£31,342-£35,256 (Assistant Grade I) £35,256-£39,685 (Associate Grade J)

Full time, Fixed term

Based in the High Performance Network (HPN) within the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bristol this is an exciting opportunity to join a strong team working to support the fast growth of the laboratory on Optical Networking and Future Internet research which are currently funded by several European and national projects.

The High Performance Networks Group (HPN) led by Professor Simeonidou specializes in the application of advanced hardware and software technologies to future optical and layer 2 networks for communications and Data-Centre/HPC applications.

Specifically the research role fits under the research project SONATAS. The vision behind SONATAS is to introduce and investigate a radically new and ground-breaking approach to accommodate future infrastructure needs in a more agile, flexible, programmable and evolvable manner down to the hardware level. This will be delivered by open programmable hardware eco-system, photonic and electronic, where the software/hardware programmable devices (FPGAs, SoCs) can be synthesized on-demand to support any and as many function(s) and layers and be re-purposed during their lifetime. SONATAS will theoretically investigate and experimentally demonstrate the system using advanced in-lab facilities (latest FPGA/SoC development platforms and photonic components/systems) and industrial partners’, Xilinx and Polatis, cutting-edge technologies as well as a close collaboration. Researchers working on the project will have the opportunity to interact and benefit from industrial visits to partners’ premises in Silicon Valley (Xilinx) and Cambridge labs (Polatis).

You will carry out research, software/hardware co-design, development and experimental work for high performance FPGA-based on-chip and off-chip interconnects in the following fields:

• Algorithms, design, and experimental evaluation of optically interconnected high-performance on-chip and off-chip FPGAs/SoCs for Network Function Programmability and Reconfigurable High Performance Computing. 
• Dynamic and partial FPGA re-configuration, programmability and virtualization 
• Electronic and photonic network function synthesis, P&R, Floorplan. 
• High data rate optical communication systems (10/100 Gb/s, up to 1 Tb/s) 
• Embedded system design 
• VLSI prototyping is outside the scope of this project.

Contributing to publications in high-quality journals and presentation at international conferences, working on research activities with other members of the group as well as collaboration in industrial and university laboratories in the UK and beyond.

You will work towards preparation and submission of research proposals to national and international research funding organizations and industry and contribute towards further evolving the existing experimental facilities and assist in project management duties.

This appointment is offered on a fixed term contract for two years in the first instance.

It is anticipated that interviews will take place around mid-December 2014.

Informal enquiries can be made to: Dr. Georgios Zervas - georgios.zervas@bristol.ac.uk

Appointment may be either on a fixed term or a permanent contract depending on the extent of previous relevant research experience, in line with the University’s Fixed Term Contract Agreement. Further information can be found at www.bristol.ac.uk/hr/ftc/ 

The University of Bristol is committed to equality and we value the diversity of our staff and students.

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The closing date for applications is 30 November 2014.