April 2014 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Phd position in the Human Brain Project: Principles of Brain Computation and Learning

by Wolfgang Maass

We are inviting applications for a fully funded Phd position at the Graz University of Technology (Faculty for Computer Science) for research on Principles of Brain Computation and Learning in the Human Brain Project https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/ It is planned to combine this Phd position with a part-time position as University Assistant, thereby providing the first step for a possible university career. Our Lab in Graz focuses currently on the development of new paradigms for probabilistic inference and learning in networks of spiking neurons (either in brain networks, or in neuromorphic hardware). Preceding results on which we will build can be found on http://www.igi.tugraz.at/maass/publications.html Excellent research skills, a genuine interest in answering fundamental open questions about computation and learning in networks of spiking neurons, and the capability to work in an interdisciplinary research team are expected. Applications are especially invited by students who have a strong background in a theoretical area related to machine learning, computational theory or probabilistic models, and who also have substantial experience in programming and computer simulations. Our doctoral program will lead to a Phd in Computer Science. Please send your CV, information about your grades, and a letter describing your scientific interests and goals by May 21 to my assistant Regina Heidinger: regina.heidinger(a)igi.tugraz.at It would be helpful if you could include names and email addresses of referees, and pdf files of your master thesis and/or other publications. -- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Maass Institut fuer Grundlagen der Informationsverarbeitung Technische Universitaet Graz Inffeldgasse 16b , A-8010 Graz, Austria Tel.: ++43/316/873-5822 Fax ++43/316/873-5805 http://www.igi.tugraz.at/maass/Welcome.html

April 30, 2014

CoSMo 214: extended deadline! - May 5, 2014

by Gunnar Blohm

Due to continues interest, we have decided to extend the application deadline for CoSMo 2014! This is a tremendous opportunity for students and postdocs to get hands-on training in computational neuroscience. *Extended deadline: May 5, 2014* http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/ Best Gunnar Blohm, Konrad Körding, Paul Schrater (organizers) -- ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Assistant Professor in Computational Neuroscience Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, and Psychology, School of Computing, and Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet) Queen's University 18, Stuart Street Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6 Tel: (613) 533-3385 Fax: (613) 533-6840 Email: Gunnar.Blohm(a)QueensU.ca Web: http://www.compneurosci.com/

April 29, 2014

Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, PhD Programme

by Peter Dayan

Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London 4 year PhD Programme The Gatsby Unit is a centre for theoretical neuroscience and machine learning, focusing on unsupervised, semi-supervised and reinforcement learning, neural dynamics, population coding, Bayesian and nonparametric statistics, kernel methods, and applications of these to the analysis of perceptual processing, neural data, machine vision and bioinformatics. It provides a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with each other, and with other world-class research groups in related departments at UCL, including the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, with which we will shortly share a building, and Biosciences, Computer Science, Functional Imaging, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Neurology, Ophthalmology and Statistics, the cross-faculty Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning, and also with other UK and overseas universities. The Unit has openings 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. The PhD programme lasts four years, including a first year of intensive instruction in techniques and research in theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. All students are fully funded, regardless of nationality. The Unit also welcomes applications from students with pre-secured funding or who are currently soliciting other scholarship/studentships. We will review applications as soon as they are complete (including a CV, statement of research interests and letters from three referees) until the positions are filled. Early application is thus advised. Full details of our programme, and how to apply, are available at: http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/phd For further details of research interests please see http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/research.html and the individual faculty webpages at http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/members.html

