Total 4 researcher job vacancies in Singapore

Introduction

In collaboration with the Woodlands Health (WH) and the National Health Group (NHG), the Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and SingHealth, SEC is undertaking a research programme on "Built Environment and physical activity in Falls and Arthritis study (BE FIT)". It addresses imminent health challenge on moving away from “sickcare” and pivoting towards preventive healthcare as part of the nationwide effort on Healthier SG. Within BE-FIT we envision motivating vulnerable older adults to engage in healthy behavior by providing recommendations on improving accessibility (as well as preception thereof), in urban environment for uptake of physical activity. A deeper understanding of the interactions and interplay between Built Environment (BE) and the high burden of falls and osteo-arthritis (OA) as proposed within the BE-FIT is crucial towards informing data-driven decisions on urban design and how the mobility-impaired elderly interact with their physical environment. Within the BE-FIT framework we are advertising the job position for a postdoctoral researcher.

Project Background

Falls result in severe physical as well as psychological impact among older adults. Beyond physical implications on injury-related trauma and in severe cases death, the psychosocial impact of falling can also be excruciating. Fear of falling can result in vicious cycles of decreased activity as well social isolation. These in turn lead to lower muscle strength and higher risk of future falls. In a similar manner, osteo-arthritis (OA) can lead to fear of movement (kinesiophobia) resulting in reduction of physical activity levels.

Task/Job Description

We will investigate movement patterns and features of walking outdoors and in the neighbourhoods among vulnerable older adults (suffering from OA as well as at high risk of falling) in order to understand perceptions on interacting with built environment. We will acquire these movement patterns and features using the state-of-the art inertial measurement units (wearables such as ZurichMOVE or Axivity) sensors. These sensors are equipped with triaxial accelerometers and gyrospcopes and provide assessment of aspects such as impact and swing behaviour during different movements. Specifically we will be addressing the following research questions:

1. What are the kinematic characteristics of walking among older adults with OA and/or previous falls under ecological settings (neighbourhoods)?
2. Do the kinematic characteristics of naturalistic walking predict physical activity rates?
3. Does the design of walkways (including overall layout, e.g. design of curbs, pathways etc and accessibility features e.g. size of the curbs, or height of side walk, ramps vs stairs) impact overall levels of physical activity as well as specifics of walking quality?

Specific to the Position:

The general concept is to generate machine learning as well as statistics-based models to extract movement patterns from movement/locomotion/walking/gait dataset collected via wearable sensors. The gait data from multiple sensors will be collected while participants (older adults) move/walk/transition for both short (up to 10 minutes) as well as long (over multiple days) periods of time. This data will be complemented with data from our collaborators on walkability assessment, where we evaluate naturalistic observation on individual’s daily routes and outdoor activities. Finally, we will also tap into questionnaire data involving individuals’ fall history, psychosocial status as well as cognitive ability, as well as their perception of the built environment. The primary task will be to extract features (gait signatures, but also artificial “machine learned” features) that allow us to assess fall risk in an individualized manner. Crucial aspects are the interpretability and repeatability of these signatures as these aspects will allow clinical as well as stakeholder uptake. Another important aspect for uptake is the association (via analysis as well as interpretation) of these features to the walkability as well as clinical assessment to provide a hybrid ‘mapping’ of the manner in which older adults interact with their environment.

Requirements:

• Minimum 2 years of experience in machine or deep learning with a background (PhD) in computer science, computer vision, neuroscience, physics or biomedical and/or other engineering fields.
• Expertise in predictive model development, especially for healthcare applications.
• A solid understanding in experimental design, feature extraction, selection, and analysis, as well as tailoring machine/deep learning techniques to hybrid datasets including clinical battery, and objective physiological (movement) datasets.
• A strong foundation in deep and machine learning algorithms, statistical analysis, and study design from ideation to evaluation and validation.
• A strong publication record especially in area of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Presentations at conferences and participation in workshops is desired.
• Programming skills: Expert in Python (PyTorch as well as the use of libraries).
• Experience/expertise in working with Matlab and/or R (or any other statistical software e.g. SAS).
• Previous experience with physiological (such as heart rate via an ECG or also EEG) datasets is desired, but not a must-have.
• A solid foundation of machine learning frameworks such as Tensorflow and algorithms, statistical analysis, and study design from ideation to evaluation and validation.
• Experience with GUI development is desired.
• Personal: Are you motivated to work on challenging problems? Can you work independently on a project level demonstrating problem solving skills? Do you see yourself fitting in with the team of multinational group of biomechanists, engineers as well as health-care and clinical scientists? Do you have a penchant for collaborating - maintaining channels of communication - with lab/team members but also worldwide? If yes, this job might just be for you.

