[TYPES/announce] PostDoc and PhD Positions at Yale University

[Zhong Shao]

The Department of Computer Science at Yale University is seeking
applicants for PostDoc and PhD positions in the broad area of
certified software. The successful applicants will be expected to
participate in a rigorous research program on topics such as
programming languages, formal semantics, certified operating systems,
program verification, proof assistants and automation, concurrency and
coordination, language-based security, and certifying compilers.

The programming languages and operating systems group, led jointly by
Professors Zhong Shao and Bryan Ford at Yale, is embarking on a
multi-year effort to develop a new certified OS kernel that
generalizes and unifies traditional OS abstractions in microkernels
and hypervisors. The new effort advocates a modular certification
framework for OS kernel components, which mirrors and enhances the
modularity of the kernel itself.  Using this framework, it aims to
create not just a "one-off" lump of verified kernel code, but a
statically and dynamically extensible kernel that can be incrementally
built and extended with individual certified modules, each of which
will provably preserve the kernel's overall safety and security
properties.

Important research questions include but are not limited to: what OS
kernel structures can offer the best support for extensibility,
security, and resilience? what program logics and semantic models can
best capture these abstractions? what are the right programming
languages and environments for developing such certified kernel?  and
how to build new automation facilities to make certified software
really scale?

Successful applicants should have a combination of creativity,
self-motivation, and strong interests on applying programming language
theory or formal methods to solve practical problems. 

Applicants for PostDoc positions must have a Ph.D. in Computer Science
or a closely related field. The term of a PostDoc position is one year
with an option to renew for up to four years. Starting date is
negotiable (a preference will be given to those who can start by
Spring 2011).

Interested applicants for PostDoc positions should email a CV, research 
statement, and the names of three references with their email addresses 
and phone numbers to Zhong Shao (Email: zhong.shao at yale.edu).

PhD positions (with full guaranteed financial support) are also
available. Applicants interested in pursuing PhD studies can email
either PI but should still submit their applications directly to the
Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (the deadline for Fall 2011
admission is January 2nd, 2011).

More information regarding this research effort can be found in a
white paper available at <http://flint.cs.yale.edu/ctos> or at the two
PIs' research web sites <http://flint.cs.yale.edu> and
<http://dedis.cs.yale.edu>. Inquiries can be directed to any PI.

Professors Zhong Shao and Bryan Ford
Department of Computer Science
Yale University
P.O. Box 208285
New Haven, CT 06520-8285, USA
Phone: +1 (203) 432 6828 and +1 (203) 432 1055
Email: zhong.shao at yale.edu and bryan.ford at yale.edu