Nicosia, Cyprus

September 2024

06/09/2024

1

Position: Research Associate/Research Assistant

Category: An initial six-month employment contract will be offered with the possibility for renewal depending on performance and project needs. 

Location: Nicosia, Cyprus 

Preferred Start Date: September 2024 

Application Deadline: 06/09/2024  

No. Of Positions: 1 

About the position   

The PULSE research group is at the forefront of creating immersive and believable virtual environments. 

The group primarily works on virtual human simulation, crowd behavior, which refers to how crowds move and interact, and on combining different inputs, such as voice, music, text, and motion capture, to create and edit simulations. These elements are then integrated into VR/AR/MR environments. The applications of this research span many potential uses, such as Video Games, Film and Virtual Production, Digital Twins, Architecture, XR performances, and training. 

The successful candidate will become a member of an interdisciplinary team that will be working towards developing language technologies for Greek Cypriot. 

The research work will involve collecting language data, training and testing large language models (LLMs) and/or Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems, and integrating the derived models with relevant platforms and frameworks. 

The successful candidates will have the opportunity to conduct fundamental and/or applied research in the aforementioned areas. Where applicable, candidates may also participate in the preparation of project reports and deliverables, research proposals for funding, software development, and travel abroad for dissemination activities. Furthermore, successful candidates will be encouraged to publish/present their research results in prestigious international conferences and journals. 

The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Yiorgos Chrysanthou. 

Responsibilities of Research Associate:  

• Pre-train and/or fine-tune LLMs. 

• Gather, organize and/or annotate, and securely store language data. 

• Frequently interact with stakeholders and collaborators through meetings, presentations, and/or reports. 

• Work with an interdisciplinary team, involving local linguists, computer scientists, and software developers. 

• Conduct relevant literature reviews on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and/or Spoken Language Processing (SPL) for under-resourced languages for future funding. 

General qualifications and requirements 

1. University Degree, Bachelor's degree and/or postgraduate degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a relevant field. 
2. Relevant experience is LLMs/ NLP will be considered an advantage 
3. Have working knowledge of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLMs), with low-resource languages. 
4. Language requirements: Excellent written and oral English-language skills will be required.   
5. For non-EU applicants a work permit will be required 

Profile of the ideal candidate:  

1. Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative and work independently.   
2. Strong organizational, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, having the ability to deal confidently and politely with enquiries.   
3. Very good analytical skills coupled with attention to detail.   
4. Dynamic, adaptable, hands-on and results driven. 
5. A team player with an ability to work independently and under pressure.  
6. High levels of commitment, energy, and drive. 
7. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

Specific requirements for Research Associate positions:  

1. M.Sc. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or in related area will be considered an advantage.  
2. Very good knowledge of English, especially in reading technical / research articles.  
3. Strong computer programming skills 
4. Ability to independently identify problems and carry out research work.  
5. Ability to interact with stakeholders in application domains and identify opportunities for collaboration.  
6. Previous research experience and high impact research publications on relevant topics (a requirement for PhD holders/an advantage for non-PhD holders).  

Benefits 

Take advantage of this opportunity for your professional and personal development by being a part of our fast- growing Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence. A very attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidate according to qualifications and experience. 

Application process 

For full consideration, interested applicants should submit the following items via email [email protected] and mention the position you are applying for: “Application for Research Associate/Research Assistant – PULSE Research Group”: 

Process for Research Associates:  

1. A cover letter which clearly specifies 1) contact details, 2) employment availability date, 3) part-time or full-time availability 
2. A detailed curriculum vitae in English. 
3. Copies of academic transcripts  
4. Description of their academic and research experiences as well as any relevant industrial / innovation / entrepreneurship experience, where applicable (500 words maximum). 
5. Contact details of two University professors or one University professor and one industry referee who will provide the letters. 
6. Two (2) representative publications (if applicable). 
7. Two (2) representative innovation outcomes / products (if applicable). 

In case you previously applied for a post at CYENS CoE, a new application is required. 

For general enquiries, applicants may contact the HR Department of CYENS, Centre of Excellence at [email protected] . 

About CYENS CoE  

 CYENS Centre of Excellence is focusing on Interactive media, Smart systems and Emerging technologies aiming to empower knowledge and technology transfer in Cyprus and wider region. It is a joint venture between the three public universities of Cyprus: the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology, and the Open University of Cyprus, the Municipality of Nicosia, and two renowned international partners, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Germany, and, the University College London, United Kingdom. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 (Teaming Phase 2) under grant agreement No. 739578, as well as from the Cypriot Government, local and international partners, and other sponsors.  

   Research in CYENS integrates the Visual Sciences, Human Factors & Design, and Communications & Artificial Intelligence, in a tight synergy that provides a unique interdisciplinary research perspective that emphasizes an “Inspired by Humans, Designed for Humans” philosophy. The Centre conducts excellent, internationally competitive scientific research delivered by 18 high-caliber multidisciplinary research teams. CYENS engages in knowledge transfer and innovation activities aiming to act as an integrator of academic research and industrial innovation, towards the sustainable fueling of the scientific, technological, and economic growth of Cyprus and Europe.  

CYENS Centre of Excellence is an equal opportunity employer and the position is open to everyone, internationally. 

All applications are treated in the strictest confidence.