CALL FOR A RESEARCH ASSISTANT (BIOINFORMATICIAN/COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGIST) FOR THE COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP AT THE IMDEA FOOD FOUNDATION (PROJECT "AI4FOOD")
IMDEA Food Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food) adheres to the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researcher.
The IMDEA Food Institute is a research institution created by the Madrid Regional Government in coordination with universities, research centers of Madrid, and enterprises. Constituted as a non-profit organization within the framework of the IV Regional Plan for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (IV PRICIT), it is conceived - structurally and legally - with the aim of bringing research into society.
IMDEA Food Institute is committed to excellence in research and to foster technology transfer to the industrial sector in a truly international environment. More information about the research and scope of the activities of IMDEA Food Institute can be found at the institute webpage http://www.food.imdea.org
This contract will be funded with resources from the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), managed by the Community of Madrid, within the framework of the "Young Researchers Program." Ref. Number: 09-PIN1-00014.8/2024.
IMDEA Food is part of the Network of Madrid Institutes for Advanced Studies promoted by the Community of Madrid, with the aim of conducting research that is both socially useful and of international scientific excellence. Within this framework, the IMDEA Food Institute seeks to strengthen its research groups working in strategic areas of interest to the Community of Madrid. This involves integrating support research staff into these groups, enabling researchers to dedicate more time to their scientific work while benefiting from the assistance of this staff. Simultaneously, this initiative supports the incorporation of young professionals into the productive system, helping them to start their careers in the R&D&I environment.
Job description:
The purpose of the contract is to carry out scientific and technical activities related to the research line conducted by the Computational Biology Research Group. These activities will be developed within the following research project: "The digitization of health through the application of artificial intelligence to nutrition."
Main functions to be developed:
The research assistant’s responsibilities are encompassed within the activities and projects carried out by the Computational Biology Research Group.
- Specific Tasks:
- Review of existing databases.
- Literature review of specific software for microbiome analysis using AI methods.
- Data filtering and normalization.
- Comparison and optimization of multimodal artificial intelligence models that combine information from images, sensors, and molecular data (microbiome, genetics, biochemistry).
- Pattern recognition of microbiomes based on lifestyle data using images and digital devices.
- Publication in international scientific forums and platforms of social interest.
- Cross-Functional Tasks:
- Participation in group meetings.
- Preparation of reports and presentations.
- Participation in seminars, courses, and workshops specific to the topic.
(PLEASE, SEE THE FULL CALL FOR APPLICATION)
I. Entry requirements.
Required Qualifications:
* Education Level: Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Food Science and Technology, or related fields.
Research Area: Biology, Health Sciences, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology.
II. Merit Evaluation.
Additional Training (Other Qualifications or Knowledge):
* Holding an official master’s degree in life sciences that qualifies for admission to doctoral programs.
* Completed or ongoing studies related to bioinformatics and computational biology, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, or similar fields will be positively evaluated.
* Additional training in Microbiology, Clinical Nutrition, Nutritional Genomics, Biomedical Engineering, Health Biology, Molecular Biology, or Biochemistry will be positively evaluated.
* Knowledge of English. Proficiency will be evidenced through an official certification or, alternatively, by passing a written and/or oral language test during the selection process.
Professional Experience:
* Internships or work experience in companies and laboratories will be positively evaluated.
* Bachelor’s or master’s thesis in the areas of statistics, bioinformatics, and computational biology will be positively evaluated.
* Experience with R, Linux, Python, SQL, and MongoDB will be positively evaluated.
* Experience with artificial intelligence methods will be positively evaluated.
* International experience will be positively evaluated.
Other Merits:
* Obtaining scholarships and awards will be positively evaluated.
* Participation in communication and outreach activities will be positively evaluated.
Skills and Abilities (To be assessed during the Interview):
* Competencies: Results-oriented, highly proactive, task management, problem-solving skills, and responsibility.
* Capabilities: Organizational skills, ability to integrate into a multidisciplinary team.
* Teamwork: Strong teamwork skills and interpersonal relationship abilities.
The selection of candidates will be carried out in accordance with the principles of equality, merit, capacity and publicity, as well as objectivity, independence and professional rigor, respecting the confidentiality of the participants' personal data, by means of a merit-based competition.
Once the deadline for the submission of applications has expired, and once the fulfilment of the requirements listed in the second base has been verified, the Selection Committee will proceed to assess the merits included in the curricula vitae related to the post and to select the candidates who best meet the established requirements, and will then open a second selection phase consisting of a personal interview.
The personal interview will consist of a face-to-face or videoconference interview which will focus solely on the merits put forward by the candidates in the competition phase and will be aimed at assessing the candidate's suitability for the post. The interview will last a maximum of 45 minutes.
Scale - selection criteria:
The selection process will be conducted based on the following criteria:
a) The highest alignment between academic training and the research program.
b) Specific studies related to the subject matter to be developed.
Scoring Criteria:
I. Additional Training: 0–40*
II. Experience: 0–20*
III. Other Merits: 0–10*
IV. Interview: 0–30*
In any case, young people who have had an employment relationship with the same entity, company, or group of companies within the six months immediately preceding the hiring date cannot be contracted.
Contract Type: Employment contract for scientific-technical activities (Article 23 bis of the Spanish Science Law) in accordance with current legislation, including a probationary period as established by law.
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, split-shift schedule, Monday to Friday.
Annual Gross Salary: Competitive remuneration based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.
Duration: Permanent, contingent upon funding from the grant regulated by the ORDER of September 12, 2024, from the Counseling of Economy, Finance, and Employment (12 months).
Incorporation: Immediately.
Headquarter of the IMDEA Food Insitute, Madrid (SPAIN)
- Motivation Letter
- Employment History Report (Social Security)
- ID card or passport
- Official Academic Titles
- Academic Certificates of Notes
Equal Employment Opportunity
Equal opportunities are guaranteed in the selection process, without any forms of discrimination.
IMDEA Food commitment is to guarantee equality in measures to balance personal, family and working life and to promote gender equality.