Machine Learning/Data Analytics Postdoctoral position at the University of Limerick

The Biocomputing and Developmental Systems group at the University of
Limerick in Ireland invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher
(closing date 6 November 2017).
The successful candidate will work within Lero (http://Lero.ie), the
Irish Software Engineering Research System, as part of a
multi-disciplinary team with backgrounds in Machine Learning, Software
Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electronic Engineering and Food
Engineering. This team will consist of approximately twelve people and
the project as a whole is focused on using technology to monitor and
improve animal health.
The project, “The Development of Intelligent Multi-functional
Autonomous, Adaptive and Assistive Technologies for the Agricultural
Farms of the Future” (A3TA), is a multi-institution project sponsored
by Dairymaster and involves researchers from a variety of areas such
as Machine Learning, Software Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,
Electronic Engineering and Food Engineering. This is a unique
opportunity to work on a data analytics project with direct access to
those in charge of gathering the data and building the sensors. The
MooMonitor is a rugged data sensor that operates in a huge variety of
conditions, providing a challenging task for data interpretation and
fusion which will require the use of Machine Learning algorithms such
as Genetic Programming and Grammatical Evolution to ensure robust
performance under these highly variable conditions. The research
focuses on performing advanced data analytics and machine learning on
real world data generated by large-scale farm systems such as the
“MooMonitor” heat detection system and other herd management tools.
Data from other sensors will also be examined, with a view to
performing multi-modal predictions for animal health in real time in
real world situations.
The successful applicant will be a key member of a cross-disciplinary
research team, with specific responsibilities for being a senior
member of a research team. This work will involve design of
experiments for the project; construction of software for the
experiments; writing scientific papers; involvement with grant
applications; interacting with both academic and industrial partners;
meeting with postgraduates and meeting with undergraduates.
It is expected that this work will achieve the following:
o The creation of a Machine Learning/Data Analytics system that
processes data for animal health
oThe production of a set of recommendations for new sensors to
increase the amount and quality of data available
o Publication of scientific papers
o Newly awarded grants to extend the work
o Co-supervision credit on a PhD thesis
o Some interaction with undergraduates (limited teaching hours)
The successful candidate will contribute to the research by
o Building a data analytics system to predict animal health using
existing data from Dairymaster
o Evaluate other data sensors to improve the quality of predictions
o Recommending improvements and changes to the sensors to better record the data
o Using Machine Learning and Automatic Programming tools to build data fusers
o Co-supervising a PhD student working on the same project
o Collaborating with the Principal Investigator in team teaching activities
o Interacting on a senior level with our collaborators and spending
time with our industrial partner
The successful candidate will be required to travel between research
and industry locations in Ireland.
Potential candidates are encouraged to contact Conor Ryan
(Conor.Ryan-AT-ul.ie) informally to discuss the positions. Please refer
to “Postdoc A3TA” in the subject of your e-mail.
Full details of the position are available on the University of
Limerick's HR website: