PhD Research Fellow in ICT - Artificial intelligence for safety and security in smart environments
Deadline: 31.01.2021
University of Agder
The University of Agder has more than 1400 employees and 13 000 students. This makes us one of the largest workplaces in Southern Norway. Our staff research, teach and disseminate knowledge from a variety of academic fields. Co-creation of knowledge is our common vision. We offer a broad range of study programmes in many fields. We are situated at two modern campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad respectively.
We are an open and inclusive university marked by a culture of cooperation. The aim of the university is to further develop education and research at a high international level.
About the position
A fixed-term 100% position is available at the University of Agder, Faculty of Engineering and Science as a PhD Research Fellow in ICT for a period of three years. The position is affiliated to the Department of Information and Communication Technology in collaboration with the Norwegian Center for Cybersecurity in Critical Sectors (NORCICS) hosted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The position is located at Campus Grimstad. The starting date is as soon as possible or by agreement with the Faculty.
The Department of ICT has three large and active research groups in Information and Communication Technology including eight Professors, 20 Associate Professors/Assistant professors and about 20 Research Fellows on the PhD programme in ICT. The department pursues a variety of research interests, focusing especially on ICT and crisis management, artificial intelligence, eLearning and eHealth. The department has successfully led a number of large research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway, the EU research programmes FP7 and H2020 as well as national and international industries.
The position is part of SFI NORCICS, the new 8-year research-based innovation Norwegian Center for Cybersecurity in Critical Sectors. These sectors include electricity production and distribution, oil & gas production and distribution, manufacturing, healthcare, industrial production, financial services, transportation, smart districts. The Norwegian Center for Cybersecurity (NORCICS) is funded by the national SFI scheme for research-based innovation of the Research Council of Norway. It aims at improving resilience and increased cybersecurity in areas vital to society.NORCICS follows a holistic, comprehensive and systemic approach addressing people, processes and technology to protect critical sectors throughout the cybersecurity core functions (identify, protect, detect, respond, recover). NORCICS has partners from academia, research, the public sector and the industry.
There are several PhD positions announced within the context of NORCICS. You are encouraged to apply for all positions that fit your background and interests. Integrated PhD study candidates are welcome to apply.
This open position is in the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in collaboration with the Department of Information Security and Communication Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Research topic
In the future, humans and technology-enabled systems will interact in smart spaces which are increasingly open, connected and intelligent. People, processes, services and things will come together in systems such as smart homes, buildings, industrial plants and cities. Data from very large, ubiquitous, complex systems consisting of many interacting components (e.g. power generation, transportation and communication systems, manufacturing businesses, cities, and economies) will routinely be collected through IoT sensors, video surveillance, social network streams, transactions, human activities, etc. They help to understand the nature of phenomena and even predict the future of smart environments.
Modelling complex systems for monitoring, forecasting and decision-making is challenging due to their dynamic nature and complex patterns in the data that evolve over time. Outliers can only be understood in the context of the temporal changes in the data streams. It is an inherently very difficult problem as some anomalies may never have been seen previously making examples unavailable. Besides the detection and classification of anomalies, inference about root causes of detected anomalies in general real-world setting is not yet well understood. These solutions make use of unobtrusive and ubiquitous sensing technologies for acquisition, integration, and analysis of big and heterogeneous data generated by and collected from sensors, devices, vehicles, buildings, and human activity.
This PhD project will be addressing public safety and security including anomaly detection in smart environments such as downtown areas, shopping malls, public buildings, public transportation, etc using multiple, heterogeneous sensors.
Required qualifications
Master’s degree in ICT, Computer Science, or a similar/related field and documented competence in areas relevant to the position. Candidates who are in the final stage of the master’s education within the relevant field may also be considered, given that a master’s degree is to be achieved before the enrollment of this position. Applications from applicants who already hold a PhD will normally not be considered.
Strong academic credentials
The ideal candidate will have technical expertise in one or more of the following areas:
Excellent programming skills
Good hands-on experience with and working knowledge of machine learning algorithms implementation and platforms.
Generative models
Graph signal processing
Information theory
Willingness to work in a collaborative research project is essential
Written and spoken English proficiency. International candidates that are not exempt from the English language requirements pursuant to the guidelines of the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) must document this through one of the following tests with the stated results or better:
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language with a minimum score of 600 for the Paperbased Test (PBT), or 92 for the Internet-based Test (iBT)
IELTS - International English Language Testing System, with the result of 6.5
Applicants will be assessed on the basis of academic background and results, attainment, and any previous research and development work.
Personal suitability, good teamwork and communication skills, inventiveness, and a proactive approach, will be emphasized in the evaluation as well as relevant practical experience. The PhD Research Fellow will be expected to contribute to an active research community that promotes the personal and professional growth of the doctoral candidate. The position places great demands on the applicant’s capacity for independent goal-oriented work, ability to concentrate and attention to detail.
In return, we offer the opportunity to contribute to the strategic capabilities of a world-class research organization, along with intensive PhD supervision. You will collaborate with top scientists in your field and have excellent prospects for personal development in an innovative working environment for aspiring researchers.
We offer
Training to publish in the top journals and conferences in the covered areas.
Professional development in a large, exciting and socially influential organisation
A positive, inclusive and diverse working environment
Modern facilities and a comprehensive set of welfare offers
The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.515, code 1017 PhD Research Fellow, NOK 482 200 gross salary per year. A compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is deducted from the pay according to current statutory provisions.
General information
UiA is an open and inclusive university. We believe that diversity enriches the workplace and makes us better. We, therefore, encourage qualified candidates to apply for the position independent of gender, age, cultural background, disability or an incomplete CV.
Women are strongly encouraged to apply for the position.
The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with the current regulations for the position, and organisational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position must be expected. The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Appointment is made by the University of Agder’s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions.
Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview. With the applicant’s permission, UiA will also conduct a reference check before appointment. Read more about the employment process.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act § 25 (2), applicants may request that they are not identified in the open list of applicants. The University, however, reserves the right to publish the names of applicants. Applicants will be advised of the University’s intention to exercise this right.
Application
The application and any necessary information about education and experience (including diplomas and certificates) are to be sent electronically. Use the link "Apply for this job".
The following documentation must be uploaded electronically:
Certificates and/or grades for all post-secondary education, up to and including the bachelor's level
Master's degree/higher degree certificate, with a summary of the courses/subjects included in the degree
Applicants with a foreign higher education must attach an official description of the grading system used at the issuing institution Summary (approximately 1-2 pages) of the master's thesis
Applicants who are required to document their English proficiency must submit their TOEFL or IELTS test results (these may be forwarded after the closing date)
Summary or links to the applicant's scientific publications (if any)
A description of the candidate’s research interests and background for the project applied for
The applicant is fully responsible for submitting complete digital documentation before the closing date. All documentation must be available in English or in a Scandinavian language.
