Academic

Postdoctoral Researcher in Modelling and Analysing Information Diffusion in Social and Mobile Device Networks

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the position of postdoctoral researcher at the CLIQUE Strategic Research Cluster, based in the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), National University of Ireland, Galway.

The position is a fixed term 3-year post available from April 2009.

CLIQUE is a funded research cluster of six academic principal investigators, industry collaborators and collaborating academics - based in the National University of Ireland Galway and University College Dublin. The research cluster addresses the development of analytical, modelling and visualisation techniques for the analysis of large scale, dynamic graph and network data. The CLIQUE research programme will address four core research challenges: the identification of coherent communities, the identification of nodes that have pivotal roles, the identification of anomalous network structure and the question of how to model and analyse information flow. In particular the research will address datasets that are massive, multi-attribute and dynamic.

This post-doc position will be based in the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), at the National University of Ireland, Galway. It will focus on analysing and predictive modelling of information flow and diffusion in human device-mediated communication networks such as social or mobile device networks. A key challenge will be to define the features that provide an appropriate abstraction for modelling the structures and behaviours that underlie information diffusion in online communities and mobile device networks. While different behaviours are observable at the macroscopic and microscopic views, the features and timescales that prescribe the conditions for each type of analysis are currently poorly defined. The candidate will be expected to familiarise themselves with several different modelling techniques from epidemiology, agent-based modelling and system dynamics and to develop and test hypotheses about how these may be applied in the context of social and mobile device networks. In addition, the successful candidate will help coordinate the work of the research students in this strand and collaborate with researchers in other research strands. The PD will report to the co-PI of the information flow strand of this project and the lead PI and other co-PIs as dictated by the work programme requirements.

Starting salary: Euro 40,478 per annum

For informal enquiries about this post please e-mail Dr. Conor Hayes conor.hayes@deri.org

_Contact_:
To Apply: Interested candidates should send a detailed CV with covering letter, and the names and addresses of at least three and not more than five referees via e-mail (in word or PDF format only) to conor.hayes@deri.org. Please include the code NUIG-Clique-02 in the subject line.

Applicants must provide a statement of their research interests summarising how their experience and expertise will contribute to a research program in analysing and modelling information flow in social and/or device-mediated networks

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Monday 9th March 2009

Job Description

Essential skills

• A PhD, typically in computing-related discipline, with a strong empirical and analytical component.
• A PhD with a substantial graph theoretic and analysis, modelling, statistics or data-mining component.
• Research experience in analysis of dynamic network data, such as found in social networks, online viral marketing campaigns, and/or epidemiological approaches to analysing information flow.
• A record of published research in modeling and/or analysing data with complex structure.
• An ability to develop and manage their own research agenda.
• An ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.
• Good interpersonal skills and a commitment to working collaboratively in a research team and delivering on team goals.

Academic Skills:

• Experience and familiarity with multi-relational datasets of social networks
• Experience in modeling network data.
• Familiarity with current research on Web 2.0/ Web 3.0 and Semantic Web
• Experience in the preparation of research grant proposals.
• Some experience assisting in the supervision of research students.

• Experience in the development of research software.
• Experience in developing an effective working relationship with researchers from other disciplines or industrial collaborators.
• Experience of managing and processing large volumes of data.

Duties

• Contribute to the completion of the research objectives of the information flow strand of the CLIQUE cluster.
• Contribute to the application of the research of the information flow strand to other strands within the cluster.
• Assist in the overall management of the information flow strand within the cluster.
• Assist in the day-to-day supervision of the research students under the guidance of the leader of information flow strand.
• Ensure that the research outputs of the strand are presented in international journals and at leading conferences in the field.
• Participate in the preparation of reports to the funding agency (SFI).
• Contribute to the preparation of bids for additional competitive national and international research funding awards and industrial support.
• Undertake such other reasonable duties as may be requested by the research cluster leader or his nominee such as occasional lecture or tutorial delivery or collaboration with complimentary research units at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute.

Further information on DERI can be found at http://www.deri.ie