2 PhD Studentships in Automatic Sign Language Translation

[Sara Morrissey]

Hello all,

the Centre for Next Generation Localisation (CNGL) in Dublin City
University, Dublin, Ireland, is recruiting 2 PhD candidates to work as part
of a localisation research group on *machine translation technology to
assist patients with limited English proficiency when communicating with
healthcare professionals. *Although the project is two-fold, focussing on
both new linguistic minorities in Dublin, such as Polish, as well as the
Irish Deaf Community and Irish Sign Language, candidates will focus on one
particular language pairing (spoken or signed) and will work on a specific
area aligned with their interests and skills.

Below is a brief synopsis of the CNGL and an overview of the project itself.
I would appreciate if you could please circulate this information to anyone
whom you think may be interested.

*The Centre for Next Generation Localisation*
The CNGL (http://www.cngl.ie) is a dynamic academia-industry partnership
with over 100 researchers developing novel technologies addressing the key
localisation challenges of volume, access and personalisation. The research
is "guided by the vision of enabling people to interact with content,
products and services in their own language, according to their own culture,
and according to their own personal needs". The project described here is
part of the Integrated Language Technology track with one of its aims being
to develop translation technology.

*Translation Technology for Patients with Limited English
*Research will focus on the use of language technology in general, and *
translation* in particular, to *assist patients with limited English when
communicating with healthcare professionals* such as doctors and medical
secretaries. This project has a two-fold focus that includes patients of *new
linguistic minorities* in Ireland, as well as *native Deaf users of Irish
Sign Language*. We will be focussing on scenarios that take place in clinic
and hospital reception areas, such as appointment scheduling, registering
for treatment, collecting prescriptions, leaving samples, etc.

 We are interested in the application of all technologies to this scenario,
including, but not restricted, to *speech translation* and *sign language
translation*. We welcome applicants who are interested in developing
applications for linguistic minorities in Ireland, particularly Polish and
the Deaf community.

 The successful candidate will work in a group of 4 researchers on this
minority language application as part of the wider machine translation
group. He/she will most likely concentrate on one particular aspect of the
general problem, such as speech/sign input or output, multi-modal
interfaces, text-translation etc.

PhD positions are typically for 4 years and are based at *Dublin City
University, Ireland *starting in autumn 2008. Students will work with Prof.
Harold Somers and Dr. Sara Morrissey and will receive a stipend of about
€16,000 in addition to payment of registration fees. Students will work in
the well-equipped laboratories of the CNGL with ample opportunity for
travel.

Candidates for these positions will ideally have a demonstrated background
and interest in social science and/or a sign language, as well as computing
competencies with an interest in Natural Language Processing and/or Machine
Translation.
*Please email applications with C.V. to: info at cngl.ie
*(This address can also be used for informal enquiries.)*
<hsomers at computing.dcu.ie>*

Namasté,
Sara

Dr. Sara Morrissey,
Post-doctoral Researcher,
Centre for Next Generation Localisation,
Dublin City University,
Dublin 9,
Ireland.

Tel: +353 1 700 6914
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