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The role
Applications are invited for a Research Fellow to be based in the Institute of Sound Recording (IoSR) and to work on the EPSRC project Challenges in Immersive Audio Technologies (CIAT). (The post is a full-time fixed-term contract until 19th May 2027)
Immersive technologies will transform not only how we communicate and experience entertainment, but also our experience of the physical world, from shops to museums, cars to classrooms. Despite significant progress in computer vision, long-standing fundamental challenges adversely impact on audio technologies, preventing immersion into realistic acoustic scenes in which the audience feels transported to an alternate reality. Specifically, state-of-the-art immersive audio technologies are limited in their ability to efficiently deliver shared, high-quality auditory experiences to multiple listeners. CIAT’s vision is to transform the state of the art by developing a principled framework for capturing and reproducing only perceptually relevant information.
The post-holder will work on the development of novel psychoacoustic-based spatial audio technologies for 3D sound reproduction, and on designing and carrying out relevant perceptual evaluations. They will join a team of eight other CIAT-funded Research Fellows and PhD students--two at Surrey, three at King’s College London and three at the University of Southampton.
About you
The successful applicant will have a range of skills, including some of the following: strong, independent research skills; a PhD, or close to completion, in engineering, computer science or related area; an excellent signal processing and/or acoustics background; experience with developing new spatial audio methods and/or with designing/executing listening experiments.
They will be hosted by the IoSR, an internationally leading centre for acoustic engineering research. The IoSR is also home to the Tonmeister degree, which has produced a stream of highly successful graduates who have collectively received numerous accolades, including three Oscars, twelve Grammys, six Emmys, and twelve BAFTAs.
Successful candidates will gain extensive opportunities for: (i) collaboration and networking between the three partner institutions and with external collaborators, including Stanford CCRMA, BBC, Sonos, National Gallery; (ii) travel, including international conferences and workshops, as well as research visits at the partner institutions and Stanford; (iii) access to state-of-the-art research facilities, including the IoSR-hosted £2.2M national infrastructure, AURORA3, currently being built and consisting of an anechoic chamber and a variable acoustics room capable of adjusting both wall absorption and room volume, a world-first.
How to apply
Please apply with your CV and cover letter on the University website. Informal enquiries may be made to Prof Enzo De Sena e.desena@surrey.ac.uk.
The University of Surrey reserves the right to close this vacancy early based on Volume and Calibre of applications.