Job Openings

SEGMENT Research Associates (all genders)

In the context of the European Research Council Consolidator Grant “SEGMENT” two research associate/postdoc fellow positions (all genders) are open for applications.

Both positions have a fixed-term contract for initially 3 years and have a start date of November 1, 2023.

Your responsibilities:

  • conceptualisation, development, calibration and testing of a multifocal display system with integrated eyetracking
  • conduct psychophysical experiments with human participants using the multifocal display and other devices
  • communication of scientific results in the form of documentation, reports, presentations and research articles

Your prerequisites:

  • doctoral degree in computer science, display engineering, optics, cognitive science, or related fields
  • proficient in English
  • excellent analytic and software skills
  • interest in combining theoretical and experimental research in cognitive science
  • organizational skills, highly motivated, team-player

Desirable:

  • previous experience with multifocal display devices, eyetracking in human participants, or both
  • experience with optical systems and low-level display control
  • fluent in both high-level (e.g. Python) and low-level (e.g. C++) programming languages

Your responsibilities:

  • development of a differential physically-based rendering pipeline for simulating the retinal input to the human eye
  • development, training and analysis of computational models including deep learning models for performing tasks based on this simulated retinal input
  • assisting in setting up and maintaining computational infrastructure for running the rendering pipeline
  • communication of scientific results in the form of documentation, reports, presentations and research articles

Your Prerequisites:

  • Doctoral degree in computer science, computer graphics, or related fields
  • familiarity with Python and at least one low-level programming language,
  • proficient in English,
  • excellent analytic and software skills,
  • interest in applying rendering and modelling skills to research in cognitive science,
  • organizational skills, highly motivated, team-player,

Desirable:

  • previous experience using differentiable rendering
  • extensive rendering and 3D modelling experience

The goal of the grant is to investigate how humans learn to understand 3D scenes, using a novel and interdisciplinary combination of skills and technologies. The holder of this position will work closely with a graduate student to develop a rendering pipeline for simulating the human retinal image, and then testing what can be learned from these images. A second part of the project will develop and use a multifocal display device to conduct psychophysical experiments in adult humans, to study how retinal image information is combined to understand scenes.

The tasks include scientific services in research and teaching that specifically relate to the implementation of SEGMENT. Within the scope of the assigned tasks, the opportunity for independent scientific work is offered, which serves the own scientific qualification.

The fulfillment of the duties likewise enables the scientific qualifications of the candidate. Opportunity for further qualification (habilitation) is given.

The Technische Universität Darmstadt intends to increase the number of female employees and encourages female candidates to apply. In case of equal qualifications applicants with a degree of disability of at least 50 or equal will be given preference. Wages and salaries are according to the collective agreements on salary scales, which apply to the Technische Universität Darmstadt (TV-TU Darmstadt). Part-time employment is generally possible.

Please send applications including CV, letter of motivation, certificates and transcripts, contact details for two people who can provide a letter of reference upon request, and one or two work samples (e.g., link to articles, software projects, etc) to the dean of the Department of Human Sciences of the Technical University of Darmstadt, Alexanderstraße 10, 64283 Darmstadt (perferably by email in a single PDF document to , please use the reference number in the header). Informal inquiries can be addressed to Prof. Thomas Wallis, PhD ()

All applications submitted by September 1, 2023 will be considered.

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