Logic List Mailing Archive

Postdoctoral research fellowships in theory and algorithms, Newcastle (Australia)

The University of Newcastle, Australia, invites expressions of interest
for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the area of theory and
algorithms for optimization of integrated supply chains, starting early
in 2010, or as soon as possible subject to applicant availability.

Fellowships are available for 1 or 2 years, with possible 1-year extensions
.
The salary will be in the range of AU$63,572-$79,915 per annum,
depending on the skills and experience of the applicant. There is also
provision for a relocation allowance, and for additional funds to
support travel to conferences both overseas and within Australia during
the period of the fellowship.

The successful applicant will hold a PhD in operations research,
engineering, mathematics, computer science, or related discipline.
Strong optimization and computer programming skills are essential. A
knowledge of constraint programming and/or artificial intelligence
techniques would be an asset.

Expressions of interest are preferred before November 2, 2009, however
later interest will be considered until all positions are filled. To
express your interest in a fellowship please send your CV, together
with an academic transcript showing details of all courses you have
taken, the grades you were awarded, an interpretation of those grades,
and the names and contact details of at least two people who can
provide confidential references, to Megan Stephenson at the address
shown below. If your transcript is not in English, please provide an
English translation. Please feel free to include a link to your PhD
thesis, and/or include other publications in your email. Include
details of your computer programming skills and experience, your
optimization training and background, and any experience you have with
modelling and solving industrial problems. Please also indicate your
possible start dates.

If you will be attending the upcoming INFORMS meeting in San Diego,
then please contact Dr Faramroze Engineer at
 Faramroze.Engineer@newcastle.edu.au
to arrange to speak with him at the meeting.

The project will be funded under an Australia Research Council (ARC)
Linkage Grant, and is collaborative with Prof. Martin Savelsbergh from
the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of
Technologys, from the OR Group of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and from the Hunter
Valley Coal Chain Logistics Team (HVCCLT). HVCCLT is a collaborative
logistics planning group, centralizing all planning activities for the
coal export supply chain, including rail from mine to port,
stockyard/stockpile operations, and coal loading management. This is
the worlds largest coal export operation, responsible for billions of
dollars in export earnings for Australia. The research for this project
is in the area of theory and algorithms for efficiently solving
planning problems arising within this operation.

The export of coal is a critical economic activity in Australia.
However the logistics of getting the coal from mine to port is highly
complex, involving solution of numerous interrelated planning and
scheduling problems. For example, trains must be scheduled on tightly
capacitated rail lines, equipment for stacking and reclaiming coal from
stockpiles must be scheduled, and the layout of the stockpiles
themselves must be planned. This project will investigate the
optimization of key planning activities in the export coal supply
chain, and seek to develop effective algorithms for their solution.

The postdoctoral fellows will join a research team of several faculty,
research fellows and PhD students working on this project, under the
supervision of Professor Natashia Boland,
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/school-old/math-physical-science/our_staff/bola
nd_natashia.html

The University of Newcastle is a major research university in
Australia, increasingly recognised internationally as a rapidly
emerging educational institution. The University of Newcastle is
ranked in the top ten in Australia for research funding and outcomes,
and is one of the world's top 100 universities for engineering /
technology and computer sciences (Shanghai Jiao Tong University
rankings by field 2007).

The main campus is located in the city of Newcastle: on the coast about
two hours drive north from Sydney. The School of Mathematical and
Physical Sciences provides a stimulating and supportive environment for
research and teaching, with ample opportunities for collaborative
research partnerships both within the university and with industry.
Although well known for its beautiful beaches and pleasant climate,
Newcastle is home to a significant port, and Australia's largest
coal-handling terminal. Newcastle is also at the gateway of one of
Australia's largest wine-growing regions, the Hunter valley. In
addition, Newcastle is home to top-class medical and medical research
facilities, affiliated with the University, which is ranked 63 in the
world for biomedical research. Thus opportunities for research in
shipping, transportation, mineral resources, agriculture, health and
medicine abound.

The School includes a strong group in Operations Research, with a
number of faculty, research fellows, and current PhD students working
in areas such as integer programming, supply chain logistics,
transportation optimization, column generation, MINLP for electricity
network design, and health systems optimization. The group has strong
collaborations with colleagues in computer science working with
evolutionary algorithms and multiobjectives. It also has close research
links with first-class international institutions, and excellent
support from industry and government research funding.

For further information on the School and the University, go to
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/school/mathematical-physical-sciences/ or
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/. For further information about Newcastle,
Australia, refer to sections below, or visit
http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/visitnewcastle.asp As it has only been
established within the last year, websites for the Operations Research
group are not yet available. However further information can be
obtained by contacting Megan Stephenson below.

Main contact:
Megan Stephenson
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
The University of Newcastle
T +61 2 4921 5440
E Megan.Stephenson@newcastle.edu.au