Postdoctoral Research Associate (3 years) and PhD research positions

We invite expressions of interest for a 3-year, full time post-doctoral research associateship, based in University of Coimbra, Portugal, focused on concept creation technology, that will be object of an official post soon. The position forms part of an European Union Framework Programme 7 grant, collaborative with 5 other academic institutions. The project has a duration of 36 months.
 
As a whole, the project, ConCreTe, will investigate computational models for the representation and production of previously unseen concepts, and apply them in context of various forms of creativity (e.g., design, narrative, poetry). It will also investigate evaluation methods for creative systems, including comparison with humans via neuroscientific approaches. The project revolves around the central framework of a simulated cognitive architecture, making explicit the relationship between creativity and consciousness, and forming an environment within which different kinds of concept generator can work in competitive parallel and be compared.
 
University of Coimbra will mainly contribute to the workpackages on Conceptual Representations (particularly by exploring representations based in Regulated Activation Networks), on Concept Creation (e.g., by exploring Conceptual Blending and Bio-inspired concept generation mechanisms), on the development of Applications of the framework (e.g., for Design and for Text Processing) and on the Evaluation of Creativity.
 
The successful applicant will have a strong background in artificial intelligence, and will be a competent programmer. They will be willing to co-supervise PhD and MSc students working in themes of the project. They will be competent communicators, both formally and informally, and they will be prepared to collaborate with and travel to partner institutions for extended working periods (not normally longer than 2 weeks).
 
Expressions of interest should be sent to: machado(at)dei.uc.pt and/or amilcar(at)dei.uc.pt
 
Additional details can be found here.