************************** From wsenn at cns.unibe.ch Mon Nov 26 08:00:18 2012 From: wsenn at cns.unibe.ch (Walter Senn) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:00:18 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Biological Cybernetics: vol 106, number 10 --- Table of Content Message-ID: <50B367E2.9070203@cns.unibe.ch> Biological Cybernetics: vol 106, number 10 --- Table of Content Original papers: "Determining all parameters necessary to build Hill-type muscle models from experiments on single muscles" Marcus Bl?mel, Scott L. Hooper, Christoph Guschlbauerc, William E. White & Ansgar B?schges http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00422-012-0531-5 "Hill-type muscle model parameters determined from experiments on single muscles show large animal-to-animal variation Marcus Bl?mel, Christoph Guschlbauer, Silvia Daun-Gruhn, Scott L. Hooper & Ansgar B?schges" http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00422-012-0530-6 "Using individual-muscle specific instead of across-muscle mean data halves muscle simulation error" Marcus Bl?mel, Christoph Guschlbauer, Scott L. Hooper & Ansgar B?schges http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00422-011-0460-8 "Bifurcation control of the Morris?Lecar neuron model via a dynamic state-feedback control" Le Hoa Nguyen, Keum-Shik Hong & Seonghun Park http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00422-012-0508-4 "The role of feedback in morphological computation with compliant bodies" Helmut Hauser, Auke J. Ijspeert, Rudolf M. F?chslin, Rolf Pfeifer & Wolfgang Maass http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00422-012-0516-4 ---- Biological Cybernetics, all issues: http://www.springerlink.com/content/100465/ From apetrov at alexpetrov.com Mon Nov 26 19:44:11 2012 From: apetrov at alexpetrov.com (Alex Petrov) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:44:11 -0600 Subject: Connectionists: PhD positions at Ohio State University, Psychology Department Message-ID: <20121126184411.7bxu93nsk1y8kkwo@webmail.opentransfer.com> The Laboratory for Cognitive Modeling and Computational Cognitive Neuroscience (http://cogmod.osu.edu ) in the Department of Psychology at the Ohio State University is looking to accept up to 3 new graduate students for the incoming class of 2013. We are particularly interested in applicants with computational training (e.g., computer science, mathematics, engineering) coupled with a clear interest in cognitive science, particularly vision (both high- and low-level) and analogy-making. The new students will be able to join the ongoing research projects in the lab or formulate related projects of their own. In particular, there is an opportunity to develop biologically plausible neural-network models of visual perceptual learning and of visual analogy-making. For details on how to apply, see http://cogmod.osu.edu/prospective-students/ The Ohio State University is home to a vibrant community of cognitive neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists, and vision scientists in the Psychology Departments and other departments on campus. There is a strong focus on computational and mathematical modeling within psychology as well as interdisciplinary interactions with colleagues in electrical engineering, computer science, and neuroscience programs at OSU. For more information on our cognitive neuroscience group or the Cognitive area, please visit: http://www.psy.ohio-state.edu/cognitive-neuroscience/ http://www.psy.ohio-state.edu/programs/cognitive/ Visual cognitive neuroscience is another focus of the graduate program in cognitive psychology at OSU. Labs in this cluster include: Dr. Dirk Bernhardt-Walther (http://bwlab.psy.ohio-state.edu/ ), Dr. Julie Golomb (Vision & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab; http://faculty.psy.ohio-state.edu/golomb/lab/index.html ), Dr. Andy Leber (Cognitive Control Lab; http://faculty.psy.ohio-state.edu/leber/lab/ ), Dr. Zhong-Lin Lu (Laboratory of Brain Processes, http://lobes.osu.edu ), Dr. Alex Petrov (Laboratory for Cognitive Modeling and Computational Cognitive Neuroscience; http://cogmod.osu.edu/ ), Dr. Per Sederberg (Computational Memory Lab; http://memory.osu.edu/ ), and Dr. Jim Todd (Vision Lab; http://faculty.psy.ohio-state.edu/todd/ ). Potential graduate students interested in any of the above labs should apply through the Department of Psychology (Cognitive Program): http://www.psy.ohio-state.edu/graduate/application.php Application deadlines: November 30th, 2012 for international students, and December 1st, 2012 for domestic students. We look forward to hearing from you! From jose.millan at epfl.ch Thu Nov 29 04:29:28 2012 From: jose.millan at epfl.ch (Jose del R. Millan) Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:29:28 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: TOBI Workshop IV: Extension of Submission Deadline Message-ID: <50B72AF8.7080505@epfl.ch> TOBI Workshop IV -- Call for participation *Practical Brain-Computer Interfaces for End-Users: Progress and Challenges* Sion, Switzerland January 23-25, 2013 http://www.tobi-project.org/tobi-workshop-4 *Theme:* The brain--computer interface (BCI) technology uses brain signals to directly drive external devices. Over the past decade, BCIs have begun