Research Associate

Job title:

Research Associate

Company:

University of Edinburgh

Job description

Job Description:Grade UE07: £40,247 to £47,874 per annumSchool of Informatics / CSEFull time: 35 hours per weekFixed term: until 30th November 2025The School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh invites applications for a Research Associate to work on the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) grant Hierarchical Motion Planning Framework for Realizing Long-Horizon Tasks, as part of the Moonshot Programme.Hierarchical Motion Planning Framework for Realising Long-horizon TaskHaving robots collaborating alongside humans and assisting them in daily life activities, such as tidying up, is extremely challenging.Robots need to reason about how to split such complex tasks in to simpler subtasks, while being able to safely and robustly accomplish each of the individual subtasks. For instance, picking up the target object, then moving it to the front of the shelf, opening the shelf door, and finally successfully placing the object inside the shelf. Additionally, robots also need to be able to adapt their movements to unpredictable and dynamic changes, such as humans moving around, and to unexpected object properties, including the object turning out to be heavier or softer than anticipated.In this project, in collaboration with Waseda University in Japan and under the auspices of The Alan Turing Institute, we develop learning and motion planning methods for realising long-horizon tasks that are adaptable and generalisable to objects of various properties.We use the example of stacking several boxes with different hidden properties, such as mass or even the contents, that require the robot to change the high level (long-horizon) plan, as well as the robot motion itself — such as how fast it should move.This project directly contributes to the Goal 3 of the Moonshot programme: Realisation of AI robots that autonomously learn, adapt to their environment, evolve in intelligence and act alongside human beings, by 2050.For more information on the Goal 3 of the Moonshot programme check:The OpportunityThe postholder will support the Principal Investigator in achieving the goals of the project, under their direction.

• Undertaking a specific role in the research project under supervision
• Taking responsibility for some elements of the planned research
• Planning and carrying out a work programme appropriate to the research activity
• Developing own research portfolio in related areas
• Contributing to the writing of research grants
• Contributing to dissemination and publication of personal and/or research teams findings as appropriate.
• Contribute to learning and teaching through activities such as project supervision, tutoring and marking (limited to no more than 5% on an annualised basis).

The salary for this post is £40,247 to £47,874 per annum.Your skills and attributes for success:

• PhD degree in robotics or related field
• Research expertise in robotic manipulation, task and motion planning, learning from demonstration.
• Track record of research publications in high-quality conferences and journals
• Excellent programming skills in ROS and Python.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, to meet deadlines, and to report on project progress
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly, orally and in writing
• Ability to provide guidance and support to junior project members.

The successful candidate will be required to closely engage with a network of Japanese project partners, as well as assist the University of Edinburgh team to navigate Japanese language and culture.Click to view a copy ofApplication InformationPlease ensure you include the following documents in your application:– CV– Cover letterContact details for informal enquiries: Sethu VijayakumarAs a valued member of our team you can expect:

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our

(opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefitsChampioning equality, diversity and inclusionThe University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our (opens new browser tab)On this occasion the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship for this role. International workers will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.Key dates to noteThe closing date for applications is 20 December 2024.Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.About Us: As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.About the Team:Informatics is the study of how natural and artificial systems store, process and communicate information. Research in Informatics promises to take information technology to a new level, and to place information at the heart of 21st century science, technology and society. The School enjoys collaborations across many disciplines in the University, spanning all three College, and also participates as a strategic partner in the Alan Turing Institute and, with Heriot-Watt University, in the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics.The School provides a fertile environment for a wide range of studies focused on understanding computation in both artificial and natural systems. It attracts students around the world to study in our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and currently has approximately 1000 undergraduate students, 320 MSc students and 350 PhD students. Informatics is one of seven schools in the College of Science and Engineering, at the University of Edinburgh. It is recognised for the employability of its graduates (demand exceeds supply), its contributions to entrepreneurship, and the excellence of its research. Since the first Research Assessment Exercise in 1986, Informatics at Edinburgh has consistently been assessed to have more internationally excellent and world-class research than any other submission in Computer Science and Informatics. The latest REF 2014 results have again confirmed that ours is the largest concentration of internationally excellent research in the UK. This contributes to our ranking in the top 15 CS departments world-wide according to the latest Times Higher Education ranking.We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development for all staff; providing mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.

Expected salary

£40247 – 47874 per year

Location

Edinburgh – Midlothian

Job date

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 06:47:35 GMT

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