OPEN COMPETITIONS CR-2024-MATHNUM-4
Junior Research Scientist in computational statistics for modeling and inference of dynamic processes
31320 AUZEVILLE
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INRAE presentation
The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) is a public research establishment under the dual authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Research.
INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.
It is a major player in research and innovation created on 1st of January 2020. INRAE is a research institute resulting from the merger of INRA and IRSTEA. It is a community of 12,000 people with more than 200 research units and 42 experimental units located throughout France.
The institute is among the world leaders in agricultural and food sciences, in plant and animal sciences, and is 11th in the world in ecology and environment. INRAE’s main goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. In the face of the increase in population, climate change, scarcity of resources and decline in biodiversity, the institute develops solutions for multiperformance agriculture, high quality food and sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.
Work environment, missions and activities
The Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (MIAT) unit is part of INRAE's Mathematics and Numerics (MathNum) research division. The unit comprises two research teams (SCIDyn and SaAB) and three service teams (GENOTOUL Bioinfo, RECORD and SIGENAE platforms). You will be positioned in the SCIDyn team, comprising 9 researchers and engineers, mainly in the fields of computer science and statistics.One of the main themes of the SCIDyn team is the development of stochastic models and inference algorithms for dynamic processes. This work is motivated, among other things, by applications in ecology and plant development.
The team has acquired strong experience in deterministic methods for exact or approximate statistical inference in stochastic models of complex dynamics. You will reinforce the team on the theme of statistical inference using simulation-based approaches. You will carry out research on the development of original methods and algorithms to tackle inference in models whose complexity may be linked, for example, to the dimension of the variables or the presence of latent states. Implementing exact inference methods is not possible for these models. Your research could lead to operational algorithms offering a good time-quality trade-off, while providing theoretical convergence guarantees. Your work will, for example, enable a more efficient approach to the modeling and study of spatio-temporal population dynamics in ecology, or to taking into account the effects of environmental covariates in plant development models, and more broadly it could contribute to the analysis of trajectories of complex systems such as those studied at INRAE.
Training and skills
You have a PhD or equivalent.
A specialization in statistics would be appreciated. Skills in simulation-based inference methods would be desirable, whether frequentist or Bayesian.
A taste for applications and applied research would be a plus.
You enjoy teamwork and you have good interpersonal skills.
Fluency in English and knowledge of French are desired, as is long-term international experience: successful candidates who have not yet gained such experience will be strongly encouraged to make a stay abroad at the end of the internship year, prepared jointly with the host team.
INRAE's life quality
By joining our teams, you benefit from:
- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.
For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE.
All persons employed by or hosted at INRAE, a public research establishment, are subject to its internal regulations, particularly with regard to the obligation of neutrality and respect for the principle of secularism. In carrying out their functions, whether or not they are in contact with the public, they must not express their religious, philosophical or political convictions through their behaviour or by what they wear.