to provide basic communication and motor control abilities to people with severe motor disabilities, thus offering a unique opportunity to improve their quality of life. TOBI, and similar efforts worldwide, promised to push the field forward, from laboratory to home environments, from research experimental setups to real-world prototypes, and from healthy participants to end-user studies. Progress along all these lines has been made, mainly because of a holistic user-centered approach and the integration of novel research components in areas such as hybrid BCI, online adaptation and mental states, as well as human-computer interaction. Yet, we are still facing challenges in bringing BCI to end-users for their daily use. *Goals:* The 4th and final TOBI workshop seeks to bring together all researchers, rehabilitation professionals, clinicians, and potential end-users in the field of BCI to share their progress, experience and prospects in practical BCIs for the end-users. We are thus soliciting contributions reporting progress in end-user studies as well as basic research facing the challenges in bringing BCI to end-users for their daily use. Topics of interest, but not limited to, include: ?End-user studies and experiences with BCI technology ?User-centered approaches and user training ?Development and benefits of hybrid BCIs ?Online adaptation and monitoring of mental states ?Human-computer interaction ?Novel BCI principles and paradigms ?Ethical issues in BCIs ?Technology transfer to industrial products *Scientific Program:* The scientific program will consist of a series of keynote talks, oral presentations, poster presentations, live demonstrations, and round tables. Papers accepted for presentation will be assigned either to an oral or poster session. In the same sessions, members of the TOBI project will report their achievements. _Keynote Speakers_ ?Prof. Niels Birbaumer, Univ. T?bingen & IRRCS S Camillo Hospital (Venice, Italy) ?Prof. Gr?goire Courtine, EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) ?Dr. Jos? L. Pons, CSIC (Madrid, Spain) More keynote speakers will be announced soon. _Confirmed Speakers_ ?Jos? del R. Mill?n ?Donatella Mattia ?Klaus-R. M?ller ?Gernot R. M?ller-Putz ?Andrea K?bler ?Roderick Murray-Smith ?R?diger Rupp ?Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf ?Gerd Gr?bler ?... *Round Table:* Round table discussions will provide the opportunity for a dialog between: ?Researchers ?Practicioners ?End-users ?Industrial companies *Cluster Session on BCI and Ethics:* Ethics appointees from BCI projects are invited to introduce and discuss important ethical issues of their projects. Please register for the session with a short abstract. *Demonstrations:* Practical live demonstrations of TOBI prototypes will present the state of the art of BCI to potential end-users and rehabilitation professionals. *Important dates:* Deadline for paper submission (2 pages): December 6, 2012 (Midnight Central European Time) Outcome of paper review: December 19, 2012 Deadline for final version of the paper:January 10, 2013 Deadline for early registration (70 EUR): January 10, 2013 Workshop date:January 23-25, 2013 *Registration Fees: *Early registration (until Jan. 10, 2013): 70 EUR Late registration (until Jan. 20, 2013): 120 EUR Onsite registration: 170 EUR -- Prof. Dr. Jos? del R. Mill?n Defitech Chair in Non-Invasive Brain-Machine Interface Center for Neuroprosthetics Institute of Bioengineering. School of Engineering Ecole Polytechnique F?d?rale de Lausanne (EPFL) EPFL STI-CNBI ELB 138. Station 11 CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland Tel: +41-21-6937391 Fax: +41-21-6935307 jose.millan at epfl.ch http://people.epfl.ch/jose.millan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From akozlov at nada.kth.se Tue Nov 27 03:43:39 2012 From: akozlov at nada.kth.se (Alexander Kozlov) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:43:39 +0100 (MET) Subject: Connectionists: PhD positions in Computational Neuroscience Message-ID: The Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Program "EuroSPIN" (European Study Programme in Neuroinformatics) is inviting applications from students having a solid background in mathematics, physics, computer sciences, biochemistry or neuroscience (on a master level or equivalent), in all cases with computer science skills. Documented interest in research like activities (e.g. demonstrated in the form of master thesis work, or participation in research related activities) is of large importance. Also fluency in English is requested. Four partners participate: - Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany - KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden - National Centre for Biological Science, India - University of Edinburgh (UoE), UK They are all research leaders in the Neuroinformatics field, but they have complementary strengths. Each student will spend most of the time at two of the partner universities, and also receive a joint (or double) PhD degree following a successful completion of the studies. The mobility periods, as well as the courses a student will follow, are tailored individually based on: a) the PhD students background; b) which constellations of partners that are involved, as well as c) the specific