Information about the application process and contact for applicants

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Navrag Singh, PhD, via email [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• A cover letter outlining your motivation and experience in the field of machine-learning and bioengineering with a focus towards practical applications in healthcare
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• List of publications and abstracts of presentations at conferences
• Certificates (e.g. PhD and Master’s degree)
• Transcripts of records

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about BE-FIT Project can be found on our website: https://sec.ethz.ch; https://fht.ethz.ch

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)

The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

Introduction

ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems.

The centre currently runs several research programmes with the Future Cities Laboratory Global (FCL Global) as one of the programmes. It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, Postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

Project background

The Circular Future Cities module (CFC) of FCL Global aims to develop a systems approach for informing the design of circular buildings with circular material flows in urban areas. This urban scale systemic perspective enables us to study new technologies and their interdependencies at the level of the circular economy itself. The module will provide integrated frameworks and tools based on advanced digital technology for informing design and deploying effective circular solutions.

For more information on the project, consult our web page, https://fcl.ethz.ch/research/cycles-and-districts/circular-future-cities.html ,

or watch this lecture about the project,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNwu85y1EKw .

CFC is looking for talented and motivated professionals to study, design, and develop these new circular technologies.

Join us if you want to:

• Work in a unique and world-leading research environment.
• Join an international team of highly talented researchers from top universities.
• Have the opportunity to shape and develop cutting edge research in circular economy in construction.

Task/Job description

Within the module, you will work on the development of a Building Information Modelling extension that integrates workflows for existing building-scale circularity assessment methods into a BIM environment (using IFC standards, integrated in Revit).

This extension will be the design evaluation tool for the `Circular Economy Potential’ (CEP) model, a framework to estimate recovery reuse rates based on a building’s configurational characteristics (e.g. how spaces are connected, how walls are assembled, how services are laid out). This framework combines existing assessment methods for design goals related to reuse and recovery (e.g. design for disassembly, building adaptation, maintainability). For an overview of this work, consult this seminar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYj0foMbF8E.

The CEP evaluation tool is intended to be used by built environment professionals that want to assess the reuse and recovery potentials of buildings and building designs.

You will also play a pivotal role in the development of Circular Economy tools and workflows tailored specifically for the application to Temporary Works (TW). Your responsibilities will include collaborating closely with the research team to develop innovative solutions to enhance circularity within the construction industry.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Research and development of the Circular Economy Potential tool, in collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher and advised by Dr Pieter Herthogs (SEC) and Prof Rudi Stouffs (NUS). This work includes, a.o.:
• Developing specific scripts, components, and plugins to implement existing models and an overall CEP architecture and interface in a BIM environment.
• Modelling or extracting the configurational patterns in digital models of buildings, building components, and connections.
• Testing and validating the tool with users and stakeholders.
• Developing publications as lead-author and co-author.
• Development of Circular Economy tools and workflows for their application to Temporary Works, in support of a PhD researcher. This work includes, a.o.:
• Developing BIM models of Temporary Works;
• Integrating sustainability metrics and circular economy principles into the BIM models of Temporary Works;
• Digitizing document workflows into BIM-augmented workflows;
• Developing tools to support these BIM-augmented workflows;
• Collaborating with stakeholders to gather input and feedback on the development of Circular Economy tools and workflows for TW.
• Implementing parametric modelling techniques to explore design alternatives and optimize TW configurations for maximum resource efficiency and lifecycle performance.
• Conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs) to quantify environmental impacts and identify opportunities for material reuse, recycling, and waste reduction in Temporary Works;
• Supporting the research and project efforts of the Circular Future Cities module in general. This includes, a.o.:
• Participating in and contributing to team meetings and interactions with stakeholders.
• Supporting other module researchers, and the Module Coordinator.
• Presenting your research and that of the module to international audiences and visitors.

