[Comp-neuro] Funding for M.Sc and Ph.D Research Visits in Berkeley for Germans - Integrating Deep Learning and Knowledge Representation

[Manfred Eppe]

Dear Community,

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers the very attractive 
'FITweltweit' program to support German Computer Science and Informatics 
students who want to carry out M.Sc or Ph.D research abroad, for a 
period of 1 to 6 months. The AI group of the International Computer 
Science Institute (ICSI) at Berkeley is currently investigating the 
integration of deep neuronal Machine Learning and Knowledge 
Representation and Reasoning. Towards this, we are looking for motivated 
and skilled students who plan to write their thesis in this area, and 
who are interested in collecting experience in the wonderful city of 
Berkeley, California, near Silicon Valley in the San Francisco bay area.

For details about eligibility and the program in general please consider 
the following DAAD website (note that, unfortunately, only students who 
are currently involved in the German academic systems can be funded):
https://www.daad.de/ausland/studieren/stipendium/de/19047-internationale-forschungsaufenthalte-in-der-informationstechnologie-fitweltweit/ 


The local supervisor at Berkeley is Manfred Eppe, who primarily has a 
background in AI, Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, and Cognitive 
Robotics. While there are also Machine Learning Experts at ICSI, it 
would be useful if the interested student had another supervisor with a 
background in Machine Learning at the home university in Germany, or if 
the student already had an exceptionally strong record and research 
experience in Machine Learning.

Possible research topics include, but are not limited to:
* Symbol Grounding and Conceptualization in Deep Feature Networks
* Representation and Exploitation of Relations between Features in Deep 
Networks
* Semantic and Symbolic Visualization of Deep Networks
* Supporting Reinforcement Learning with Classical Action Planning or 
Formal Reasoning
* Semantic Classification and Object Recognition
* Evolutionary Linguistics and Emergent Semantics with Neuronal Nets

Application domains include, but are not limited to:
* Robotics
* Multi Agent Systems
* Planning and Scheduling
* Qualitative Spatial and Temporal Reasoning
* Computer Vision
* AI in Computer Games
* Natural Language Understanding

The FITweltweit fellowship is offered by the DAAD, and the prospective 
student is ultimately responsible himself for preparing the DAAD 
application. We have no influence on the success of an application, but 
we offer support in preparing the research plan and other paperwork, 
such as visa-related issues. It has been reported that the acceptance 
rate for the FITweltweit program is relatively high.

According to the details provided on the DAAD website, research visits 
can last between 1 and 6 months, with financial support of monthly 925 
EUR for Master students and 1350 EUR for doctoral students, plus travel 
allowance for the flight in both cases. We recommend to stay for at 
least 3 months (better 6).

We offer a comfortable infrastructure within an internationally renowned 
research institute with office space, help to finding housing and 
accommodation in the bay area, as well as a very friendly and supportive 
working atmosphere (with free coffee, too!).

We ask the interested student to send us a CV and an extended 
preliminary abstract about the planned research (max. 1 page). The CV 
should include relevant courses that you have taken at university. In 
your email, please also indicate the period in which you plan to come. 
Herein, please allow for a buffer and be conservative with your 
planning. Consider that it takes around three months for the DAAD to 
send you a decision about the application, and around 1-2 months to 
obtain the visa. Please note that the research visit should happen in 2016.

Please send your documents by 1st February 2016 to 
eppe at icsi.berkeley.edu, and please get in touch earlier if you have any 
questions.

Best Regards,
Manfred Eppe

-- 
-
Dr. Manfred Eppe

International Computer Science Institute
University of California at Berkeley
1947 Center Street, 6th floor
Berkeley, CA 94704 California, USA

phone (USA): +1 510 646 3318
phone (Germany): +49 176 2153 2311

web: www.manfred.eppe.eu
mail: eppe at icsi.berkeley.edu
skype: manfred.eppe

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