research project. During the PhD period each student has one main supervisor from each of the two universities that grant the PhD degree. There are excellent scholarship opportunities for students accepted to an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate programme. An employment contract will be given to all selected PhD students during the study time, which is 4 years. If you are interested, go to our webpage: http://www.kth.se/eurospin If you have questions, send us email to . Deadline for Application (both EU and non-EU students): 30 Nov 2012. EuroSPIN Coordinators, Stockholm, SWEDEN. From mail at mkaiser.de Tue Nov 27 14:12:06 2012 From: mail at mkaiser.de (Marcus Kaiser) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:12:06 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD programme in Systems Neuroscience (Newcastle University) Message-ID: Dear all, our Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD programme in systems neuroscience, aimed at applicants from the physical sciences (physics, engineering, mathematics, or computer science), is now accepting applications for studentships starting in September 2013 (see below). Research areas include Neuroinformatics, Computational Neuroscience, Neuroimaging (fMRI, DTI, EEG, ECoG), Brain Connectivity, Clinical Neuroscience, Behaviour and Evolution, and Brain Dynamics (simulations and time series analysis). Strong interactions between clinical, experimental, and computational researchers are a key component of this programme. Best, Marcus *Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD programme 'Systems Neuroscience: From Networks to Behaviour'* Programme Directors: Prof. Stuart Baker, Prof. Tim Griffiths, and Dr Marcus Kaiser The Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University integrates more than 100 principal investigators across medicine, psychology, computer science, and engineering. Research in systems, cellular, computational, and behavioural neuroscience. Laboratory facilities include auditory and visual psychophysics; rodent, monkey, and human neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI, PET); TMS; optical recording, multi-electrode neurophysiology, confocal and fluorescence imaging, high-throughput computing and e-science, artificial sensory-motor devices, clinical testing, and the only brain bank for molecular changes in human brain development. The Wellcome Trust's Four-year PhD Programmes are a flagship scheme aimed at supporting the most promising students to undertake in-depth postgraduate research training. The first year combines taught courses with three laboratory rotations to broaden students' knowledge of the subject area. At the end of the first year, students will make an informed choice of their three-year PhD research project. This programme is based at Newcastle University and is aimed to provide specialised training for physical and computational scientists (e.g. physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and computer science) wishing to apply their skills to a research neuroscience career. Eligibility/Person Specification: Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a 1st or 2:1 degree, or equivalent, in a physical sciences, engineering, mathematics or computing degree. Value of the award: Support includes a stipend for 4 years (?19k/yr tax-free), PhD registration fees at UK/EU student rate, research expenses, general training funds and some travel costs. How to apply: You must apply through the University's online postgraduate application form ( http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/search/list/in054 ) inserting the reference number IN054 and selecting 'Master of Research/Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences) - Neuroscience' as the programme of study. Only mandatory fields need to be completed (no personal statement required) and a covering letter, CV and (if English is not your first language) a copy of your English language qualifications must be attached. The covering letter must state the title of the studentship, quote the reference number IN054 and state how your interests and experience relate to the programme. The deadline for receiving applications is 27 January 2013. You should also send your covering letter and CV to Suzi Englebright, Postgraduate Secretary, Institute of Neuroscience, Henry Wellcome Building, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, or by email to ion-postgrad-enq at ncl.ac.uk . For more information, see http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/postgrad/research/wellcome/ -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. Reader (Associate Professor) in Neuroinformatics School of Computing Science Newcastle University Claremont Tower Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Visiting Professor in Neuroinformatics Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Seoul National University, Korea http://www.biological-networks.org/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ghio.alessandro at gmail.com Wed Nov 28 08:48:17 2012 From: ghio.alessandro at gmail.com (Alessandro Ghio) Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:48:17 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: ESANN 2013 Special Session - DEADLINE POSTPONED - Final CFP AND ACTIVITY RECOGNITION COMPETITION - "Human Activity and Motion Disorder Recognition: Towards Smarter Interactive Cognitive Environments" Message-ID: *** Apologies for cross posting *** -- Due to several requests, the deadlines for the special session and for the competition have been postponed to December 7th! -- ESANN 2013 Special Session - "Human Activity and Motion Disorder Recognition: Towards Smarter Interactive Cognitive Environments" - CALL FOR PAPERS AND ACTIVITY RECOGNITION COMPETITION. European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning (ESANN 2013). 