One post-doc position in ICT on the research project

"Advanced SMT Techniques for Word-level Formal Verification - (WOLF)"

is available in Trento, Italy, under the joint supervision of
- Alessandro Cimatti, FBK, Trento, and
- Roberto Sebastiani, DISI, University of Trento.

The research activity will be carried out jointly within the Embedded Systems (ES) Research Unit 
of the Center for Scientific and Technological Research of the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), 
Trento, and the Software Engineering, Formal Methods & Security  Research Program, at Department 
of Information Engineering and Computer Science(DISI) of University of Trento.

Aim and Scope
=============

The research activity will aim at investigating and developing novel techniques, methodologies and 
support tools for Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) for the formal verification of systems.  
This work will be part of the "Advanced SMT Techniques for Word-level Formal Verification - (WOLF)"
project, a three-year research project supported by SRC/GRC (http://www.src.org/compete/s201113/), 
in strict collaboration with the Formal Verification Group at Intel, Haifa, and other major HW 
companies.

The ultimate goal of the WOLF project is to provide a comprehensive SMT package to support 
effective formal verification of systems ranging from RTL circuits all the way up to high-level 
hardware description languages (e.g. SystemC) and software. The package will be implemented on top 
of the MathSAT SMT platform (http://mathsat.fbk.eu/), and provided as an API.

Candidate Profile
=================

The ideal candidate should have an PhD in computer science or related discipline, and combine solid
theoretical background and excellent software development skills (in particular C/C++).

A solid background knowledge and/or previous experience on Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) 
and/or Propositional Satisfiability (SAT) is required.
Previous experience in the following areas will also be considered favourably: Model Checking, 
Automated Reasoning, Constraint Solving and Optimization, Embedded Systems Design Languages (e.g. 
Verilog, VHDL).

The candidate should be able to work in a collaborative environment, with a strong committment to 
reaching research excellence and achieving assigned objectives.

Terms and dates
===============

The position will start as soon as possible, and will have to be renewed yearly, for a maximum of 
three years.  The expected salary will range from about 2200 to 2400 euros net income, and the 
gross will include previdential (social security) contributions.  Facilities for meals at the local
canteen can be provided.

Applications and Inquiries
==========================

Interested candidates should inquire for further information and/or apply by sending email to 
wolf-recruit@disi.unitn.it, with subject 'POSTDOC ON WOLF PROJECT'.

Applications should contain a statement of interest, with a Curriculum Vitae, and the names of 
reference persons. PDF format is strongly encouraged. It should also indicate an estimated starting date
Contact Persons
===============

Dr. ALESSANDRO CIMATTI,
   Embedded Systems Research Unit,
   FBK-Irst,
   via Sommarive 18, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy
   http://sra.fbk.eu/people/cimatti/,

Prof. ROBERTO SEBASTIANI
   Software Engineering, Formal Methods & Security Research Program
   DISI, University of Trento,
   via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy
   http://disi.unitn.it/~rseba/.


=======================================================================

The Embedded Systems Research Unit at FBK =========================================

The Embedded Systems Unit consists of about 15 persons, including researchers, post-Doc, Ph.D. 
students, and programmers. The Unit carries out research, tool development and technology transfer 
in the fields of design and verification of embedded systems.

Current research directions include:

* Satisfiability Modulo Theory, and its application to the
   verification of hardware, embedded critical software, and hybrid
   systems (Verilog, SystemC, C/C++, StateFlow/Simulink).

* Formal Requirements Analysis based on techniques for temporal logics
   (consistency checking, vacuity detection, input determinism,
   cause-effect analysis, realizability and synthesis).

* Formal Safety Analysis, based on the integration of traditional
   techniques (e.g. Fault-tree analysis, FMEA) with symbolic
   verification techniques.

The Embedded Systems Unit is part of Fondazione Bruno Kessler, formerly Istituto Trentino di 
Cultura, a public research institute of the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy), founded in 1976.
The institute, through its center for the scientific and technological research, is active in the 
areas of Information Technology, Microsystems, and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces. 
Today, FBK is an internationally recognized research institute, collaborating with industries, 
universities, and public and private laboratories in Italy and abroad. The institute's applied 
and basic research activities aim at resolving real-world problems, driven by the need for 
technological innovation in society and industry.

The SW Engineering, Formal Methods & Security Research Program at DISI 
======================================================================

The SW Engineering, Formal Methods & Security R. P. at DISI currently consists on 5 faculties, 
various post-docs and PhD students. The Unit carries out research, tool development and technology 
transfer in the fields of Goal-Oriented Requirements Engineering, Agent-oriented SW engineering, 
Security, and Formal Methods.

Referring to formal methods, current research directions include:

* Satisfiability Modulo Theory, and its application to the
   verification of hardware, embedded critical software, and hybrid
   systems.

* Optimization in SMT and its applications.

* Advanced Model Checking Techniques for Formal Verification of
   hardware, embedded critical software, and hybrid systems.

The R.P. is part of the Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, DISI 
(http://disi.unitn.it/) of University of Trento.
University of Trento in the latest years has always been rated among the top-three small&medium-
size universities in Italy. DISI currently consists of 50 faculties, 68 research staff and support 
people, 21 postdocs and 146 Doctoral students, plus administrative and technical staff. DISI covers
all the different areas of information technology (computer science, telecommunications, and 
electronics) and their applications. These disciplines above are studied individually but also 
with a strong focus on their integration,

Location
========

Trento is a lively town of about 100.000 inhabitants, located 130 km south of the border between 
Italy and Austria. It is well known for the beauty of its mountains and lakes, and it offers the 
possibility to practice a wide range of sports. Trento enjoys a rich cultural and historical 
heritage, and it is the ideal starting point for day trips to famous towns such as Venice or 
Verona, as well as to enjoy great naturalistic journeys. Detailed information about Trento and 
its region can be found at http://www.trentino.to/home/index.html?_lang=en.