Salary: Research Assistant: £31,396 - £32,982 per annumResearch Associate: £33,966 - £44,263 per annumNewcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.Closing Date: 23 June 2024The RoleAre you passionate about using your skills to enhance people's lives? We are looking for an enthusiastic Research Assistant/Associate to conduct applied data science and AI research as part of theTORUS is a collaborative project between the universities of Bristol and Newcastle, dedicated to transforming the lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease. For decades, the quest for a cure has been hindered by the challenge of accurately measuring the impact of new drugs on patients' symptoms and daily lives. TORUS aims to overcome this barrier by developing an innovative platform of sensing technologies for use in patients' homes, combined with an advanced data fusion and machine learning pipeline. This approach will measure changes in specific mobility-related behaviours over weeks and months, providing critical insights to drive effective treatments.Your role will focus on exploiting distributed machine learning. You will play a major role in a work package that is leading on designing, building, and deploying the integrated TORUS system. This must be a secure, privacy-preserving, and resilient system; distributed machine learning will be key to achieving this. Your responsibilities will also include supporting and evaluating pilot trials conducted in patients' homes. You should be an effective communicator capable of interacting with diverse audiences, including academics, industry leaders, and research subjects in their homes.Join our team at Newcastle University's (USB), a cutting-edge facility that serves as a living laboratory for pioneering research in urban sustainability, energy efficiency, and digital innovation. The USB is equipped with smart infrastructure, advanced laboratories, and integrated sensor networks that provide real-time data to support groundbreaking projects. Our interdisciplinary environment fosters collaboration among researchers, students, and industry partners, promoting innovative solutions to modern urban challenges.This is a full-time, fixed-term position available immediately until 29th Feb 2028.To apply, please upload a CV and letter of application which outlines how you can evidence the requirements in the job description.For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Paul Watson ( ).For more information about the School of Computing and our research, please clickKey Accountabilities
- Contributing to the design, development, and evaluation of the integrated TORUS system
- Prepare clear, well-written timely reports and draft scientific papers to meet the requirements of high-impact journals and conferences according to the project timeline set out by the Investigator’s team
- Present research findings at conferences or via publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
- Designing and running experiments and evaluating the results
- Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post, as requested by the project lead
- Strong programming skills
- Data Science and/or AI knowledge and experience
- Skilled in assimilating and deploying ideas found in relevant literature
- Ability to design and deliver oral presentations to a diversity of stakeholders
- High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
- Experience of writing technical papers, and progress reports for conferences and/or journals. Preparing results for publication and dissemination via presentations, scientific papers, outreach activities and public/industrial engagement (Desirable for Research Assistant)
- Ability to engage research with the public in their homes, demonstrating compassion and professionalism while representing the University with the utmost trustworthiness
- Experience of applying Machine Learning
- The ability to motivate, organise and show leadership in the management of other research staff within the research team
- Excellent interpersonal skills with an aptitude for building and maintaining trust with internal and external stakeholders
- Ability to communicate research findings and demonstrate research effectively to diverse audiences, tailoring the message appropriately for each group
- Build trust with the public and respect research boundaries when conducting studies in private settings such as patients' homes. Demonstrate the ability to listen to research subjects, consider their feedback, and respond thoughtfully
- Maintaining a high level of professional conduct and ethics in research
- Committed to embedding the values of equality and diversity in all aspects of your work
- Demonstrable commitment to our values of academic excellence, ambition, social responsibility, and accountability
- PhD awarded in a relevant area of expertise, or substantial equivalent work experience in a relevant discipline (Research Associate)
- An undergraduate and postgraduate degree in a relevant area of expertise, or substantial equivalent work experience in a relevant discipline (Research Assistant)
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development