24-26 April 2013, Bruges, Belgium - http://www.esann.org Submissions are invited for next year ESANN Special Session on "Human Activity and Motion Disorder Recognition: Towards Smarter Interactive Cognitive Environments". Organizers: Jorge Luis Reyes-Ortiz (1,2), Alessandro Ghio (1), Xavier Parra-Llanas (2), Davide Anguita (1), Joan Cabestany (2), Andreu Catal? (2) (1) University of Genoa (Italy), (2) Universitat Polit?cnica de Catalunya (Spain) Participants are also encouraged to take part in a competition using a new publicly available dataset containing waist-worn smartphone inertial data for Human Activity Recognition. ESANN 2013 Special Sessions: http://www.elen.ucl.ac.be/esann/index.php?pg=specsess ABSTRACT Human Activity Recognition (HAR) exploits heterogeneous sensors (including accelerometers, video-cameras, microphones, body-worn sensors, etc.) to capture the state and the activity of one or more users as well as to depict the condition of the environment, which the users move in, to provide adaptation to the surrounding computing resources. The so-gathered activity-related data can be then used to model and automatically interpret complex situations, thus laying the foundation for building smarter Interactive Cognitive Environments (ICEs). In this special session, we would like to encourage submissions related to: - The development of new Machine Learning and Computational Intelligence techniques, targeting HAR. - The application of HAR approaches to real-world problems (e.g. personalized healthcare applications, surveillance, security, safety, entertainment, etc.). - The development of specific algorithms for human motion disorder recognition mainly related to neurological diseases (for instance Parkinson Disease). We kindly invite you to submit a paper to this special session. Each paper will undergo to a peer reviewing process for its acceptance. Paper submission should be done exclusively through the ESANN portal following the instructions provided in: (http://www.elen.ucl.ac.be/esann/index.php?pg=submission). ACTIVITY RECOGNITION COMPETITION A competition is also organized concurrently with the special session, where competitors are requested to perform classification of Android-OS smartphone sensor signals, gathered for HAR purposes in assistive technologies applications. The competition and the Call for Papers are independent events therefore it is possible to participate in one or both of them. Participants to the competition will have the possibility to submit a paper to the special session describing their approach. The registration fees to ESANN 2013 will be covered for the competition winner and the best performing approaches will have the paper accepted for the special session. A new publicly available database of daily human activities has been recorded using accelerometer and gyroscope data from a waist-mounted Android-OS smartphone. Participants are encouraged to propose method to obtain the labels (activities) of a test dataset given a labelled training set. For more details about the competition check the README.txt included in the database. To download the competition dataset follow this link: http://smartlab.ws/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60 To participate in this competition it is necessary to send an email to this address ( activityrecognition at smartlab.ws) before the deadline and include the following information: - A text file with the forecasted labels of the test dataset. - A full description of the proposed approach. Disclaimer: The decision of the event organizers regarding the competition outcome is final in every situation and no further correspondence will be entered into. IMPORTANT DATES Special Session: - Paper submission deadline: 30 November 2012 7 December 2012 - Notification of paper acceptance: 01 February 2013 - ESANN conference: 24 - 26 April 2013 Competition: - Competition deadline: 30 November 2012 7 December 2012 - Competition paper submission deadline : 23 December 2012 Please note that the authors of accepted papers must register and pay the registration fee in the same way as any other participant to the conference. If you have any questions concerning the special session and/or the competition, please do not hesitate to contact us via email to: activityrecognition at smartlab.ws More information about the Conference Program, accommodation facilities and registration fees is available on the ESANN website www.esann.org --- Dr. Alessandro Ghio, Ph.D. DITEN - University of Genoa Via Opera Pia 11a, I-16145 Genoa (Italy) T. +39-(0)10-3532192 F. +39-(0)10-3532897 @ Alessandro.Ghio at smartlab.ws W http://smartlab.ws/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mccallum