FAIROmics - PhD fellowship in explainable machine learning techniques to support the design of plant-based fermented food products – Development of a serious game to support the design of plant-based fermented food products. INRAE in Germany

About the ProjectPlant-based dairy and meat alternatives have grown in popularity in recent years for various reasons, including sustainability and health benefits, as well as lifestyle trends and dietary restrictions. However, plant-based food products can be nutritionally unbalanced, and their flavour profiles may limit their acceptance by consumers. Microorganisms have been used in making food products for millennia. However, the diversity of microbial communities driving plant-based fermentations, as well as their key genetic and phenotypic traits and potential synergies among community members, remain poorly characterised. Many data exist, but they are spread into different literature (scientific and grey) or, in the best case, in different databases. However, they are not always reusable because they are difficult to find and access and because databases are not systematically interoperable.The FAIROmics initiative, an interdisciplinary research programme, will gather universities, research centres and private companies to enable the FAIRification of omics data and databases interoperability and develop knowledge graphs for data-driven decision-making to rationally design microbial communities for imparting desirable characteristics to plant-based fermented foods in the context of open science and its regulations. The FAIROmics training programme aims to develop doctoral candidates’ skills at the interface between artificial intelligence, life sciences, humanities, and social sciences.Title: DC13, PhD fellowship in explainable machine learning techniques to support the design of plant-based fermented food products – Development of a serious game.Application deadline: 25/08/2024 23:59 - Europe/Brussels.Envisaged job starting date: October/November 2024.Hosting organisation: Paderborn University (UPB).One secondment: At the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment - INRAE (JRU SayFood).Please note that this PhD position will lead to the award of a double diploma after the completion of a stay in each of these organisations: the Paderborn University (UPB), Germany and the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment - INRAE (PhD title delivered by the Université Paris-Saclay), France.Offer description:We are looking for a Doctoral Candidate (DC) to join our project at multiple sites in the EU with a master’s degree in computer science, applied mathematics or similar interested in the use of knowledge representation in food sciences.DC13 will collect, integrate and fuse knowledge about plant-based fermented food necessary to design, implement and evaluate a serious game on plant-based food synthesis. The knowledge to harmonise will cover several areas: technical (raw material used, microbial consortia, formulation, processing…), consumer (sensory and hedonic properties, expectations…), environmental (impact on climate change, resource use, ecosystems…) and more widely sustainability (e.g. stakeholder expectations for social aspects and prices for economic aspects). A representative case study will be chosen (e.g. plant-based fermented food products produced by DC1). Data will be collected from previous projects, scientific literature and relevant open databases (especially for technical data). The analysis of all the collected data will allow (i) the quantification of the causal relations between the different dimensions of the studied system and (ii) the identification of barriers and drivers to design the formulation and process of plant-based fermented food. This analysis will be formalised as a knowledge graph which serve as data to create a prototype of a serious game which supports the design of plant-based fermented food products, with a stakeholder approach. The expected results of the project are :Formalised knowledge about plant-based fermented products including consumer, social and environmental data.The development of a prototype of a serious game to support the design of plant-based fermented food products. Required skills/qualifications:Master's degree in computer science, applied mathematics, or similar.Interest in food sciences, especially in consumer and environmental sciences.Interest in serious games.Excellent relationship and communication skills.Excellent organisational skills.Networking and communication skills in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.Willingness to travel abroad for the purpose of research, training and dissemination.We offer:A comprehensive, interactive and international training programme covering the broader aspects and interface between life science, data science, artificial intelligence and humanities and social sciences, as well as transferable skills.An enthusiastic team of professionals to co-operate with.Personal Career Development Plan (PDCP) to prepare young researchers for their future careers.Each DC will undergo individual training at individual institutes according to the PCDP description.An attractive compensation package in accordance with the MSCA-DN programme regulations for doctoral candidates. The exact salary will be confirmed and will be based on a living allowance of 3400€/month (correction factor to be applied per country) + mobility allowance of 600€/month. Additionally, researchers may also qualify for a family allowance of 660€/month, depending on the family situation. Taxation and social (including pension) contribution deductions based on national and company regulations will apply.Eligibility criteria:Any nationalityDoctoral Candidate (DC): The applicant must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.Mobility rule: The DC must not have resided or carried out main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months* in the three years immediately prior to the date of selection in the same appointing international organisation.Language: Applicants must demonstrate fluent reading, writing and speaking abilities in English (B2).* EXCLUDED: short stays such as holidays, compulsory national services such as mandatory military service and procedures for obtaining refugee status under the General Convention.Recruitment process:Candidates apply for a position using the online application form (ACCESSIBLE HERE).The FAIROmics Project Manager provides a first screen of the written applications to check the eligibility of the candidate.The DC supervisors will select the best candidates based on CV, academic records, recommendation and motivation letters and adequate skill set.The selected applicants will be interviewed through an online meeting by the Selection Committee (two main supervisors and two representatives of a beneficiary or associated partner, with at least one person external to the DC’s project).The best candidates will be chosen by the main supervisors.For more information about the offer, the project and the recruitment process, please visit our website.