April 29, 2014

Postdoc EEG data analysis and source modeling

by Thomas Knoesche

The Research & Development Unit „MEG and Cortical Networks“ at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science at Leipzig offers a position as POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER in the area of Medical Signal Processing and Biophysical Modelling. The research project aims at the development of fast and effective processing techniques for EEG data. The task of the successful applicant will be to develop methods for artefact identification and correction, spatial interpolation and source reconstruction. The successful applicant holds a PhD degree in informatics, mathematics, physics, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering or similar. Experience with the measurement and analysis of brain signals is an advantage, but not essential. A keen interest in the biological foundations of cognition should be present. Decent programming skills are of importance. In order to increase the proportion of female staff members, applications from female scientists are particularly encouraged. Disabled applicants are preferred if qualification is equal. The position is available for 2 years. Payment is according to the German scale TVöD 13. The selection procedure starts as the applications come in. Please send your application by email, citing the code number "PD 14" to: PD Dr.habil. Thomas R. Knösche Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Stephanstraße 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [phone: +49 341 9940-2619] [email: knoesche(a)cbs.mpg.de]

April 29, 2014

Fully funded PhD position in the Neural Computation Lab Italian Institute of Technology

by Stefano Panzeri

I have an open fully funded PhD position in computational neuroscience in my laboratory at the Italian Institute of Technology in Trento. Stipend, tuition fees and research expenses of the successful candidate will be fully covered by the Italian Institute of Technology. The topic of investigation is how neuronal populations encode and exchange sensory information. The successful candidate will begin the PhD in November 2014 and will be registered with the Doctoral Programme at the University of Trento (ranked 1 st in Italy according to the Times Higher Education). All PhD courses are given in English, and the working language of the research institute is English. The selection requires a Master level degree (Laurea Magistrale or equivalent), a certifiable B2 level of English (or BA/BS/MA/MSc done entirely in English), and a proposed research project. There are no constraints on nationality for the applicants. *The deadline for applications is* *Tuesday May 13, 2014 at 4:00 p.m Italian Time.* Please visit the Doctoral Programme’s website http://www.unitn.it/en/drcimec/10140/admission-doctoral-school-cognitive-an… for information pertaining to the timeline of the application process and for a link to the actual online application. Note that the candidates will have to apply for the topic “computational neuroscience” (see http://www.unitn.it/en/drcimec/32957/30th-cycle-topics-2014-call) and submit with application a brief summary of the proposed research project applicants will submit. This brief document should be intended as a description of the candidate’s research interests within computational neuroscience rather than a detailed research project. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to write to me ( stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) as soon as possible attaching their CV to discuss the application further. However, applications will be formally considered only if submitted through the above official link of the University of Trento PhD selection programme. Regards Stefano Panzeri Research Professor Italian Institute of Technology Neural Computation Laboratory – Rovereto (Trento) Italy http://cncs.iit.it/people/iit-unitn-neural-computation/senior-researcher/st… http://cncs.iit.it/research-labs/neural-computation.html

April 29, 2014

NEURON Summer Course openings

by Ted Carnevale

Space is still available in the NEURON Summer Course, but you'll have to act quickly to make sure you qualify for the early registration rates. NEURON Fundamentals June 21-24 This addresses all aspects of using NEURON to model individual neurons, and also introduces parallel simulation and the fundamentals of modeling networks. Parallel Simulation with NEURON June 25-26 This is for users who are already familiar with NEURON and need to create models that will run on parallel hardware. Apply by Friday, May 9, and pay only $1050 for the Fundamentals course $650 for the Parallel Simulation course $1600 for both Registration fees for applications received after May 9 are $1200 for Fundamentals $750 for Parallel Simulation $1800 for both These fees cover handout materials plus food and housing on the campus of UC San Diego. Registration is limited, and the registration deadline is Friday, May 30, 2014. For more information and the on-line registration form, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/courses --Ted