at cs.umass.edu Wed Nov 28 15:49:48 2012 From: mccallum at cs.umass.edu (Andrew McCallum) Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:49:48 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Faculty positions at UMass Amherst: vision, robotics, theory, NLP Message-ID: <8DF9EF03-C146-43F6-871B-77C63A19A82D@cs.umass.edu> Dear colleagues, UMass Amherst Computer Science has four tenure track openings, one each in the areas of computer vision, robotics, theory and natural language processing. https://www.cs.umass.edu/content/assistant-associate-professor-university-massachusetts-amherst-department-computer-science The Department is becoming a School, and we are growing our current set of ~40 faculty. UMass CS is highly ranked in AI, exceptionally collaborative, and has long-standing broad interests touching many areas of AI. Selected current faculty include: * Alexandra Meliou (databases, analytics & causality) * Dan Sheldon (computational ecology & ML) * Evangelos Kalogerakis (graphics & ML) * Ben Marlin (graphical models) * Hanna Wallach (computational social science & ML) * Deepak Ganesan (sensor and mobile networks) * Andrew McGregor (algorithms) * Rui Wang (graphics) * Erik Learned-Miller (computer vision) * David Jensen (data mining & causality) * Andrew McCallum (information extraction & ML) * Sridhar Mahadevan (ML, RL & manifolds) * R. Manmatha (image and video retrieval) * Ramesh Sitaraman (theory & parallel/distributed systems) * Shlomo Zilberstein (AI) * James Allan (information retrieval) * Bev Woolf (intelligent tutoring systems) * Rod Grupen (robotics) * Neil Immerman (complexity theory) * Bruce Croft (information retrieval) We will begin reviewing applications on December 3, and will continue until the positions are filled. Please forward this message to anyone who might be interested. Best wishes, Andrew Chair, Faculty Search Committee =============================================================== Assistant / Associate Professor University of Massachusetts, Amherst Department of Computer Science The Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for four tenure-track faculty positions in computer science in the areas of computer vision, robotics, theory, and natural language processing. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related area, and should show evidence of exceptional research promise. The first three positions are available at either the Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level. The Natural Language Processing position is available at the Assistant Professor level. Here we seek candidates able to collaborate closely with the departments of Linguistics and Psychology in The Institute for Computational and Experimental Study of Language (ICESL). The applicant should have a strong background in Natural Language Processing, preferably in the area of Syntax and Semantics. Our department is highly supportive of junior faculty, providing both formal and informal mentoring. Many of our faculty are involved in interdisciplinary research, working closely with other departments including statistics/mathematics, linguistics, electrical and industrial engineering, biology, physics, and nursing, as well as new "green" initiatives. Amherst, a historic New England town, is the center of a vibrant and culturally rich area that includes four other colleges. For more information about the department, visithttp://www.cs.umass.edu/. To apply, please send a cover letter referencing search R44926 (computer vision), R44927 (theory), R44928 (robotics), or R44232 (natural language processing) with your vita, a research statement, a teaching statement, and contact information for at least three references. Electronic submission of application materials in PDF format is preferred. Send to facrec at cs.umass.edu. Alternatively, paper copies of application materials may be sent to: Chair of Faculty Recruiting, Department of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. We will begin to review applications on December 3, 2012 and will continue until the positions are filled. Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Inquiries and requests for more information can be sent to: facrec at cs.umass.edu. The University of Massachusetts is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The department is committed to building a diverse educational environment; women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply. From tmh at eecs.qmul.ac.uk Thu Nov 29 18:21:19 2012 From: tmh at eecs.qmul.ac.uk (Timothy Hospedales) Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:21:19 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Two PhD Positions at QMUL Message-ID: <53200FDA-5B99-4D0C-B94D-3F695A978900@eecs.qmul.ac.uk> Two PhD Positions at Queen Mary, University of London School of Electronic Engineering & Computer Science 1. Machine Intelligence The focus of this doctoral research project is on lifelong machine learning. Traditional machine learning methods learn each new problem from scratch, requiring extensive training each time. In contrast, humans rapidly learn to solve new and complex problems with limited practice by building on a lifetime of experience with related tasks and domains. The goal of this project is to develop models for lifelong