USA; Postdoctoral position in assistive information technology
We are recruiting an information scientist to develop and study a system of web-based, interactive, assistive and supportive technologies for cognition and behavior. The target for this suite of applications will be individuals having cognitive impairments that limit their ability to perform everyday activities without guidance and supervision. Components of the integrated suite of applications have been tested in a clinic/laboratory setting, but we are now interested in using commonly available web-enabled smart phones as user devices, so that the assistive technologies can be used throughout the community. In addition to development of the applications, the post-doctoral fellow will have an opportunity to participate in and conduct research projects that investigate issues such as: interface refinements that promote sustained system use; characteristics of users that lead to sustained use or abandonment; interaction between user and system characteristics that promote sustained use (e.g., value of adaptive systems); system feature that promote family use; direct and unobtrusive methods for collecting data about system effectiveness; probe techniques (e.g., specific games or tasks that must be performed) to assess user attentiveness and/or responsiveness to system prompts; systems for promoting interaction between users (e.g., peer assistance programs); and other issues pertaining both to system usability and effectiveness.
The post-doctoral fellow will participate in a seminar program stressing the development of research skills, along with other fellows in the training program. There will be opportunities to take University of Michigan sponsored classes that support advanced research skills (e.g., specialized statistics or research methodology classes).
The goal of this program is to produce research scientists and to support individuals whose intermediate and long term goals are to pursue a rehabilitation-oriented research career, tying that to research in the information field. Information about the program funding this post-doctoral fellow can be found at this website: http://www.med.umich.edu/pmr/edu/arrt.htm
The post-doctoral fellow would be jointly supervised by Ned Kirsch, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Martha Pollack, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, School of Information, University of Michigan. Interested candidates should send a personal statement describing career objectives, background and experience along with a CV to pollackm@umich.edu.
To apply: Interested candidates should send a personal statement describing career objectives, background and experience; a CV; and the names of three references to pollackm@umich.edu.
