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Cosmology Data-Science Fellows - Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics (BCCP)

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Position description

Cosmology Data-Science Fellow positions at all levels from post-doctoral through more senior scientist available in “Cosmology Data Science Initiative” at Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics.

The Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics (BCCP) at UC Berkeley is pioneering a new “Cosmology Data-Science Initiative,” with one or more positions available at all levels from post-doctoral through senior scientist, depending on experience. The members of this group will explore a novel approach to Cosmology Data Science (CDS): Each CDS Fellow will have half their research devoted to a specific cosmology project of the BCCP, working as a scientist in a research group with all of the expected goals of project planning, data collection, data reduction/analysis, publication, and conference-presentation of results. The other half of each CDS Fellow’s research will examine the data-science steps needed to accomplish these science goals, and look for approaches to redesigning these steps and make current and future science projects progress faster and more reliable. Questions that the CDS Initiative intends to address include: What are the current data science steps that are slowing down the scientists and/or distracting them from their primary science questions? What aspects make it difficult for a new member of a research team to come up to speed and begin contributing quickly? Why is it difficult to benefit from software that was written for a previous project, or by a previous member of the science team? For this data-science half of the CDS Fellow’s research, the Fellows will work not just individually, but also together as a CDS Initiative team, with the goal of finding or inventing common solutions to the problems and opportunities that they identify. The CDS team will also meet regularly with Data Science Fellows in other fields at UC Berkeley.

The CDS Fellows will have the opportunity to interact and work with the broad spectrum of cosmology researchers in the Berkeley Astronomy and Physics Departments, and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The experimental and observational cosmology programs at Berkeley include supernovae, galaxy clustering (including baryonic acoustic oscillations), weak lensing and cosmic microwave background, in addition to a broad theoretical cosmology research program. Information on the BCCP's current activities and membership may be found at the BCCP's website: bccp.berkeley.edu. The Fellows will also find a rich data-science environment at UC Berkeley and LBNL, with world- expert researchers in both computer science and domain science aspects of this emerging field.

We plan to make one or more new Cosmology Data-Science Initiative Fellow appointments, in addition to the existing three. The positions are for two years initially with the possibility of extension of up to three additional years, subject to a performance review. Further extensions beyond this may be possible subject to availability of funds.

Salaries will for these full-time positions will commensurate with experience.

Basic qualifications
Candidate must have completed all Ph.D (or equivalent) requirements in physics, astrophysics or a related field at the time of application (except for the dissertation or equivalent).

Preferred qualifications
We are looking for individuals with strong scientific research experience, ideally in cosmology, as well as strong interest and experience in data science approaches.

Additional qualifications
Must have received PhD or equivalent by start of appointment.

Salary and Benefits:
Salary will be commensurate with experience. For information on UC Postdoc benefits, please visit: http://www.garnett-powers.com/postdoc/index.htm. UC Berkeley has an excellent benefits package as well as a number of policies and programs in place to support employees as they balance work and family. The Postdoctoral Scholar Benefits Plan (PSBP) provides a comprehensive program which offers Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and AD&D Insurance, Short-Term Disability Insurance and Voluntary Long- Term Disability Insurance. For a complete guide on UC Health Benefits for staff, please visit: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/complete-health-benefits-guide-for-employees.pdf

We will begin our first review of applications by December 1, 2014, but later applications may also be considered until all the positions are filled. The expected start date is Summer or Fall 2015. For further inquiries contact BCCP directors Uros Seljak at useljak@berkeley.edu , Oliver Zahn at zahn@berkeley.edu and Saul Perlmutter at saul@lbl.gov. For inquiries of administrative nature, contact Melissa Barclay at mbarclay@berkeley.edu. Salary will be commensurate with experience at or above a typical postdoctoral salary.

All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality: http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae

  • Bibliography

  • Statement of Cosmology & Data Science Research Interests

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 letters of reference required