machine learning, enabling experience from each encountered task and domain to be accumulated and exploited in the next. A variety of applications can be considered as lifelong machine learning impacts diverse areas including computer vision, security, forensics, medical diagnosis, big data, ecommerce and others. Fluency in English and a strong foundation in mathematics (linear algebra, calculus and statistics) and programming are essential. Machine learning and/or computer vision experience is a plus. http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AFL430/phd-studentship-in-machine-intelligence/ For queries contact: Dr. Timothy Hospedales tmh at eecs.qmul.ac.uk. 2. Legal Reasoning The focus of this doctoral research will be to address a key problem in the domain of legal reasoning: Bayesian statistics is playing an increasingly important role in many types of forensic evidence, but, problematically, the impact of the evidence is generally misunderstood and poorly presented by legal practitioners. The problem is exacerbated by a failure to consider or understand Bayes' theorem, which is the only rational to way to determine to impact of different pieces of evidence (this problem afflicts forensic experts as well as lawyers). The consequent misuse of statistical evidence has resulted in frequent miscarriages of justice, both in the UK and worldwide. This studentship will involve multidisciplinary research that includes the fields of cognitive psychology, statistics, data visualisation, as well as computer science. The research will address the problem of how non-experts in statistics can be presented with statistical evidence such that the evidence is comprehended and used correctly. Applicants must have a strong computational background, a solid understanding of Bayesian statistics, excellent writing skills, as well as an understanding or interest in human psychology. http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AFL432/phd-studentship-in-risk-management-in-legal-reasoning/ For queries contact: Dr. Anne Hsu anne.hsu at eecs.qmul.ac.uk. Nationality: Open to all. Deadline: 31 Jan 2013. Interviews: Feb 2013. Start: Sep 2013. To Apply: http://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/phd/apply.php From gluck at pavlov.rutgers.edu Thu Nov 29 13:08:13 2012 From: gluck at pavlov.rutgers.edu (Mark A. Gluck) Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:08:13 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: African-American Brain Health Initiative at Rutgers-Newark: Ph.D. Training and Postdoctoral Positions Available. (Deadline January 1, 2013) Message-ID: We are seeking strong applicants to our PhD program (in Behavioral and Neural Sciences) or postdoctoral fellows to participate in research studies on memory, aging, cognition, and neurological disorders in African-Americans. The research is based at the Center for Neuroscience at Rutgers University-Newark, within the lab of Mark Gluck, Ph.D., and is part of the university's broader African-American Brain Health Initiative For more information, see http://www.brainhealth.rutgers.edu In partnership with local churches and other community and city organizations, we are combining educational programs on brain health and cognitive vitality in the African-American community with observational and interventional research studies on "Pathways to Healthy Brain Aging in African-Americans" along with studies of neurological disorders (especially Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease) in African-American seniors. Candidates for both the PhD and postdoctoral positions should have a strong background in experimental behavioral or biological research along with a prior history of familiarity and sensitivity to minority health issues and/or the African-American community. Note: These openings are for US Citizens or Green Card holders only. More information on our lab and related research, educational, and global health programs is at http://www.gluck.edu For information on our PhD program and other neuroscience resources at Rutgers-Newark (including our new NSF-funded Rutgers University Brain Imaging Center), see http://www.neuroscience.newark.rutgers.edu We are located in Newark, New Jersey, just outside (about 13 miles from) Manhattan/New York City DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: JANUARY 1, 2013. Postdoctoral applicants should send a CV and cover letter with overview of their background and career goals, along with names and emails of potential recommenders to gluck at pavlov.rutgers.edu. Graduate program applicants should send a cover letter and CV to gluck at pavlov.rutgers.edu and also apply online at http://www.bns.rutgers.edu/ MORE INFO: The goal of the Graduate Program in Behavioral and Neural Sciences (BNS) at Rutgers University-Newark is to provide outstanding training across all areas of neuroscience as well as to provide intensive instruction within one area of focus so that graduates will be prepared for careers as academicians, educators and research scientists. Students are fully funded by the graduate program (not by individual faculty) for five years with a current stipend of about $30,000/year plus tuition and comprehensive health insurance. The BNS curriculum offers a wide range of courses that provide both breadth and depth. The program has only a few required courses so that students may tailor coursework to their individual backgrounds and needs. Students are primarily trained to conduct independent research and to present and discuss their results orally and in written form. Students also gain experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring. Thanks, Mark -- ___________________________________________ Dr. Mark A. Gluck, Professor Director, Rutgers Memory Disorders Project Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Rutgers University Phone: (973) 353-3668/3298 197 University Ave. Newark, New Jersey 07102 Email: gluck at pavlov.rutgers.edu Lab: http://www.gluck.edu Memory Loss & Brain Newsletter: http://www.memorylossonline.