Job openings: PhD studentship in Formal Linguistics/ Socially Interactive
Agents/ Machine learning,
Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, IRCAM
We are inviting applications for one PhD position (3 years) (funding
available 10/2023-09/2026) in the area of formal linguistics, Socially
Interactive Agents (SIAs), and machine learning.
The positions will be funded as part of the CNRS 80-PRIME The Laughing
Infant project jointly held by Jonathan Ginzburg (Laboratoire de
Linguistique Formelle (LLF), Université Paris Cité) , Catherine Pelachaud
(L'institut des systèmes intelligents et de robotique (ISIR), Sorbonne
Université), and Nicolas Obin (Lab Sciences et Technologies de la Musique
et du Son, IRCAM).
The goal of The Laughing Infant (TELIN) project is to synthesize work on
language acquisition, on the semantics and pragmatics of laughter, on
Socially Interactive Agents (SIAs), on analysis and synthesis of laughter,
and on machine learning, with the aim of developing an SIA who will emulate
an infant during the acquisition of laughter and by using this SIA to test
several learning algorithms that take as input different modalities (audio,
facial expression, language) and contexts (playing with toys, interacting
with parents and siblings) and output laughter.
The PhD topic is to develop formal and computational models that compute
when and how a baby robot (the robot Furhat with the mask of a baby)
responds to a participant’s expression and activity. The focus is on the
production of laughter in infants. This involves (i) Analysis of a corpus
of baby laughter (ii) Development of a rigorous theoretical analysis of
laughter during an interaction between a carer and infants, (iii the
development of a computational model based on deep learning that simulates
when laughter should be triggered. The models will be evaluated objectively
as well as through experimental studies.
The successful candidate will work in three areas: formal linguistics,
virtual agent development, and machine learning. They must have a master's
degree in the fields of linguistics, computer science or cognitive science.
The expected skills are: -At least two of the following three skills:
(i) Strong expertise in formal semantics or pragmatics
(ii) Strong expertise in machine learning, and in particular in deep neural
networks.
(iii) Proficiency in python and java.
In addition:
- Excellent command of spoken and written scientific English
- Autonomy, teamwork, productivity, rigor and methodology
The successful candidate will be accommodated part of the time at LLF, part
of the time at ISIR and part of the time at IRCAM, in all cases with a
personal workstation. They will benefit from access to the FurHat robot and
the team's GPU computing servers, as well as the servers of the Jean Zay
supercomputer hosted by CNRS-IDRIS. They will have access to the Ircam
media library, as well as to the CNRS and Sorbonne University online
libraries.
Applicants are requested to submit their application, including a cover
letter that specifies why you would like to work on this topic and what
qualifies you for it, an academic CV, your MSc thesis (or a current
draft), copies of academic degree certificates, and names of two potential
references.
The applications should be sent via email directly to Prof. Jonathan
Ginzburg: yonatan.ginzburg (at) u-paris.fr
The application deadline is June 27th, 2023
Laboratoire de Linguistique Formelle (LLF) (Université Paris Cité,
http://www.llf.cnrs.fr), L'institut des systèmes intelligents et de
robotique (ISIR) (Sorbonne Université, https://www.isir.upmc.f) and The
Sciences et Technologies de la Musique et du Son lab (IRCAM and Sorbonne
Université, https://www.stms-lab.fr/team/analyse-et-synthese-des-sons) are
internationally prominent CNRS labs in their domains.
—LLF has strengths in formal linguistics (ranging from phonetics and
phonology to
semantics, pragmatics, and the analysis of multimodal dialogue, and
interfacing with sociolinguistics), psycholinguistics (on spoken and signed
languages using EEG, EGG, and Eye Trackers) , and computational
linguistics (in particular using a variety of deep learning techniques).
—ISIR research focuses on robotics and AI. Gathered in multidisciplinary
teams, researchers create drones, micro-tweezers, bionic prostheses, social
robots, surgical arms and all kinds of intelligent and interactive systems,
physical, virtual or mixed reality. ISIR maintains one of the largest robot
fleets in Europe.
—The Sciences et Technologies de la Musique et du Son lab at IRCAM
participates in the renewal of musical expression through the contributions
of computer science, acoustics, signal processing, cognitive sciences, and
musicology. The focus is on music and organized sound in a unique context
where contemporary creation meets scientific and technological research. In
particular, the Sound Analysis & Synthesis team carries out research and
development activity in sound analysis, transformation, and synthesis of
sound signals.
