The Centre for Geospatial Science is a multidisciplinary research centre specialising in spatial data infrastructures (SDI), location-based services, geospatial interoperability and geoinformatics. It includes researchers from the fields of Geography, Computer Science, Mathematics and Human Factors.

We are seeking a research associate to work on the EuroGEOSS project.  This EU FP7 funded project will develop methods for making existing earth observation systems interoperable, focussing on the three strategic areas of drought, forestry and biodiversity.  The project will particularly focus on interoperability among advanced scientific models that use multi-scale resources, expressing scientific models as workflows and using natural language to interface with models.  More information is available at http://www.eurogeoss.eu/ and http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cgs/projects_eurogeoss.html.

The person appointed will work with Dr Kristin Stock to undertake research in the area of natural language discovery.  The goal of this work is to investigate methods to express geographic objectives or questions in natural language and from these expressions to discover and execute relevant resources (in the form of web services), thus removing from users the burden of understanding the meaning and structure of underlying resources.  The work will build on previous research in the Centre for Geospatial Science into the use of Natural Semantic Metalanguage for the expression of geographic semantics.  The work will involve research that may contribute to a PhD, and the person appointed may choose to work towards a PhD concurrently (provided they meet the requirements).

Candidates should be enthusiastic, motivated, able to solve problems and use their own initiative.  The post requires a good undergraduate degree in a relevant field (the geographical or spatial sciences, linguistics, logic or computer science).  Knowledge or experience in more than one relevant field would be regarded especially favourably, as would postgraduate qualifications.  Computer programming experience is desirable.    Knowledge or experience in geospatial semantics will be an advantage.

Starting salary will be £24,152 per annum. This full-time post will be offered on a fixed-term contract until 30 April 2012.

Information about the Centre for Geospatial Science is available at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cgs/ and administrative enquiries may be addressed to Mr G Wilcoxson, Email: Gerrard.Wilcoxson@Nottingham.ac.uk.  Informal enquiries regarding may be addressed to Dr K Stock, Email: Kristin.Stock@Nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent direct to these Email addresses will not be accepted.

For more details and/or to apply on-line please access: http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/ENG337.  Candidates should include a detailed CV and covering letter with their application.  Please quote ref. ENG/337.  Closing date: 7 August 2009. Provisional Interview date: 12 August 2009.

For all our vacancies and more about working at the University of Nottingham see: http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/.