2 PhD positions, Barcelona, ERC Grant on reference with neural networks

2 PhD student positions on  computational approaches to reference with memory-enhanced neural  networks *Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain

Applications are welcome for 2 PhD student positions oncomputational approaches to reference with memory-enhanced neuralnetworks. The positions are for at most 4 years, and will be funded by a 5-year European Research Council Starting Grant awarded to the project AMORE: A distributional MOdel of Reference to Entities (gboleda.utcompling.com/research-1/projects/amore).

PROFILES

We seek outstanding researchers with a genuine interest in how human language, communication, and cognition work, with any of the following backgrounds: Machine learning, specifically deep learning (of specia linterest are recurrent models and models with dynamic trainable memories); Computer Vision and the integration of Language and Vision; Computational semantics, formal semantics, and computational approaches to discourse (particularly on topics related to reference, including DRT or similar frameworks, coreference and anaphora,conceptual aspects of meaning, and distributional semantics).

Experience and interest in dataset construction, especially via crowdsourcing, is a plus. Experience on specific project topics is not required.

All researchers are expected to hav eexcellent analysis and abstraction skills, and an interest in workingin an interdisciplinary environment.

If you think that your background is relevant to the research program of the project (see gboleda.utcompling.com/research-1/projects/amore) and you have good programming and quantitative skills, please do get in touch even if you do not fit the profiles above.

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

Universitat Pompeu Fabra is a small, research-oriented, highly international institution (www.upf.edu), placed 15th worldwide inTimes Higher Education ranking "150 under 50". The PhDs will be carried out within the AMORE team, consisting of the 2 PhD students and 5 more researchers (PI Gemma Boleda, senior researcher Louise McNally, and 3 post-doc  researchers to be hired with project funds). The project will be carried out at the Department of Translation and Language Sciences in the Communication Campus of UPF (www.upf.edu/campus/en/comunicacio), rich in researchers working on Linguistics, Computer Science, and Cognitive Science, and specificallyon Computational Linguistics / Natural Language Processing. The AMOREteam will strengthen the already strong profile of the university inthese areas.

Barcelona is a unique city, with a Mediterranean and cosmopolitan culture, and very livable (www.upf.edu/barcelona/en).

DATES AND APPLICATION

PhD positions start October 2017; earlier starting date possible, as aresearch assistant. Applications including a letter of motivation (at most 1 page) explaining why you are interested in this position and how your profile fits the project, CV, and the names and e-mail addresses of two referees should be sent as a single PDF file to Gemma Boleda (gemma.boleda@upf.edu). We aim at building a diverse team;all applications are welcome, especially those of female researchers and members of other under represented collectives. Up to date information about these positions: http://gboleda.utcompling.com/research-1/projects/amore/jobs-amore.