European project InnoCyPES (Innovative Tools for Cyber-Physical Energy Systems) - Research Grant at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy

Who we are

The University of Salento is a young dynamic university, keen to expand and to prove itself at a national and international level. Since 1955 the University of Salento has had the aim of promoting knowledge, skill and merit and has offered a large range of educational opportunities. From law to science, economics to engineering, humanities to media studies, the university provides academic pathways to a range of professions as well as post- graduate and specialist courses tailor made to meet the needs of the workplace. Eight Departments providing services and information for students, as well as thirty-three Research Centres throughout the Salento area. The University of Salento has grown rapidly in recent years, consolidating and reinforcing its role as the keystone of the local cultural and social system. It also has a Ph.d. School and Post-graduate schools for Cultural Heritage and for the Legal Professions. The prestigious ISUFI Grandes écoles school offers high-level undergraduate and postgraduate courses for scholarship students to promote excellence.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking for exceptional, talented applicants committed to work in the context of the European project InnoCyPES (Innovative Tools for Cyber-Physical Energy Systems), a Marie Curie Action Innovative Training Network providing world-leading and transferable scientific training to a new generation of 15 high-achieving early stage researchers (ESRs). In the course of their training, they will study, investigate and improve various facets of digitalized and interconnected energy systems. Supervised by a consortium of prominent and experienced academic institutions, research institutes and industrial partners, they will collaboratively develop a cutting-edge system management platform that covers the entire lifecycle of data for energy system planning, operation and maintenance, based on an understanding of the energy system as a cyber-physical system.

The ESR research activity will be carried out on premises mainly at the University of Salento. We invite applications from candidates working in the field of Computer Science, who have experience and strong knowledge with regard to data management (database etc), distributed systems, Peer-to-Peer systems and blockchains, and who have a strong interest in the research topic, covering large scale data management and integration. Excellent programming skills in C/C++ in the Unix environment are also required. We are aware of the fact that knowing all the subjects listed above is even very difficult for a Master of Science student. Therefore, highly motivated students who know some of the above subjects listed above are encouraged to apply. Prospective candidates must not have resided or carried out the main activity of study/work in Italy for more than 12 months during the 3 years preceding the date of the beginning of the contract. Additional requirements are listed in the official public call.

The successful candidate will work in close cooperation with prof. Massimo Cafaro and the members of the High Performance Computing Laboratory at the University of Salento. Two secondments of four months each at partners institutions are scheduled, along with the participation in schools and workshops organised within the framework of the InnoCyPES project. Moreover, the candidate will be given ample opportunity to publish his/her scientific results and present them at international conferences. The research grant will cover the ESR position for 30 months. Additional funding may be obtained by project’s partners covering a further six months to be spent in their laboratories.

Details

Position: research grant at the Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy

Duration: 30 months

Deadline for application: April 6, 2023

Remuneration: The research grant will last 30 (thirty) months. The annual remuneration, gross of charges to be borne by the beneficiary and inclusive of contributions and social security charges to be borne by the University of Salento, consists of the following items:

1. Living allowance: Euro 40,966.56 (forty thousand nine hundred and sixty-six/56); 2. Mobility allowance: Euro 7.200,00 (seven thousand two hundred/00); 3. Family allowance: 3.1. Euro 0 (zero) per researcher without family obligations; 3.2. Euro 6,000.00 (six thousand/00) for researchers with family obligations (married or with a relationship recognised by Italian law or that of the country of origin or with dependent children).

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Massimo Cafaro

Research topic: Large scale data management and integration

This is a 30 months “Marie Curie ETN Early Stage Researcher position” on the following topic. The sheer quantum of data being created and collected across jurisdictions requires a carefully planned and proactive approach to data management. The need for fusion and integration of multiple data sources characterized by fragmented data ownership is driving innovative approaches to large scale distributed data management and integration to avoid inconsistent and inaccurate data. The aim is to investigate, design and implement a fully decentralized solution to provide efficient management of dynamically updated information and support for distributed queries. One or more domain specific use cases shall be identified within the context of the project, considering both the current and future needs of some of the involved partners. These nicely fit into the research plan, owing to the need of surveying the user’s requirements to begin with; simultaneously, the uses cases can also be thought of as sources of advanced data management challenges.

The official public call is available here (In Italian and English): https://www.unisalento.it/bandi-concorsi/-/bandi/view/66493326

Direct download link: https://www1.unisalento.it/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=63872469&f...

Application and declaration forms: https://www1.unisalento.it/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=63872469&f...

Prospective candidates can contact prof. Massimo Cafaro at massimo.cafaro@unisalento.it for additional information and, if required, for assistance in compiling the application.