Requirements:

Mandatory Requirements:

You have:

• A Master’s degree in a field related to architecture or structural engineering. (Salary will be commensurate with experience.)
• Demonstrable experience in Building Information Modelling, particularly the development of tools or custom scripts, preferably using IFC, demonstrated through portfolio and publications.

You are:

• A self-motivated and independent researcher or developer.
• A good communicator:
• Proactive: you can signal issues, set and commit to targets
• Rational: you can clearly articulate ideas and thoughts
• Interpersonal: you are able to receive and provide constructive feedback
• A professional working proficiency in English is required.
• Comfortable with basic programming tasks. Able to adopt new programming languages for particular purposes.
• Curious and passionate to explore new concepts, methods and technologies. You have the capability to identify and quickly learn the most suitable tools for the research on the go.
• Interested in topics related to the research, such as computational design, performative design, circular economy in construction, design for change, or life cycle analysis.

Significantly Beneficial Attributes:

• Demonstrable experience developing or adapting evaluation models or indicator models related to buildings and/or structures.
• Experience with configurational modelling, graph-based models, or semantic models is a plus.
• Experience with LCA is a plus.
• Detail-oriented and meticulous in your work.
• A team player: collaborative and constructive, and always open to help team members.

Desirable Attributes:

• The ability to present your work and progress in an engaging and effective way.

Information about the application process and contact for applicants

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

A dossier containing the following pdf documents:

• A short cover letter explaining your interest in the project and position.
• Your CV, preferably tailored to this position.
• Contact details for at least 2 referees.
• One or two examples of an academic publication or document that you wrote (e.g. article, conference paper, thesis, report).
• One example of a slide deck (presentation) that you developed.
• A portfolio or compilation document that showcases related past work. While we encourage and consult digital and web-based portfolios, a summary or overview in pdf form is still recommended.

Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Pieter Herthogs (Singapore-ETH Centre) [email protected] & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudi Stouffs (NUS) (strictly no applications via email).

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)

The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

Introduction

ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems.

In collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), SEC is undertaking a research programme on "Future Resilient Systems" (FRS). The FRS programme addresses the challenges with critical infrastructure systems that provide essential services to modern societies, which is of particular importance to innovation-driven economies like Singapore and Switzerland. Within this framework we are announcing the following job opening.

Task/Job description

• This position is under the FRS programme. The researcher will maintain and further develop InfraRisk, an integrated platform for the electricity grid, water network and transport system quantifying the effects of weather-related disruptive events on interdependent systems.
• The platform will be leveraged to design system resilience against disruptive events and across system interdependencies, with a focus on simulating and testing disruption/restoration scenarios relevant to Southeast Asia.
• An important technical aspect will be to model the recovery strategies considering interdependencies between the power, water, and transport systems.
• The ultimate goal of the integrated platform will be to identify features and requirements that aid in developing solutions to improve resilience.

Requirements

• The successful applicant must hold either a Master’s degree with a minimum of 1 year of working experience or a PhD/equivalent University level diploma in electrical, industrial & operational research, civil, mechanical, control engineering, or a related field.
• Principal qualifications include strong programming experience (preferably MATLAB or Python), analytical and quantitative skills and experience with robust optimization.
• She/he should be further experienced in resilience analysis, and in modelling power, water and/or transport systems.
• A solid knowledge of written and spoken English is mandatory, as this is the language for communication at work.
• We are looking for highly motivated and self-driven candidates, with good interpersonal skills and the ability to thrive in a diverse, multidisciplinary environment.
• Please note that salary will commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Information about the application process and contact for applicants

We look forward to receiving your online application including the following documents:

• A letter of motivation
• A CV
• Electronic copies of your educational certificates, and
• Contact details for at least 2 referees.

Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

For further information about the Future Resilient Systems programme, please visit our website: https://frs.ethz.ch/. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Prof. Giovanni Sansavini by email to [email protected] (no applications).

Duration: 10 months to 1-year contract.

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)

The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

Introduction

Future Cities Lab Global (FCL-G) is a research unit of the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) and ETH Zurich established in partnership with Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). FCL-G is home to 120 multidisciplinary researchers across hubs in Singapore and Zurich, organised in eight research modules.

