We are pleased to announce the availability of funded PhD positions in the Compiler Technology and Computer Architecture group at the University of Hertfordshire. The positions comprise an open studentship and we expect prospective candidates to propose their own line of research within the group's wide area of interest. The University of Hertfordshire near London was one of the first academic institutions in the United Kingdom to offer a degree in computer science. Today, the university is the UK's leading business-facing university with strong industrial ties and an international outreach. The Compiler Technology and Computer Architecture group is part of the School of Computer Science and the Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research. Our research is focused around the interface between software and computer architectures. We are the main contributors for the two programming languages Single Assignment C and S-Net, both of which cater for high-level specifications of concurrent programs. Single Assignment C is a functional array-programming language with a C like syntax and APL/MATLAB like programming model. The corresponding compiler suite has been in development for 15+ years. Today, it supports auto-parallelisation for a range of architectures, including legacy multi-cores and NVIDIA CUDA. Current research focuses on extending the reach of SAC to novel architectures like the University of Amsterdam's Microgrid and Intel's SCC. S-Net is a language for concurrency engineering. S-Net programs are algebraic formulae that describe the communication pattern of an algorithm on an abstract level. Using our compilation technology, we are able to generate concurrent and distributed implementations from an S-Net specification. Current research in S-Net focuses on adaptivity, real-time support and extending the platform reach. Across both languages, we are interested in the generalisation of parallel programming principles. As part of the Google summer of code, we contribute generalised high-level vector primitives to the GCC project. We work on abstractions for broad-ranged run-time systems supporting various forms of concurrency. This work applies modern operating systems aspects across various platforms including GPGPUs, FPGAs and embedded systems. Our work also embodies applications of recent advances in type theory to further enhance expressiveness and to boost run-time efficiency. Ongoing projects include work on a user-specifiable type-system for SAC and a redesign and extension of the S-Net type-system using qualified types and extensible record-types. Furthermore, we are interested in using partial evaluation and abstract interpretation techniques to solve problems that were usually addressed by type systems and SMT solvers. Adequate spoken and written English skills, as well as command of a functional and an imperative programming language are required. A good bachelor's degree is mandatory, a master's degree a plus. Our group is international and we cooperate widely. Good communication skills, an interest to present on international venues as well as the ability to play in a team are essential. Further details on the available PhD positions can be found at http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AAZ241/phd-studentships/ The deadline for applications is the end of May. However, shortlisting will start 19th of May. Details on the group can be found at the group's website http://ctca.feis.herts.ac.uk/ Previous and current projects include http://www.aether-ist.org self-adaptive computing http://www.apple-core.info multi-core architectures and programming models http://www.project-advance.eu dynamic adaptation and optimisation http://www.sac-home.org data-parallel array-programming language http://www.snet-home.org language for concurrency engineering Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Sven-Bodo Scholz (S.Scholz@herts.ac.uk) to discuss potential research projects before applying. -- Stephan Herhut Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research Science and Technology Research Institute University of Hertfordshire