PhD Position – Smart Farming: A fully funded PhD position is available for candidates passionate about advancing agricultural technologies using cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and IoT-based solutions. The work focuses on designing energy-efficient “1-Bit Foundation Models” (BitFM) tailored for smart farming applications. Hosted by IMDEA in Spain in collaboration with renowned institutions, this project aims to develop innovative systems for data curation, integration, and model enhancement with real-world applications.
PhD Position – 1-Bit Foundation Models for Smart Farming (DC13)
Designation
PhD Researcher
(Enrolled in the Doctoral School of UC3M, Spain)
Research Area
Smart Farming, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Sensor Networks, Data Integration
Location
- Host Institution: IMDEA/SFI, Spain
- Secondments:
- TU Delft, Netherlands (4 months, M23-M26): System architecture design for data integration.
- UNIFR, Switzerland (4 months, M35-M38): Evaluation and deployment of the complete system.
Eligibility/Qualifications
The ideal candidate must meet the following requirements:
Educational Background (in preference order):
- Telecommunication Engineering
- Applied Mathematics
- Electrical Engineering
- Computer Science
Desirable Skills/Interests (Proficiency in at least 1-2 required):
- Signal processing
- Statistical filtering
- Machine learning
- Embedded systems
- Applied optimization
Description
This PhD position (DC13) focuses on developing “1-Bit Foundation Models” (BitFM) for smart farming with the following objectives:
- Data Curation Pipeline Design: Collect and process multimodal farming data of varying quality, sourced from IoT sensors.
- Data Integration Pipeline Development: Create a highly energy-efficient BitFM deployment for edge devices in farms. Introduce a decision mechanism that takes into account variables like network conditions, harvested energy, and task frequency.
- Reliability and Augmentation Mechanism Design: Enhance BitFM’s reliability by augmenting it with proprietary foundation models (e.g., GPT-4) for low-confidence outputs.
Expected Outcomes:
- Identification of Agritech use cases for 1-Bit Foundation Models.
- Development and testing of system architecture in diverse energy/network scenarios.
- Methods to integrate proprietary FMs for fine-tuning BitFM performance in real deployments.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should:
- Submit their Application via the application portal HERE.
- Email their CV to Prof. Joerg Widmer at joerg.widmer@imdea.org.
Table: Key Details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | PhD – 1-Bit Foundation Models for Smart Farming |
| Host Institution | IMDEA, Spain |
| Secondments | – TU Delft, Netherlands (4 months) – UNIFR, Switzerland (4 months) |
| Supervisor(s) | Prof. J. Widmer [IMDEA], Prof. D. Giustiniano [IMDEA], Prof. J. Yang [TU Delft], Dr. D. Pau [ST] |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s/Master’s in Telecommunication Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science |
| Required Skills | Signal processing, statistical filtering, machine learning, embedded systems, applied optimization |
| PhD Enrolment | Doctoral School, UC3M |
| Application Deadline | Ongoing (Applications are still open) |
Last Date to Apply
Applications are still being accepted for this position. Early submission is recommended for timely consideration.
Start your journey to address key challenges in smart farming with this prestigious opportunity to contribute to sustainable and energy-efficient agricultural solutions!
