Postdoctoral Research Associate - ACEMS at QUT

School of Mathematical Sciences and ACEMS

The School of Mathematical Science (SMS) at QUT is a vibrant, multidisciplinary school with extensive teaching and research programs covering the fields of statistical science, applied and computational mathematics, and operations research. In the recent 2018 ShanghaiRanking’s Global ranking of academic subjects, SMS was ranked 2nd nationally. The School offers programs of study at Bachelors, Honours, Postgraduate and Masters (research) and PhD levels. There are 30 full-time academic staff members employed in the School. The focus of research in SMS concerns multidisciplinary applied mathematics and statistics with an outstanding ARC grant success and industry involvement record.

SMS hosts a node of the prestigious Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS). The Centre includes over 50 researchers and research students at QUT and has nodes at six other Australian universities. It has a number of research themes including Multiscale Modelling, Enabling Algorithms and Challenging Data.  

The research undertaken in SMS is well aligned with the research goals of the Institute of Future Environments (IFE) and strengthens QUT's real world positioning through better partnerships across internal and external boundaries.

About the Project

This project is jointly funded by QUT, the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and Swimming Australia Ltd (SAL). The aim of the project is to develop and apply leading edge statistical methods to derive greater insight from sports data in order to address a range of questions defined by QAS and SAL. The volume, variety and velocity of data relevant to athletes, sports scientists and sports managers has increased dramatically in the past decade. The project will focus in particular on swimming, but the methods will be intended to be applicable to a wider range of sports.  

About the Position

This position is for a Research Associate to work on the research project described above. The person will be employed by the School of Mathematical Sciences at QUT and will be expected to interact closely with ACEMS, QAS and SAL, with dedicated time spent at both QUT and QAS sites. The position will report primarily to Dr Paul Wu for supervision, workload management and for Performance Planning and Review (PPR). The person will have the opportunity to publish papers in top-tier refereed journals as well as work with leading scholars in their field both at QUT and internationally.

Key responsibilities:

  • Identify leading edge statistical methods for modelling and analysis of diverse types of sports data.
  • Develop and apply selected statistical methods to address specific questions defined by project investigators.
  • Develop open computational tools to implement the selected methods.
  • Communicate statistical research to project participants through informal meetings and formal training.
  • Assist with writing reports and journal articles.
  • Present at research at seminars and conferences.
  • Undertake administrative activities in relation to the research projects.
  • Maintain research confidentiality and conform to all requirements for the protection of intellectual property.
  • Implement and administer University policy with respect to equitable access to education and workplace health and safety.

Type of appointment

This appointment will be offered on a fixed-term, full-time basis for one year.

The Starting Date will be as soon as possible.

Primary Location

QUT Gardens Point campus.

Selection Criteria

1. PhD in Statistics or a related discipline

2. Demonstrated ability to develop new methods and apply modern statistics to real world problems.

3. Excellent computer programming skills, preferably in R.

4. Demonstrated oral and written communication skills with the ability to write papers.

5. Demonstrated ability to work within a multidisciplinary research team as well as work autonomously.

6. Interest in sports and/or applying statistics to sports.

Salary and Benefits

The classification for this position is Academic Level A6-A8 or B1 depending on the successful applicant’s qualifications:

For example, an Academic Level A 06-08 has an annual remuneration range of $84,244 to $90,419 pa and B1 is $95,179 pa.

There is a 17% superannuation and 17.5% recreation leave loading;

Information for applicants

The position is open to applicants who have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of the fixed-term appointment. Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

For further information about the position, please contact Dr Paul Wu by email; p.wu@qut.edu.au.

How to Apply

To express your interest in this position we encourage you to email the contact above, with your CV together with a two page Statement of Claims on how your skills and capabilities meet the selection criteria.

Applications close  4 March 2019