Applications are invited for a PhD position at ...

Applications are invited for a PhD position at the University of Aarhus, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF), department of Genetics and Biotechnology. The position is available for three years beginning as soon as possible. Research area and project description A variety of sensors are now being used to monitor various aspects of farm animals’ physiology, health status etc. Example variables include  activity, hormone and energy levels of individual animals. The data generated by these sensors have great potential for improving farm management.  Developing statistical models for relating such data back to the underlying status of an animal is of great importance. Example applications include detecting when an animal is potentially in oestrus or ill. The project aims at providing new statistical methodology with a strong view towards application to online data for agricultural problems. This PhD will involve developing, applying and comparing methods for the analysis of multivariate time series data, with a focus on online monitoring and forecasting.  Techniques to investigate may include Kalman filters and their extensions, e.g. particle filters, latent variable, state-space and hidden Markov models and compartment models.  Methodology needs to be capable of handling large data sets, missing values and irregularly spaced observations.  Models capable of dynamically adapting to individual animals are of importance. Qualifications and specific competences Applicants to the PhD positions must have a relevant Master’s degree (or graduate in the very near future – documentation for final thesis and date of examination must be enclosed in the application) or equivalent.  The applicant should have a strong background and genuine interest in working with applied statistics and statistical computing. Place of Employment and Place of Work  The place of employment is the University of Aarhus, and the place of work is the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Blichers Allé, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark (located about 70 km from Aarhus city). Salary and Terms of Employment Salary and terms of employment are according to current agreement for state-employed academics and government circular from the Ministry of Finance regarding PhD students as well as the appointment structure of 2007 for scientific personnel at universities.  The salary level for PhD students with qualifications corresponding to a Danish Master degree is approx. DKK 288,000 per year excluding pension (corresponding to USD 48,600 / EUR 38,600 per year - depending on the rate of exchange at the actual time of employment). Matriculation as a PhD student will be in accordance with Ministerial Order no. 18 of 14 January 2008 on the PhD Programme at Universities, and matriculation at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences is a prerequisite for employment as a PhD student. Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact: Head of research group MogensSandø Lund, email: ****** or senior scientist Søren Højsgaard, email: ****** Application In order for your application to be taken into consideration you must meet the requirements stated in the application form (please find the application form here) Please send your application by the form below. Closing date for applications is 15 August 2009 at 12.00 noon. Applications received after the closing date for applications will not be considered! The University of Aarhus encourages all, irrespective of personal background, to apply. The University of Aarhus has 35,000 students, 8,500 members of staff and a turnover of DKK 4.8 billion in 2008. The university’s strategy and development contract are available at http://www.au.dk/en/strategy