Postdoctoral researcher position in multisensory flavour perception at Aarhus University

Deadline for application: 15th May 2020

The Department of Food Science at Aarhus Unviersity is seeking applications for a 2.5 year postdoctoral researcher position within the area of mutltisensory flavour perception, with a focus on virtual and augmented reality.

The position is available from 1. July 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position:
The position is funded by the cross-disciplinary research project “Virtual and augmented flavours:
Extending human flavour perception via novel sensory inputs”. The project aims to develop a unified psychological, behavioural, and neurological framework of human flavour perception which takes into account both food-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors. By using novel sensory inputs offered by virtual and augmented reality, the project will make substantial contributions to our knowledge of how the brain integrates information across various sensory modalities to form people’s cognitive and emotional responses to food.

The postdoc candidate will be responsible for: 

  1. Developing new experimental methodologies and theoretical models in collaboration with the wider research project team
  2. Designing and carrying out cross-disciplinary research on multisensory flavour perception in the lab and in public venues (e.g. museum installations)
  3. Co-supervising PhD and Masters students in related research
  4. Contributing to the development of future research projects.

The candidate will contribute to all steps of the research from literature review to experimental planning, data handling and publication of scientific papers in high impact journals.

The position is part of the science team ‘Food Quality Perception and Society” in the Department of Food Science. The science team has a strong research profile in sensory and consumer science, with
multidisciplinary research networks spanning psychology, physiology, computer science, design, and neuroscience.

Furthermore, the science team has access to state of the art well-established sensory and analytical facilities with a professional; trained and tested sensory panel and an ISO-approved sensory laboratory, as well as capacity for virtual reality and biometric data collection.

Qualifications:
The successful candidate is expected to have:

  • PhD degree and research experience in one or more of the following areas Food Science, Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Sensory and Consumer Science, Computer Science, or Interactive Design.
  • Prior experience with psychophysics, smell/taste research, programming, and statistical analysis of behavioural data would be advantageous
  • Experience with virtual reality and game design is a plus.
  • A strong background in study design, data collection and advanced statistical analyses.
  • Demonstratable capacity for creative thinking, research independence, and acquiring expertise in new research methods and technologies.
  • Documented strong communication and writing skills, and a track record of publishing peer reviewed papers.

We offer a challenging and independent job opportunity in an ambitious and inspiring research and education environment with an informal atmosphere.

We are looking for a dynamic employee who is able to work independently and maintain an overview during periods of high workload. We expect that you are efficient at planning your time and organizing major tasks. You enjoy interaction with both scientific staff, students and technical-administrative staff and you have a flair for establishing collaborative relationships.

Application:
The application must be in English and include curriculum vitae, publication list, degree certificate, and a description of previous relevant merits. The application should include the names and e-mail addresses of three people who can provide a letter of reference.

Read more about the Department of Food Science at www.food.au.dk.

The place of work is Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, Skejby, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.

For further information on the position please contact Assistant professor Qian Janice Wang (qianjanice.wang@food.au.dk) or Derek Victor Byrne (derekv.byrne@food.au.dk).

Application procedure:
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants, including the main considerations emphasized during the selection process.

Formalities and salary range:
Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University’s website.

Further information

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