[Air-L] 2 PhD Positions in Text Analysis and Speech Synthesis, Trinity College Dublin

[Carl Vogel]

[apologies for multiple postings; please circulate as appropriate]


2 Phd Positions involving speech and text analysis are open within
TCD.

http://www.tcd.ie/Graduate_Studies/InnovationBursaries/

The bursaries include payment of fees, some research costs, and a
stipend of 16K per annum. The funding covers four years of study
within a structured PhD program.  This funding is equivalent to that
provided by IRCSET awards.

Position 1: Speaking the 1641 Depositions

This innovative project under the theme of "Digital Humanities and
Sustainable Records" will attract candidates who are interested in
independent and advanced research linking speech synthesis and
important historical documents. It will involve application of
advanced linguistic and statistical methods, using the latest tools
and technologies, for the analysis and rendering into speech of large
bodies of annotated historical text. The project will last for four
years and research costs, a stipend, and coverage of fees, etc., will
be offered. Successful applicants will have a background in either
history or computing. They will have keen analytical skills and will
join a small team of researchers with similar interests in the way
people speak and present information. They will be especially
interested in expressing personality through speech synthesis, and in
attempting to render historical texts in order to express character
through the synthesised voices.

Further details:
http://www.tcd.ie/Graduate_Studies/InnovationBursaries/
Apply for course:  www.pac.ie/tcd (code -- TRB01)

Position 2: Technology for harmonising interpersonal communication

We explore how contemporary modes of interaction, typically at a
distance via electronic devices, can be supplemented to support the
sorts of information flow and inference that evolution has endowed
humans sensitivity to in face-to-face communications. The research
entails that various prototype applications be constructed, deployed
and analyzed. A successful candidate will have demonstrable expertise
in computer programming, preferably with experience of end-user
application delivery. The candidate will be engaged in the delivery of
software alongside performance of quantitative and qualitative
analysis of linguistic data. The background research topic is in
discerning sentiment and other non-propositional content of textual
communications (such as text messages) and projecting the same through
appropriate vocal synthesis. Prior expertise in text and dialogue
analysis as well as speech synthesis will be an advantage. Candidates
should be comfortable with computational theoretical frameworks for
syntax and formal semantics, as well as statistically oriented
approaches to language analysis.

Further details:
http://www.tcd.ie/Graduate_Studies/InnovationBursaries/
Apply for course: www.pac.ie/tcd (code -- TRB08)


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Closing date for applications:
Friday 9th April 2010

Applications should be made online through www.pac.ie/tcd