The ASTRON & IBM Center for Exascale Technology is a research centre, located in Dwingeloo, Drenthe on the Campus of ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. At this centre ASTRON and IBM jointly carry out fundamental research into computing technologies needed to develop the SKA radio telescope in the second half of this decade and the first half of the next decade. The collaboration is funded through the DOME project and focuses on three main areas:
- Green Computing (extreme performance at minor energy costs)
- Nano-photonics (data transport power reduction over short and long distances)
- Data & Streaming (real time processing of massive data amounts)

This project offers exciting opportunities for innovative research in radio astronomy instrumentation, computer science and signal processing.

At the moment we have the following positions open at the ASTRON headquarters in Dwingeloo, The Netherlands:
- Postdoctoral position f/m
- Two PhD positions f/m
- Photonic technology R&D engineer f/m

Pre-doctoral researcher 2 (ref. number: 2012-09-029) f/m

Function description:
For the topic "Accelerators" within the "Green Computing" research area we are looking for an enthusiastic PHD researcher to strengthen our team. In this research area, we aim to achieve a fundamental understanding of how to use accelerators (for example GPUs, Xeon Phi, FPGAs), for a wide range of (astronomical) signal-processing algorithms ranging from spectral and spatial filters to correlators, and imaging algorithms. The project will
* study which properties make an accelerator (in)efficient,
* address the balance between compute and I/O capabilities,
* study energy efficiency,
* assess programmability,
* study which architecture-(in)dependent optimizations are necessary,
* investigate new parallel algorithms that are better suited for the high compute/bandwidth ratio of accelerators,
* investigate to which extent a generic approach to program accelerators is possible
The research should lead to a fundamental understanding of using accelerator-based computing technology for radio-astronomical signal processing. The candidate is expected to contribute to this research, and to implement and test specific signal-processing algorithms on different accelerator platforms.

Function requirements:
For our research on accelerator-based computing for radio telescopes, the candidate should have
• a M.Sc degree in Computer Science or related disciplines,
• experience with a GPU programming language such as CUDA or OpenCL,
• experience with multi-threaded programming (e.g., pthreads, OpenMP),
• a thorough knowledge of parallel computer architectures.
Additionally, experience with and/or knowledge of the following topics is an advantage: computer networks, distributed programming, programming FPGAs, and signal processing.

For more information, you can contact: Dr. John Romein - romein [at] astron [dot] nl

Our offer: a temporary appointment for 1.5 years with a possible extension for 2.5 years. This is in parallel with the University's evaluations on the progress of the PhD trajectory.

The successful candidate will be employed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) at a salary scale commensurate with age and experience. Relocation expenses, an excellent package of benefits and assistance with finding accommodation will be provided. Applicants of any nationality are eligible to apply. A good command of the English language (writing and speaking) is essential. Successful candidates will have access to excellent computational facilities and travel support.
For a summary statement of work of the DOME project and related background information please check one of these websites: www.dome-exascale.nl, www.astron.nl
Candidates are invited to send an application (including a CV, a statement of scientific interests and research ideas or brief proposal), plus 3 letters of reference before January 31, 2013 by email which should refer to the mentioned vacancy nr. 2012-09-029, including a resume and contact information, to the attention of Diana Verweij, head of HR e-mail: personnel [at] astron [dot] nl Applications will continue to be considered until the positions are filled. Internal and external recruiting will be executed in parallel.

Acquisitions based on this advertisement are not appreciated.