Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) - PhD position in the research training group “Multi-domain and context-dependent spatial approaches to acoustic well-being (MOSAIC)”

Weitere Informationen

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.
The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term of 1 year.
It is intended to extend the initial contract period for three further years.
The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts).
This is a full-time position.
The successful candidate has the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in this position.
The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L).
The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L.

Unser Profil

The Chair and Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics at RWTH Aachen University focuses on the physical and technical aspects of sound as well as the human perception and processing of sound. The aim of the Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics is to expand interdisciplinary research in the field of sound perception and processing in complex acoustic environments. Among other research areas, the institute is active in the areas of sound generation, propagation and reduction. In this context, measurement methods and simulation technologies are developed to investigate the physics of complex acoustic scenarios using acoustic virtual reality.

The interdisciplinary research training group (GRK) “Multi-domain and context-dependent spatial approaches to acoustic well-being (MOSAIC)”, funded by the HEAD Genuit Foundation, aims to improve our understanding of “acoustic well-being”. The project investigates how acoustic comfort changes in different indoor and outdoor spaces and during different activities, such as learning, working or relaxing. It also aims to contribute to the relatively new field of soundscape research, which describes other environmental factors and their influence on our auditory perception.

We are looking for dedicated doctoral students for this innovative and interdisciplinary project, which focuses on acoustic comfort in learning and working environments. Our goal is to develop a comprehensive approach that integrates all four main components of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) – thermal comfort, acoustics, air quality and lighting.

Our project addresses the following research questions:

Which methods for investigating acoustic comfort are most effective? How can realistic auralizations be developed and validated for use in perception experiments? How do psychoacoustic evaluations in real environments differ from those in controlled scenarios? Which interactions between the IEQ components influence acoustic well-being?

We offer the opportunity to participate in the development and validation of new methodologies and to further develop and validate innovative auralization techniques. The interactions between acoustics and other IEQ factors are investigated.

A total of eight chairs are involved in the highly interdisciplinary research training group, seven of which are from five faculties of RWTH Aachen University and the University Hospital Aachen (architecture, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and medicine) and one of which is from TU Berlin.

We offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary team, as well as extensive technical equipment and training in the latest methods of hearing research and acoustics. We offer a doctorate in a structured program, systematic career development in the graduate center, comprehensive training by a dedicated team, a family-friendly environment with leisure and childcare services, and a wide range of further education and training opportunities.

Ihr Profil

• An above-average university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in electrical engineering, physics or another relevant field and fulfillment of the admission requirements for a doctoral program
• Good knowledge of fundamentals in acoustics and acoustic signal processing
• Good knowledge in one or more of the following areas: psychoacoustics, virtual acoustics, soundscapes
• Good programming skills in Matlab and/or Python, preferably also in C++
• Excellent communication skills in English (teaching, publications)
• Language proficiency in German or willingness to learn German in the first few years (for organizing listening experiments, communicating with study participants)
• Interest in fundamental research in the field of auralization and perceptual evaluation in an interdisciplinary context
• Willingness to collaborate and take on teaching responsibilities
• Flexibility and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team

Ihre Aufgaben

• Interdisciplinary research and development with a focus on acoustic virtual reality
• Development of a questionnaire to assess acoustic comfort in a learning environment.
• Planning, design, implementation and evaluation of experiments with acoustic virtual reality in various realistic scenarios with regard to acoustic comfort
• Research and development for the integration of the four main components of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) – thermal comfort, acoustics, air quality and lighting.
• Publication of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and at (inter)national scientific conferences.
• Active participation in the interdisciplinary events, workshops and colloquia of the research training group
• Collaboration with other doctoral students as well as national and international scientists in the research network
• Completing organizational and self-administrative tasks, participating in the application process for research projects and active collaboration in the Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics as well as organizing and conducting Research Training Group activities (e.g. conferences, talks, rworkshops)
• Involvement in bachelor's and master's degree courses (practical training, seminars, exercises, projects, exam preparation, supervision and follow-up, (co-)supervision of theses)
• Ability to work independently and in a team for collaboration in an interdisciplinary research project

Please submit your informative application in electronic format (PDF) with a detailed CV (including information on research, teaching and project experience), certificates and contact information for one or two references to the contact person named below.

Über uns

RWTH is a certified family-friendly University. We support our employees in maintaining a good work-life balance with a wide range of health, advising, and prevention services, for example university sports. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements and civil servants have access to an extensive range of further training courses and the opportunity to purchase a job ticket.
RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly from groups that are underrepresented at the University. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age. RWTH is strongly committed to encouraging women in their careers. Female applicants are given preference if they are equally suitable, competent, and professionally qualified, unless a fellow candidate is favored for a specific reason.
As RWTH is committed to equality of opportunity, we ask you not to include a photo in your application.
You can find information on the personal data we collect from applicants in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at http://www.rwth-aachen.de/dsgvo-information-bewerbung.

Besoldung / Entgelt

EG 13 TV-L