The ‘Agropolitan Territories’ module focusses on the possible threats that urbanisation and agriculture pose to sustainable development. We focus on Monsoon Asia, a region that supplies most of the world’s staple crops (90% of the world’s rice, 45% wheat, and 25% maize), supports over half the world’s population, and is undergoing urbanisation with unprecedented speed and scale. Effects of those threats will be especially disastrous for both cities (increased poverty, ill-health, pollution) and countryside (increased depopulation, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss) in Monsoon Asia and beyond if not properly managed.

Our approach to these threats is guided by a vision for agropolitan territories which hybridise urban and rural settlement patterns for sustainable regional development. The module will draw on expertise in data analytics, coupled human-natural systems, agroecosystem science and urban design. We will produce innovative planning concepts, architectural designs, and building prototypes for sustainable agropolitan territories, anchored in specified sites in China, India, and Indonesia.

Project background

This Zurich- and Singapore-based role is within the ‘Agropolitan Territories of Monsoon Asia’ research module of the Future Cities Laboratory Global (FCL).. Field work and on-site visits around monsoon Asia are expected during this post.

The role(s) focus on understanding land-use transitions from urban city centres to intensive monoculture crop plantations and to identify and create a typology of mixed land-uses that include settlements and agroecological production, also termed as ‘agropolitan territories’. These typologies will be assessed against as set of indicators of agroecological elements to understand how they vary with the range of agropolitan territories identified. The context of this work will be focused on both rice and palm oil production systems, a ubiquitous crop across Indonesia and Malaysia that is used for producing vegetable oils. We have identified cases in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia (for the palm oil focus), and other regions in India, China and Africa to develop comparative studies of emerging agropolitan territories along several transects from the city center to the rural areas. Traveling and field trips are expected during the employment.

Previous experience doing field work in any of these regions and language proficiency to support it is an advantage.”

This role supports the coordination of module personnel, reporting and budgets specific to the selected case studies.

Note that the current FCL-G 5-year cycle will end on Nov 30 2025 and contract will terminate before then. Duration of contract will be adjusted to match, depending on starting date.

Task/Job description

The scope of work shall comprise of but shall not be limited to:

1) Research (75%)

- Conduct agroecological research on palm oil production systems that fall between the interface of highly urban city centers and highly intensive large-scale monoculture plantations.

- Support the planning, design and agropolitan unit development for sustainable urban planning that supports agroecological palm oil production systems. Travelling and field works in Southeast Asia and Zurich are expected.

- Co-design with landscape architects, urban designers a series of agropolitan units using parametric design/planning principles.

- Disseminate research work by initiating, coordinating and leading on publications of high-quality journal articles, conference presentations, and local workshops.

- Contribute data to the team’s open-source software ur-scape (https://urs.sec.sg) and support development of innovative analytical tools.

- Provide mentorship and guidance to Masters and PhD students involved in the research.

2) Research Coordination (15%)

- Contribute to comparative research across selected study sites

- Lead seminars, workshops and studios

- Mentor research team members

- Support module events such as exhibitions, workshops and conferences

3) Administration (10%, it will be supported by PIs and module coordinators)

- Manage reporting requirements (weekly meetings, quarterly module report for FCL)

- Supervise data collection and storage

- Co-ordinate internal budgets and administrative tasks within the team

- Manage human resource matters (interns and researchers)

Requirements

● PhD in Landscape Ecology, Environmental Science, Urban planning and design, or related fields

● Open to candidates with a Master’s degree. Salary will commensurate with qualifications and experience.

● Motivated for in depth and broad research within a multidisciplinary team

● Outstanding quantitative skills on investigating cross-scale research questions

● Experience with geospatial data analytics

● Experience with qualitative methods

● Attention to detail and good problem-solving skills

● Excellent written, verbal and visual communication

● Good interpersonal and interdisciplinary skills

● Experience working in multi-cultural and interdisciplinary settings are desired but not required

● Experience working in urban-related fields (urban design, landscape, and/or urban and regional planning are highly desired but not required.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about (administrative department/institute)

our research work can be found on our website:

https://fcl.ethz.ch/research/food-and-territories/agropolitan-territories-of-monsoon-Asia.html

For further information, please contact

Dr Janice Lee

[email protected]

“The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.”