Idiap Research Institute is a university level research institute affiliated with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Geneva. Idiap is concentrating research and development in the fields of Machine Learning, Speech Processing, Computer Vision, Multimedia Information Retrieval, Biometric Authentication, and Multimodal Man-Machine Interaction. Idiap currently numbers around 80 scientists, including lead scientists, postdocs, and PhD students (usually awarded an EPFL degree).
In 2000, Idiap has been selected as the “Leading House” of a large Research Network (National Center of Competence in Research) on “Interactive Multimodal Information Management” (IM2), which has opened up new opportunities for long term positions at different levels. Although Idiap is located in the French part of Switzerland, English is the primary language used at Idiap. Salaries are competitive with respect to other Swiss universities.
In addition to its regular job openings and in line with other “Advancement of Women in Science” programs across Europe, the Idiap Research Institute wishes to further contribute to the advancement of women in science and engineering, specifically in the area of Artificial Intelligence in the widest sense, by giving female researchers from academia or industry an additional opportunity for joining Idiap via a dedicated fellowship to develop their own research projects while benefiting from Idiap’s environment, infrastructure and multi-disciplinary expertise.
The fellowship is targeted at a wide variety of researchers, at different stages in their career, including recent graduates of PhD programs who want to “kickstart” their career and strengthen their independent research portfolio, or providing an opportunity for researchers returning from a career break (e.g. due to family commitments) to re-enter the paid work force. The fellowship may also be of interest to more senior researchers who wish to spend a year focusing on their own research topic.
The main aims of the program are to:
- Contribute to the advancement of women in science and engineering;
- Provide the selected candidates with direct access to Idiap’s data and resources in order to help them carry out their research projects;
- Provide the opportunity to collaborate with Idiap research staff and promote networking within a worldwide research community;
- Extend Idiap’s scientific and industrial network.
The selected candidate is encouraged to initiate collaboration with our researchers on a specific research project, ideally aiming for joint publications and sustainable collaboration beyond their stay, or to develop their own research program. The fellowship holders will be provided with the same facilities than any other research staff.
Fellowship holders will be given the opportunity to work at Idiap on their own research topic for one year (or equivalent time), with possibility for extension. Fellowship holders who demonstrate excellence during the period of their appointment will have the opportunity to be considered for permanent researcher positions at Idiap.
Funding
A budget has been set aside to fund this Fellowship for Female Researchers, and the selected candidate will receive a competitive salary. Idiap will provide assistance in obtaining the necessary visa and work permit. Idiap will also assist the candidate in finding local accommodations.
Eligibility and Application
To qualify for this fellowship program at Idiap, the applicants must propose to work on a project related to at least one of Idiap’s research directions or should propose a more independent research project, still complementing well our current research activities (https://www.idiap.ch/en/scientific-research).
All applicants must have a PhD degree in engineering, physics, computer science, or applied mathematics. They should also demonstrate excellent research experience in their field, strong publication record (comparing well with peers with same seniority level), and ability to do creative and significant research with relative level of autonomy. Applicants should also demonstrate a strong background in statistics, linear algebra, signal processing, C/C++/Python programming, and Linux environment.
Applications include the following documents:
- Letter of motivation, including the preferred starting dates and the specific activities you would like to focus on;
- CV with a record of funding and publications;
- A short proposal (5 pages maximum) of a research plan referring to the focus of your fellowship. This must include the following items: Summary, Objectives, Literature review, Data, Methods, Expected results, relationship with Idiap research and expected collaborations.
About Idiap
Idiap is an independent, not-for-profit, research institute accredited and funded by the Swiss Federal Government, the State of Valais, and the City of Martigny.
The Institute seeks to maintain a principle of open and multicultural competition on the basis of merit, providing equal opportunity for all candidates. Idiap is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by law.
Idiap offers competitive salaries and conditions at all levels in a young, high-quality, dynamic, and multicultural research and academic environment, also well connected with the industrial world.
Idiap is located in the town of Martigny in Valais, Switzerland, offering exceptional quality of life, exciting recreational activities, including hiking, climbing and skiing, as well as varied cultural activities. It is within close proximity to Lausanne and Geneva. Although Idiap is located in the French part of Switzerland, English is the official working language.
For frequently asked questions (FAQs) about living in Switzerland, please go to https://www.idiap.ch/en/faq