April 28, 2014

INNS Request for nominations: Hebb, Helmholtz, Gabor, and Young Investigator awards

by Schmidhuber Juergen

The International Neural Network Society's Awards Program is established to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the field of Neural Networks. Up to three awards, at most one in each category, of up to $1,000 ($500 cash award plus up to $500 travel award), are presented annually to senior, highly accomplished researchers for outstanding contributions made in the field of Neural Networks. The Hebb, Helmholtz and Gabor Awards: - The Hebb Award - recognizes achievement in biological learning. - The Helmholtz Award - recognizes achievement in sensation/perception. - The Gabor Award - recognizes achievement in engineering/application. - Young Investigator Awards: Up to two awards of $500 each are presented annually to individuals with no more than five years postdoctoral experience and who are under forty years of age, for significant contributions in the field of Neural Networks. Nominations: 1. The Awards Committee should receive nominations of no more than two pages in length, specifying: - The award category (Hebb, Helmholtz, Gabor, or Young Investigator) for which the candidate is being nominated. - The reasons for which the nominee should be considered for the award. - A list of at least five of the nominee's important and published papers. 2. The curriculum vitae of both the nominee and the nominator must be included with the nomination, including the name, address, position/title, phone, fax, and e-mail address for both the nominee and nominator. 3. The nominator must be an INNS member in good standing. Nominees do not have to be INNS members. If an award recipient is not an INNS member, they shall receive a free one-year INNS membership. 4. Nominators may not nominate themselves or their family members. 5. Individuals may not receive the same INNS Award more than once All nominations will be considered by the Awards Committee and selected ones forwarded to the INNS Board of Governors, along with the Committee's recommendations for award recipients. Voting shall be performed by the entire BoG. The INNS Award Committee members must be INNS Governors in the year that they are appointed. The 2014 Committee consists of Prof. Jürgen Schmidhuber, Prof. Leonid Perlovsky, and Prof. Hava Siegelmann. Please email the 2015 nominations along with their attachments directly to the chair of the Awards Committee at juergen(a)idsia.ch, with a copy to the Secretary of the Society at bill(a)billhowell.ca by June 1, 2014. Please use the following subject line in the email: INNS award nomination. Please find additional information here: http://www.inns.org/awards Jürgen Schmidhuber http://www.idsia.ch/~juergen/

April 28, 2014

CFA: Two postdoctoral positions in mathematical modeling and machine learning for collective behavior

by Kristiaan Pelckmans

CFA: Two postdoctoral positions in mathematical modeling and machine learning for collective behavior Dear all, We have openings for two postdocs on our project for relating social behavior to brain morphology. A full description of the applications can be found at http://www.uu.se/en/jobs/jobs-detail-page/?positionId=36625 Best, -Kristiaan Pelckmans

April 28, 2014

Post-doc (or PhD student) in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience

by Pieter Roelfsema

Post-doc (or PhD student) in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience - What is the role of the cortical layers? A post-doc (or PhD student) position is available to study computational models about the roles of the different layers of the cerebral cortex in the Vision & Cognition group (head Pieter Roelfsema) at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. What roles do the different cortical layers play in visual processing? This project, funded by the Human Brain Project, aims to build computational models for the unique contributions of the different cortical layers to perceptual processing. We recently discovered that the cortical layers have different roles in visual perception (Self et al., Curr. Biol, 2013). We now wish to understand this subdivision of labor by making models of the layers and the interactions between them that take place in the visual cortex during perception. The candidate will have close interactions with researchers addressing laminar processing with high-field fMRI. The successful applicant will have a solid computational background and an interest in cognitive neuroscience, preferably affinity with neuroimaging, and good programming skills. Appointment: The position involves a temporary appointment for 2-4 years. To apply, please send application letter, CV and two letters of recommendation to: Tini Eikelboom The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Meibergdreef 47 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands Telephone: +31-20-5664587 E-mail: t.eikelboom(a)nin.knaw.nl<mailto:t.eikelboom@nin.knaw.nl>

