Research Fellow - School of Computer Science - 105408 - Grade 7

Position Details

School of Computer Science

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £35,880 to £45,163 with potential progression once in post to £47,874

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2026

Closing date: 19th March 2025

Background

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme and/or specific research project.

Applications are invited for a Research Fellow on the EPSRC-funded project “Communication Complexity of Graph Algorithms (GraphCom)”. The post is based within the Theory of Computation group of the School of Computer Science at The University of Birmingham, under the supervision of Dr. Sagnik Mukhopadhyay (https://sagnikm.github.io/ ).

This post requires the ability to conduct high-quality research. We are looking for strong candidates with previous experience in publishing in flagship conferences (STOC, FOCS, SODA, ICALP, ESA, CCC, PODC) and/or journals (JACM, SICOMP). You should also have a strong interest in graph algorithms and/or complexity theory in general. Interest in quantum graph algorithms is a plus.

In this project, you will join a team of researchers who prove theoretical guarantees on the complexity of fundamental network design problems in modern computational models. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers all over the world on this topic and to foster your own network. The post comes with competitive salary and travel funding.

The School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham has ranked 3rd in the recent REF 2021 exercise. The Theory of Computation group is one of the largest and most well-known theory groups in the UK.

Role Summary

• Work within the areas of interest of the project GraphCom. The areas of interest are (but not restricted to) distributed graph algorithm, sublinear graph algorithms, communication and query complexity of graph problems
• Operate within areas of specialism. Expertise in sublinear/distributed/query algorithms is expected
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results and publish it in conferences/journals
• Contribute to generating further funding

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods 
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications/experience
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively 
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Informal enquiries to Dr. Sagnik Mukhopadhyay, email: s.mukhopadhyay@bham.ac.uk  

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .

• Job Identification 6602
• Job Category Academic Non-clinical
• Posting Date 03/04/2025, 07:01 PM
• Apply Before 03/19/2025, 07:59 PM
• Job Schedule Full time
• Locations Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2TT, GB