PhD position in Optimization, Optimal Transport and Inverse Problems

17 Feb 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Twente (UT)

Research Field

Technology

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

5 Apr 2024 – 21:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

40.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

We are looking for a talented, research-oriented PhD candidate to join the project “Curve Ensemble Gradient Descents for Sparse Dynamic Problems”.

Optimization methods in the space of measures have seen a dramatic increase in popularity in recent years. This is largely due to two factors: their connections with Optimal Transport (OT) and Wasserstein Gradient Flows, and their applicability to solve inverse problems and design infinite-dimensional machine learning algorithms.

The goal of this project is the analysis of dynamic optimization problems for time-dependent measures, where motion is governed by the penalization of OT energies. We plan to adopt a sparse perspective, analyzing how collections of trajectories can be employed to approximate dynamic distributions and how gradient descent methods in the space of curves can be used to achieve this goal. A full understanding of these dynamic problems and their efficient optimization is essential to address a wide class of inverse problems and machine learning methods. In particular, applications to single-particle tracking (SPT) for fluorescence microscopy and neuralODEs training will be considered.

The PhD candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Marcello Carioni and will be part of the group “Mathematics of Imaging and Artificial Intelligence” (MIA) at the Department of Applied Mathematics. There will be plenty of opportunities for collaboration with researchers in the group of Prof. Carola Schönlieb at the University of Cambridge and in the group of Prof. Kristian Bredies at KFU Graz.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

• You have, or will shortly acquire, an MSc degree in Mathematics;
• You have a solid theoretical foundation in one or more of the following topics: continuous optimization, functional analysis, optimal transport, inverse problems, partial differential equations, calculus of variations;
• You are interested in improving your coding/programming skills during the PhD;
• You are proficient in English.

Additional Information
Benefits

• As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;
• The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.770,- (first year) to € 3.539,- (fourth year);
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;
• The flexibility to work (partially) from home;
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis;
• Free access to sports facilities on campus;
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
• You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision;
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

Additional comments

Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the ‘Apply now’ button below before 5th of April 2024, and include:

• A motivation letter, emphasizing your specific interest and motivation to apply for a PhD position in this research area.
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae.
• An academic transcript of BSc and MSc education, including grades.
• A summary of your MSc thesis/final project.
• References (contact information) of two scientific staff members (one of whom should be the supervisor of your MSc thesis/final project) who are willing to provide a recommendation letter at our request.

We particularly encourage/support female applicants to apply.

For more information regarding this position, you are welcome to contact Dr. Marcello Carioni ([email protected] )

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/337881/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Universiteit Twente

Country

Netherlands

City

Enschede

Postal Code

7522NB

Street

Drienerlolaan 5

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/337881/phd-position-in-optimization-optimal…

Contact

City

Enschede

Website

http://www.universiteittwente.nl/

Street

Drienerlolaan 5

Postal Code

7522 NB

STATUS: EXPIRED