Job openings: PhD studentship in Formal Linguistics/ Socially Interactive
Agents/ Machine learning,
Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, IRCAM
We are inviting applications for one PhD position (3 years) (funding
available 10/2023-09/2026) in the area of formal linguistics, Socially
Interactive Agents (SIAs), and machine learning.
The positions will be funded as part of the CNRS 80-PRIME The Laughing
Infant project jointly held by Jonathan Ginzburg (Laboratoire de
Linguistique Formelle (LLF), Université Paris Cité) , Catherine Pelachaud
(L'institut des systèmes intelligents et de robotique (ISIR), Sorbonne
Université), and Nicolas Obin (Lab Sciences et Technologies de la Musique
et du Son, IRCAM).
The goal of The Laughing Infant (TELIN) project is to synthesize work on
language acquisition, on the semantics and pragmatics of laughter, on
Socially Interactive Agents (SIAs), on analysis and synthesis of laughter,
and on machine learning, with the aim of developing an SIA who will emulate
an infant during the acquisition of laughter and by using this SIA to test
several learning algorithms that take as input different modalities (audio,
facial expression, language) and contexts (playing with toys, interacting
with parents and siblings) and output laughter.
The PhD topic is to develop formal and computational models that compute
when and how a baby robot (the robot Furhat with the mask of a baby)
responds to a participant’s expression and activity. The focus is on the
production of laughter in infants. This involves (i) Analysis of a corpus
of baby laughter (ii) Development of a rigorous theoretical analysis of
laughter during an interaction between a carer and infants, (iii the
development of a computational model based on deep learning that simulates
when laughter should be triggered. The models will be evaluated objectively
as well as through experimental studies.
The successful candidate will work in three areas: formal linguistics,
virtual agent development, and machine learning. They must have a master's
degree in the fields of linguistics, computer science or cognitive science.
The expected skills are: -At least two of the following three skills:
(i) Strong expertise in formal semantics or pragmatics
(ii) Strong expertise in machine learning, and in particular in deep neural
networks.
(iii) Proficiency in python and java.
In addition:
- Excellent command of spoken and written scientific English
- Autonomy, teamwork, productivity, rigor and methodology
The successful candidate will be accommodated part of the time at LLF, part
of the time at ISIR and part of the time at IRCAM, in all cases with a
personal workstation. They will benefit from access to the FurHat robot and
the team's GPU computing servers, as well as the servers of the Jean Zay
supercomputer hosted by CNRS-IDRIS. They will have access to the Ircam
media library, as well as to the CNRS and Sorbonne University online
libraries.
Applicants are requested to submit their application, including a cover
letter that specifies why you would like to work on this topic and what
qualifies you for it, an academic CV, your MSc thesis (or a current
draft), copies of academic degree certificates, and names of two potential
references.
The applications should be sent via email directly to Prof. Jonathan
Ginzburg: yonatan.ginzburg (at) u-paris.fr
The application deadline is June 27th, 2023
Laboratoire de Linguistique Formelle (LLF) (Université Paris Cité,
http://www.llf.cnrs.fr), L'institut des systèmes intelligents et de
robotique (ISIR) (Sorbonne Université, https://www.isir.upmc.f) and The
Sciences et Technologies de la Musique et du Son lab (IRCAM and Sorbonne
Université, https://www.stms-lab.fr/team/analyse-et-synthese-des-sons) are
internationally prominent CNRS labs in their domains.
—LLF has strengths in formal linguistics (ranging from phonetics and
phonology to
semantics, pragmatics, and the analysis of multimodal dialogue, and
interfacing with sociolinguistics), psycholinguistics (on spoken and signed
languages using EEG, EGG, and Eye Trackers) , and computational
linguistics (in particular using a variety of deep learning techniques).
—ISIR research focuses on robotics and AI. Gathered in multidisciplinary
teams, researchers create drones, micro-tweezers, bionic prostheses, social
robots, surgical arms and all kinds of intelligent and interactive systems,
physical, virtual or mixed reality. ISIR maintains one of the largest robot
fleets in Europe.
—The Sciences et Technologies de la Musique et du Son lab at IRCAM
participates in the renewal of musical expression through the contributions
of computer science, acoustics, signal processing, cognitive sciences, and
musicology. The focus is on music and organized sound in a unique context
where contemporary creation meets scientific and technological research. In
particular, the Sound Analysis & Synthesis team carries out research and
development activity in sound analysis, transformation, and synthesis of
sound signals.