H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 MULTITOUCH (GA 860114)

Job Announcement:

Open Position of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher


Applications are invited for an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) position of an EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019) in the Machine Intelligence and Information Visualization Laboratory of the MANSiD Research Center at the University Stefan cel Mare of Suceava, Romania. The position is full-time (40 hours/week) for a fixed term of 3 years starting in January 2021, and the successful candidate is expected to enroll in PhD studies in Computer Science at the University Stefan cel Mare of Suceava on the topic Designing and Engineering Multimodal Feedback to Augment the User Experience of Touch Input under the supervision of Prof. Radu-Daniel Vatavu.

Context of the job

This job is part of the MULTITOUCH project (Multimodal Haptic with Touch Devices, Grant Agreement ID 860114), an EU H2020 Innovative Training Network involving four European Universities, two companies, one technical institute, and one hospital. The MULTITOUCH project will train a cohort of six ESRs that will conduct research to improve the accessibility of touch-based user interfaces.

Job description

Within the framework of the MULTITOUCH project, the selected candidate will design, engineer, and evaluate prototypes and applications for multimodal feedback and gesture-based interaction, including:
  • Review the state-of-the-art of the application potential of mixed tactile, visual, and auditory stimuli for enhancing the User Experience (UX) of touch input on a variety of devices.
  • Design, engineer, and evaluate multimodal feedback for practical prototypes and applications and conduct user studies and controlled experiments. Examples of applications for multimodal feedback and gesture input include: assistive technology for people with visual impairments, gesture-based recognition and interaction in Virtual Reality, inside-the-vehicle interaction and automotive applications, among others.
  • Participate in the activities of the MULTITOUCH project, including: attending to training, courses, workshops, collaborating with the network partners (Université de Lille, France; Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy), and undertaking secondments at the MULTITOUCH partner organizations.
  • Produce written outputs as required during the PhD studies and contribute to the dissemination activities planned for the MULTITOUCH project, including dissemination and attendance at top-tier scientific events.
  • Present regular progress reports in accordance with the MULTITOUCH program of research.
  • Participate in secondments at an industrial partner (HAP2U France, a leader in haptics technology) and collaborate with the industrial partner to implement new user interfaces for eyes-free interaction.
We welcome candidates of diverse academic fields of study (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Media, Applied Information Technology to specific domains, and others as well) that will take these job specifications and drive them toward excellent scientific results according to their academic training profile, technical skills, research interests, motivation, and creativity.

Salary

2849.76€ per month (gross amount), representing a living allowance of 2249.76€ and a mobility allowance of 600€. A family allowance of 500€ (gross amount) may be applicable per month according to the specific context of the selected candidate as specified by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions. Salary will be paid in Romania's national currency (lei).

Research Environment

Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava is one of the fastest rising universities in Eastern Europe with a comprehensive curriculum including more than 100 programs at undergraduate, master, doctoral and post-doctoral levels in Arts and Humanities, Engineering and IT, Life, Natural, and Social Sciences. USM comprises 10 Faculties and around 10,000 students. USM has been awarded the "High Degree of Confidence" Certificate (2019) for its high quality of education and standards by the Romanian Evaluation Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. The city of Suceava is situated in the historical region of Bukovina, a UNESCO World Heritage with rich history, culture, and traditions.

The Machine Intelligence and Information Visualization Laboratory (MintViz) is an interdisciplinary research lab combining Artificial Intelligence and Information Visualization technology to support rich interactions between humans, computers, and environments. It has a team composed of faculty members, researchers, and PhD and Master's students working in Human-Computer Interaction, Ambient Intelligence, Entertainment Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and Mixed Reality, and Mobile, Wearable, and Drone Computing; see our research projects.



Requirements of the candidate

  • Master's graduate with a degree enabling him/her to enroll in PhD studies.
  • Master's degree with a specialization in Computer Science, Information and Communications Technology, Applied Information Technology to specific domains, etc., or other related field in accordance with the specifics of the job description. Or a Bachelor specialization in Computer Science, Information and Communications Technology, Applied Information Technology to specific domains, etc., or other related field in accordance with the specifics of the job description. In any case, the candidate must be able to demonstrate technical abilities in software development.
  • Excellent professional, technical, and analysis skills, and an analytical mindset.
  • Ability to engage in technological areas and interdisciplinary studies.
  • Motivation to work in a research laboratory environment, both independently and as a member of a research team, and passion for conducting scientific research.
  • Excellent communication skills and English proficiency.