April 28, 2014

Two PhD Positions and one Postdoc Position in Machine Learning / Sensory Data Processing

by Jörg Lücke

The Machine Learning research group at the University of Oldenburg, Germany, is seeking to fill Two PhD Research Positions and one (postdoctoral) Research Associate Position All positions are part of the Machine Learning group which develops learning and inference technology for sensory data. We pursue basic research, develop new technology, and apply our approaches to different tasks. Our research hereby combines modern probabilistic data descriptions, modern computer technology and insights from the neurosciences. We contribute to the improvement of current methods for computer hearing, pattern recognition and computer vision as well as to the understanding of biological and artificial intelligence. Research will be conducted in close collaboration with leading international and national research labs. Our research field can be considered as part of the Data Sciences, Computational Sciences, or Big Data approaches (to name some terms recently used in the media). Salary levels of the positions are based on the TV-L scale of the German public sector (Öffentlicher Dienst). After the deduction of health insurance, pension tax and other taxes, the salary for the PhD positions amounts to approximately 1600 EUR per month, and to about 2000 EUR per month for the (postdoctoral) Research Associate Position. Depending on the experience of the candidates, the salary can be higher. But please note that the only definite sources for all information on the positions including salary, job description and application/selection procedure are the central websites of the University of Oldenburg. For the PhD positions see: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/stellen/?stelle=63323 For the postdoc position see: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/stellen/?stelle=63322 Depending on the skills and interests of the candidates, the research focus will be on the development of new probabilistic learning algorithms and/or their applications to high-dimensional sensory data. Projects can emphasize basic research for general purpose learning and pattern recognition, or applications of algorithms to specific tasks. Candidates for the PhD positions have to hold a Master degree in Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics or a closely related subject (at the latest at the time when the contract is signed). Analytical/mathematical skills and programming skills (e.g. python, matlab, C++) are required for all candidates. Experiences with Machine Learning algorithms are desirable. Experiences with acoustic data, other types of sensory data, and an interest in the neurosciences are a plus but are not strictly required. The candidates for the (postdoctoral) Research Associate position have to hold a Master degree or (preferably) a PhD/Doctoral degree in Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics or a closely related subject (alternatively, a statement can be provided that a PhD/Doctoral degree will be issued when the position is taken or shortly thereafter). Analytical/mathematical skills, programming skills, and experience with Machine Learning algorithms are required. Experiences with acoustic data, other types of sensory data, and an interest in the neurosciences are a plus but are not strictly required. The (postdoctoral) Research Associate position is suitable for part-time work. All positions can be filled immediately and are available for initially two years with an option for extension. The appointed researchers will be part of a very new working environment. The research group is currently established through a strategic investment into Machine Learning technology at Oldenburg. The group is located in a new building, and the Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all is part of the German Excellence Initiative which funds top-tier research in Germany. The cluster comprises many interdisciplinary research groups that are currently set up or that are extended. As a consequence, many new PhD, postdoc and faculty positions allow for interesting collaboration opportunities and provide an attractive scientific and social environment. The city of Oldenburg is one of Germany's cities with the highest rated living quality, it is close to the North See and near to the cities of Bremen and Hamburg. For more information about the Machine Learning research group visit: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/ml/ For more information about the Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all visit: http://hearing4all.eu/EN/ The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increasing the percentage of women in science. Therefore, female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply. According to § 21 III NHG (legislation governing Higher Education in Lower Saxony) preference will be given to female candidates in cases of equal qualification. Handicapped applicants will be given preference if equally qualified. Please send your application including the usual documents (including contact details for reference letters) preferably electronically (PDF) to Jörg Lücke <joerg.luecke(a)uni-oldenburg.de> or per mail to: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Fakultät VI, Machine Learning, z.Hd. Frau Jennifer Köllner, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany. Please use “Research Position (PhD)” as subject line for applications to the PhD positions, and “Research Associate Position (postdoc)” for applications to the (postdoctoral) Research Associate position. The application deadline is 15 June 2014. Applications received after this date are not guaranteed to enter the selection process. -- Jörg Lücke (PhD) Associate Professor Machine Learning Lab and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Oldenburg 26111 Oldenburg Germany www.uni-oldenburg.de/ml

April 27, 2014