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shadmehr at jhu.edu Fri Nov 30 08:09:15 2012 From: shadmehr at jhu.edu (Reza Shadmehr) Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:09:15 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Johns Hopkins faculty position Message-ID: Dear colleagues: This is to announce that Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering and Kennedy Krieger Institute have a new tenure track faculty position opening. Candidates with training in biomedical engineering, broadly defined, and interest in robotics, rehabilitation, learning disabilities, neuroscience, and human motor control, are of particular interest. Further information is at: http://www.bme.jhu.edu/careers/fac_pdf_opps.php Applicants should send 3 documents, including 1) a curriculum vitae, 2) a 2-page statement of research interests, and 3) the names and addresses of four professional references to: *bmefacultysearch at jhu.edu* * * -- ===================== Reza Shadmehr Johns Hopkins School of Medicine www.ShadmehrLab.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From etienne.roesch at gmail.com Fri Nov 30 14:31:53 2012 From: etienne.roesch at gmail.com (Etienne B. Roesch) Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:31:53 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Lecturer (equiv. tenured Assistant Prof.) in Systems Engineering and Neuroscience Interfaces Message-ID: <882E9F88-EBF0-463C-98E4-1D8EBCE928FB@gmail.com> Dear all, We are seeking a Lecturer with research interests and expertise in experimental in vitro techniques for culturing neurons on multi-electrode arrays, preferably applied to cognitive robotic embodiments. The University is making a significant investment in this area and this is an exciting opportunity to join and enhance an internationally recognised research programme in neuroscience and related disciplines. You will have: An excellent research record including publication in leading scientific journals, development of proposals for research funding and supervision of research students Expertise in the growth and use of cultured neurons on multi-electrode arrays, ideally applied to cognitive robotic embodiments The skills, interests and disposition to lead and contribute to collaborative research both within the School and across the University A broad understanding of computing and/or engineering in the context of neuroscience The skills, knowledge and experience to deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in UK Higher Education This is presently advertised at http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/jobs/about-jobsindex.aspx with reference LE12060. It will appear shortly on www.jobs.ac.uk and in the Times Higher. Informal enquiries to Ben Cosh: b.cosh at reading.ac.uk or William Harwin w.s.harwin at reading.ac.uk. Etienne, on behalf of Dr Ben Cosh Head of School - Systems Engineering University of Reading -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wachtler at biologie.uni-muenchen.de Fri Nov 30 12:05:46 2012 From: wachtler at biologie.uni-muenchen.de (Thomas Wachtler) Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:05:46 +0100 (CET) Subject: Connectionists: G-Node Winter Course in Neural Data Analysis 2013 Message-ID: 5th G-Node Winter Course in Neural Data Analysis February 25 - March 1, 2013 in Munich, Germany The German Neuroinformatics Node (G-Node) organizes its fifth international training course to promote state-of-the-art methods of neural data analysis among PhD students and postdocs. The course offers hands-on experience with model-driven analysis of data from intra- and extracellular electrophysiology. We encourage applications from students/postdocs with an experimental background that want to widen their repertoire of analysis methods, as well as from students with a theoretical background that have an interest in analyzing physiological data. Faculty: Clemens Boucsein ? Albert-Ludwigs-Universit?t and Bernstein Center Freiburg Alex Loebel ? Ludwig-Maximillians-Universit?t M?nchen and BCCN M?nchen Jan Grewe ? Ludwig-Maximillians-Universit?t M?nchen and BCCN M?nchen Martin Nawrot ? Freie Universit?t and BCCN Berlin Keywords: Analysis of post-synaptic events - short-term plasticity - spectral analysis - tuning and decoding Deadline for application: December 20, 2012 For more information visit http://www.g-node.org/dataanalysis-course-2013 With best regards, Clemens Boucsein (Organizer, Freiburg) and Thomas Wachtler (Local Organizer, Munich)