Eligibility requirements according to the MSCA-ITN Actions

Applicants must satisfy the eligibility requirements for an ESR under the H2020 ITN Programme. In particular, they should be eligible to be appointed as an ESR in Romania by satisfying the following:
  • Have less than 4 years research experience after Undergraduate/Master's graduation (this is cumulative research experience and does not include management/industrial or other work experience).
  • Not hold a PhD degree (PhD candidates under 4 years of registration and before completion may apply).
  • Have resided or carried out their main activity in Romania for less than 12 months (cumulative) in the 3 years prior to the expected starting date of this position, which is January 1, 2021. The candidate is required to provide proofs of residence (see item 8 from the list of required documents next) for the entire period of 3 years.

Required documents (where not specified otherwise, PDF documents should be provided in English)

  1. Letter of intention for job application according to the model available here.
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Motivation letter
  4. Bachelor and Master's diplomas and transcripts of grades (with official translation in English if the original language of the diplomas is other than English, French, or Romanian). If the Master's degree hasn't been officially conferred by the time of the application, but is expected by the final deadline, a Letter from the respective University that the candidate has passed all the examinations (listing studied disciplines and grades) can be provided. However, the candidate will be responsible to provide the Master's Degree certificate by the final deadline. Also, note that the candidate will enroll in PhD studies at the University of Suceava, for which a minimum of 300 ECTS (cumulatively obtained during both Bachelor and Master's studies) are required, unless other rights or regulations apply.
  5. Copy of Passport or national ID card (Passport is preferred, if available).
  6. English language certificate, such as IELTS Academic (minimum score 6.5). If no English certificate can be provided at the time of the application, the candidate must provide a signed statement that, in case he/she is selected, he/she commits to acquire in a timely manner the compulsory English certificate/proficiency test required for enrolling as a PhD student at the University of Suceava. The following model can be used. Note that the interviews will be conducted in English.
  7. A signed statement that, if selected for this position, the candidate will enroll as a PhD student at the University of Suceava during the next admission period. The following model can be used.
  8. Proofs of residence outside Romania to demonstrate the eligibility of the candidate as ESR in MSCA-ITN actions according to the eligibility requirements specified above. Examples of such proofs include: certificates of residence from the municipality where you have resided or accomodation contracts and/or receipts, copies of paid bills related to accommodation (electricity, water, gas) on the name of the candidate, copies of airplane tickets if you travelled abroad for long periods, etc. Proofs should cover the entire period of 3 years before the expected first day of the employment contract. All the proofs of residence documents should be provided as readable PDF files forming one archive (zip or rar).
Note that missing documents from this list or unreadable files may disqualify the application. For any questions regarding the required documents, please see the contact email address at the end of this job announcement.

Applicants must also be eligible according to Romania’s work legislation, as follows

  • Possess a health status allowing him/her to carry full-time work at 40 hours/week. Note that a medical certificate will be required of the selected candidate in this regard as a mandatory condition before signing the employment contract.
  • A judiciary record will be asked by University of Suceava before signing the employment contract.
  • Before signing the employment contract, the selected candidate will submit their Bachelor and Master's diplomas to the Romanian Ministry of National Education (the National Center for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas) for the purpose of recognition and equivalence with respect to Romania's national academic system, if the respective diplomas were obtained outside Romania.

Submission of applications and deadlines (all deadlines are Romania local time)

  • Candidates should submit their applications via the MULTITOUCH project recruitment website until November 13, 2020 (by 16:00). An email regarding the registration of the application must also be sent to the email address radu.vatavu@usm.ro
  • The applications will be checked for eligibility. Candidates will be notified on November 16, 2020 (16:00) when their interview is scheduled or if their application was not eligible.
  • The candidates with applications declared not eligible will have until November 17, 2020 (by 16:00) to challenge this result by email to radu.vatavu@usm.ro. Any appeals will address solely this procedure and will have the subject of the email "Appeal ESR MULTITOUCH-860114." Those candidates will be notified on November 18, 2020 (by 16:00).
  • The interviews will take place during November 19/20, 2020 using an online video chat system and a time schedule to be communicated to the eligible candidates. During the interviews, which will be conducted solely in English, candidates will need to demonstrate how they fulfill the criteria expected for this ESR position listed under the "Requirements of the candidate" section above.
  • The final results will be notified on November 20, 2020.
  • The envisaged starting date for the employment contract is January 1, 2021.
Candidates are responsible to check their email messages in due time to make sure they meet these deadlines.

Any enquiries about this position or further clarification requests regarding the application procedure for this position are welcome at the email address radu.vatavu@usm.ro with the subject "ESR MULTITOUCH-860114".