Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Neuromorphic Systems

The University of Calgary is located on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The city of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation within Alberta (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6).

The Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, in the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, invite applications for a Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Neuromorphic Systems, at the Associate Professor with Tenure, or Professor with Tenure level. This position guarantees 75% protected time for research. The selected candidate will be nominated for a Tier I Canada Research Chair (CRC) (website). The CRC is tenable for seven years and renewable once.

The human brain is a hyper-efficient computer, capable of rapidly performing the operations necessary for movement, interaction and memory by using biological networks of neurons and other neural cells. Human performance requires that complex computations are done nearly instantaneously using relatively little power. Inspired by biological systems, neuromorphic computational solutions are poised to dramatically increase the types of computational problems we can answer using energy-efficient approaches. Neuromorphic systems consist of a range of new technologies that mimic brain cells and brain function in their design and implementation of computing hardware, software and algorithms. Distinct from current computing approaches, which are powered by discretized mathematical operations running on digital transistor-based solutions, neuromorphic computing promises leaps forward in both computing power and energy efficiency. The Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Neuromorphic Computing Systems will develop and refine biologically inspired hardware, software, and algorithmic solutions that harness the efficiencies of brain-inspired computing to solve complex problems that would otherwise require prohibitive amounts of classical computing power.

Qualifications required include a PhD or equivalent, and post-PhD research experience. The selected applicant will be a recognized leader with an established research program in neuromorphic systems, which can include chip and/or device design, algorithms and sensors. The program will be complementary and collaborative with current strengths in computational neuroscience and neuromorphic computing. This position offers excellent opportunities for collaboration with experimental neuroscience, experimental and theoretical physics and biomedical and electrical engineering. The applicant will have evidence of effectiveness in teaching and trainee mentorship at the University level or equivalent. The applicant must also meet the criteria for a Canada Research Chair at the Tier I level. Further information about the Canada Research Chairs Program, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the Government of Canada’s CRC website.

Applicants at the level of Associate Professor will have evidence of leading a research program as demonstrated by external peer-reviewed national/international grant funding, national/international presentations, and peer-reviewed research publications that have influenced an area of research in their field.

Applicants at the level of Professor will have evidence of leading a well-established research program as demonstrated by sustained external peer-reviewed national/international grant funding with evidence of collaboration, national/international presentations, and peer-reviewed research publications that have established and influenced an area of research in their field.

The selected applicant will join the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and become an active member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. The Department and Institute have a well-recognized multi-disciplinary research environment that will support the chosen applicant’s ability to direct a collaborative research program. The Department and Institute prioritize trans-disciplinary research initiatives, and the selected applicant’s ability to build connections with investigators across the University of Calgary in such initiatives will position them to be successful.

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