Doctoral student (Speech Technology, Cognitive Science),  Tampere University of Technology, Finland

We are inviting applications for the position of Doctoral Student in the areas of speech technology and cognitive science at Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Laboratory of Signal Processing. The successful candidate will become a member of a newly formed research group named Speech and Cognition, led by Assistant Professor Okko Räsänen. In addition to research work, the candidate will commit to the pursuit of a doctoral degree in science (technology) at TUT. The job will consist of the following duties: • Research work on a mutually agreed doctoral research topic • Completion of mandatory studies for a D.Sc. (tech.) degree • Participation to the Doctoral Program of Computing and Electrical Engineering at TUT • Assisting tasks in teaching and in other activities of the research group
 
The broad scope of the position is related to the study of language acquisition and processing by humans and artificial computational systems. Potential topics include: 1. development of computational models of unsupervised and multimodal language learning and speech perception 2. development of algorithms and tools for analyzing acoustic and linguistic patterns in large-scale naturalistic audio recordings.
 
More precise goals of the thesis project will be planned together with the candidate. The work in the position will be closely integrated to several ongoing Academy of Finland research projects and their international collaboration networks.  The current contract will be made for a fixed term period until 31.8.2021 with a view for extension (with an initial probationary period of 6 months). Target completion time for a doctoral degree is 4 years. The commencement date will be as soon as possible, as mutually agreed.  The salary will be based on both the job demands and the employee's personal performance level in accordance with the University Salary System. According to the criteria applied to teaching and research staff, the position of a Doctoral Student is placed on job demands levels 2–4. A typical starting salary for a Doctoral Student at the beginning of their studies is 2330–2450 eur.  Exceptional Master’s students of TUT, who are close to graduation, can be also considered for the position. In this case, the candidate is first employed as a Research Assistant to carry out a master’s thesis project (6 months) on the topic and, upon a successful thesis project, with the possibility to continue to doctoral studies. Salary during master’s thesis project will correspond to job demands level 1. Requirements: The successful candidate must hold a master’s degree or to be close to graduation in a discipline related to the job, for example Computer Science, Signal Processing, Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning. Candidates from Linguistics, Psychology, Neurosciences, or other field related to language or developmental research will also be considered, given that the candidate has a sufficiently strong technical background.  Basic programming skills and experience with MATLAB, Python, or comparable programming languages are required. Good written and spoken English skills, capability for
team work, and open mindset towards cross-disciplinary research are also essential. Skills in statistical analysis and previous research experience are counted as an advantage.  The successful candidate must either already be a PhD student at Tampere University of Technology or apply for post-graduate studies at the university. More information on the admission process and requirements: http://www.tut.fi/en/admissions/doctoral-studies-p... For more information, please contact: Assistant Professor Okko Räsänen, email: okko.rasanen@tut.fi How to apply: Applications must be submitted by TUT online application form at https://tut.rekrytointi.com/paikat/?o=A_A&jid=28 .  
 Closing date for applications is 30 September 2018 (24.00 EEST / 21.00 UTC). The most promising candidates will be interviewed in person or in a teleconference. The interviews will take place during the last week of application period and the first week of October, and therefore it is advisable to submit an application as soon as possible.  The following documents should be attached to the application in .pdf format:  • motivation letter  • CV, including contact details of possible referees • copy of Master’s degree diploma (if applicable) and a transcript of completed studies with course grades • copies of certificates related to the applicant's language proficiency
 About the Speech and Cognition Group: The research of Speech and Cognition group covers speech communication from both language technology and cognitive science points of view. Central research questions are related to how humans learn to understand and produce speech in interaction with their environment, how speech perception and production operate and how they are related to other cognitive capabilities such as memory and learning, and how similar language and cognitive skills could be implemented in man-made computational systems. The primary research method of the group is computational modeling of these phenomena, combining machine learning and signal processing to spoken language and other sensory data available to language learning children. The group also works on various technological applications related to, e.g., spoken language health technology and automatic analysis of large-scale speech recordings. Research of the group is conducted in collaboration with researchers across areas such as speech technology, linguistics, psychology, acoustics, neuroscience, and clinical medicine. About the research environment: Finland is among the most stable, free and safe countries in the world, based on prominent ratings by various agencies. It is also ranked as one of the top countries as far as social progress is concerned. Tampere is counted among the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries and offers a dynamic living environment. Tampere region is one of the most rapidly growing urban areas in Finland and home to a vibrant knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community. The city is an industrial powerhouse that enjoys a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. Read more about Finland and Tampere: • https://www.visitfinland.com/about-finland/ • https://finland.fi/ • https://tem.fi/documents/1410877/2888440/SIS_MIN_E... • https://visittampere.fi/en/

 The new Tampere University and higher education community begin their operations on 1 January 2019. Tampere University of Technology, the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Applied Sciences are building a unique environment for multidisciplinary, inspirational and high-impact research and education and a hub of expertise in technology, health and society. Read more: https://www.tampere3.fi/en