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<p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;margin-top:0px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="" size="2">[Apologies for cross-posting]</font></p><h2 id="gmail-phd-studentship-control-system-for-nonverbal-behaviour-in-virtual-humans" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:24px;margin-bottom:16px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;padding-bottom:0.3em;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(234,236,239);color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><a class="gmail-anchor" name="phd-studentship-control-system-for-nonverbal-behaviour-in-virtual-humans" href="#phd-studentship-control-system-for-nonverbal-behaviour-in-virtual-humans" style="display:flex;box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none;float:left;padding-right:4px;line-height:1"><span class="gmail-octicon gmail-octicon-link" style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:1;display:inline-block;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(27,31,35);vertical-align:middle;box-sizing:border-box"></span></a><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">PhD Studentship: Control System for Nonverbal Behaviour in Virtual Humans</font></h2><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">Start: October 2018 (subject to negotiation)<br style="box-sizing:border-box">Closing Date: Friday 15 June 2018<br style="box-sizing:border-box">Contract Type: Fixed Term (for 3 years)<br style="box-sizing:border-box">Reference:<span> </span><a href="https://jobs.aston.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=R180148" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">R180148</a></font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">Applications are invited for a three-year Postgraduate studentship, supported by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, to be undertaken within the ALICE group (<a href="https://alice.aston.ac.uk/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">https://alice.aston.ac.uk/</a>) of the Computer Science Department at Aston University. The successful applicant will join a group working on interactive virtual human systems and biologically grounded Human-Computer-Interaction (<a href="https://cs.aston.ac.uk/~bernardu/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">https://cs.aston.ac.uk/~bernardu/</a>).</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:600">Background of the Project</strong><br style="box-sizing:border-box">Focus of the project is the development and evaluation of a control system for the nonverbal behaviour of virtual humans. The system will be based on principles from control theory and neurocomputation. Application of the system is nonverbal behaviour-based social skills training, where a user is interacting with a virtual human in real-time.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">For informal inquirers and further information please contact Ulysses Bernardet<span> </span><a href="mailto:u.bernardet@aston.ac.uk" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">u.bernardet@aston.ac.uk</a></font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:600">Person Specification</strong><br style="box-sizing:border-box">The successful applicant should have a first class or upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification in Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology or Biology. The project is very interdisciplinary, and we are therefore looking for a candidate with a background in computer science/engineering with a strong interest in psychological concepts or a background in psychology/biology with a strong technical proficiency. Candidates should have the skills to implement technical systems and to think at the conceptual/psychological level. However, the most important requirement is enthusiasm for building biologically grounded interactive computer system.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:16px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">We would particularly like to encourage application from women seeking to progress their academic careers. Aston University is committed to the principles of the Athena SWAN Charter, recently recognised by a prestigious Silver Award to EAS, and we pride ourselves on our vibrant, friendly and supportive environment and family atmosphere.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;color:rgb(36,41,46);font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;margin-bottom:0px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:600">How to Apply</strong><br style="box-sizing:border-box">Apply directly here:<span> </span><a href="http://www.aston.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">http://www.aston.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/</a><span> </span><br style="box-sizing:border-box">The online application form, reference forms and details of entry requirements, including English language, are available at<span> </span><a href="http://www1.aston.ac.uk/eas/research/prospective-research-students/how-to-apply/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">http://www1.aston.ac.uk/eas/research/prospective-research-students/how-to-apply/</a>.<span> </span><br style="box-sizing:border-box">If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at<span> </span><a href="mailto:seasres@aston.ac.uk" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(3,102,214);text-decoration:none">seasres@aston.ac.uk</a>. Applications must be accompanied by a research proposal giving an overview of the main themes of the research, and explaining how your knowledge and experience will benefit the project. Details of how to write your project proposal are included in the How to Apply section.</font></p>
<font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2"><br clear="all"></font></div><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2"><br></font></div><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">-- <div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"></div><br></font><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="2">Dr Ulysses Bernardet<br>Lecturer in Computer Science<br>School of Engineering & Applied Science<br>Aston University, Birmingham, UK</font></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://cs.aston.ac.uk/~bernardu" target="_blank" style=""><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="" size="2">cs.aston.ac.uk/~bernardu</font></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>