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ISCApad Archive  »  2016  »  ISCApad #219  »  Jobs  »  (2016-07-20) PhD position at IDIAP, Martigny, Switzerland.

ISCApad #219

Friday, September 23, 2016 by Chris Wellekens

6-25 (2016-07-20) PhD position at IDIAP, Martigny, Switzerland.
  

In the context of a Swiss NSF grant, we seek a PhD student to work on multilingual and
affective speech synthesis.

  http://www.idiap.ch/education-and-jobs/job-10193

The research will begin with the state of the art in speech synthesis, probably based
around deep neural networks (DNNs). Such networks have been shown recently to produce
synthetic speech with better overall quality, especially with respect prosody, than other
techniques. The student will then focus on modelling of speech with a view to extraction,
modeling and adaptation of emotion (affect) in synthetic speech. To demonstrate the
language independence of the models, it will be necessary to work in two or three
languages.

Several research threads are possible; one thread will involve creating a neural model of
prosodic features. It will build upon recent work here at Idiap where we have created a
general physiologically plausible model for prosody.

Another research thread will involve analysis and modification of the phonetic quality of
the synthetic speech. This is in keeping with observations that formant positions can
change with affective indicators such as valence and arousal.

Depending on progress, there is also the possibility to address cross-lingual modelling
of affect. Here, the goal would be to detect emotion in one language and reproduce it in
another language.

Owing to availability of data, the work will probably proceed using German data. However,
our locality dictates that evaluation will be easier in French. Amongst the Swiss
languages, Italian is also appealing.

The ideal Ph.D student should have a master (or equivalent) degree in engineering,
computer science, or applied mathematics. S/he should have a good background in
mathematics, statistics, and programming (C/C++, Python, scripting langages). Given the
multlingual nature of the project, the position would suit someone with some knowledge of
one or more of the languages described above. In order to balance the group, we
especially encourage female applicants. However, all applications will be judged on merit.

Applications will be considered as they are received; the position will remain open until
filled.

About Idiap:

Idiap is an independent, non-profit research institute recognized and supported by the
Swiss Government, and affiliated with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
(EPFL). It is located in the town of Martigny in Valais, a scenic region in the south of
Switzerland, surrounded by the highest mountains of Europe, and offering exciting
recreational activities, including hiking, climbing and skiing, as well as varied
cultural activities. It is within close proximity to Geneva and Lausanne. Although Idiap
is located in the French part of Switzerland, English is the working language. Free
French lessons are provided.

Idiap offers competitive salaries and conditions at all levels in a young, dynamic, and
multicultural environment. Idiap is an equal opportunity employer and is actively
involved in the 'Advancement of Women in Science' European initiative. The Institute
seeks to maintain a principle of open competition (on the basis of merit) to appoint the
best candidate, provides equal opportunity for all candidates, and equally encourage both
genders to apply.

--
Phil Garner
http://www.idiap.ch/~pgarner

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