Ledig stilling ved Universitetet i Agder

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in ICT - Deep learning-based agricultural advisor - from dirt to desk

Deadline: 15.11.2020

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 post-doctoral research fellow affiliated to the Department of Information and Communication Technology for a period of 3 years. The position is currently located in Grimstad, Norway, but the candidate is expected to spend substantial time with research partners in Lillestrøm, Norway. The starting date is negotiable with the Faculty.

The department of ICT has three large and active research groups in Information and Communication Technology including 8 Professors, 20 Associate Professors/Assistant professors and about 30 Research Fellows on the PhD programme in ICT. The Department of ICT pursues a variety of research interests, focusing especially on ICT, 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.

Responsibilities

This open position is in association with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) at the University of Agder in close collaboration with Felleskjøpet Agri SA (FKA) in the joint research project KORNMO. FKA is the leading supplier of operating assets to Norwegian agriculture and is also the largest buyer of Norwegian-produced grain. The project aims at building and testing automated tools to monitor, analyze, and provide decision support through machine learning applied to data from the entire agricultural value chain from the individual shift via grain reception and further plant structure to end products.

The candidate will particularly explore the potentials deep learning-based systems to predict the added value in the agricultural industry as a whole along the three axes; i) production optimization, ii) quality management, and iii) sustainability.

The candidate will also explore the use of contextual and associated information, behavior time-series data, all collected from the individual farmer or centrally. The postdoc research should be a key enabler for each farmer can compare their practice with a large number of users in their region. A smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable agricultural industry is the primary motivation.

A promotional video is available here (in Norwegian).

It is not a requirement that the candidate speaks Norwegian.

Research topics

The candidate should address issues related to artificial intelligence for a sharing economy, and particularly deep learning recommendation models for complex user scenarios.

  • The ideal candidate will have expertise in the following areas:
  • Software development
  • Machine Learning in general, and Deep Neural Networks in particular, including Recurrent and Convolutional Neural Networks
  • Generative Models, including Generative Adversarial Networks
  • Recommendations models targeting customers
  • Agricultural research

Required qualifications

  • Doctoral degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. machine learning, artificial intelligence, data mining). Potential applicants must have submitted their theses by the time of the application deadline.
  • Relevant academic credentials
  • Written and spoken English proficiency
  • Communication and teamwork skills

Further provisions relating to the positions as Post-doctoral Research Fellows can be found in the Regulations Concerning Terms and Conditions of Employment for the post of Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Research Assistant and Resident.

Personal qualities

Personal suitability, good teamwork skills, inventiveness, and a proactive approach, will be emphasized in the evaluation as well as relevant practical experience. The candidate will be expected to contribute to an active research community that promotes the personal and professional growth of the candidate. The position places great demands on the applicant’s capacity for independent goal-oriented work, ability to concentrate and attention to detail.

We offer

  • 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
  • membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

More about working at UiA.

The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.510, code 1352 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, NOK 544 400-565 500 gross salary per year. Higher salary grades may be considered for particularly well-qualified applicants. 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. 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:

  • CV with a complete list of scientific publications
  • Doctoral thesis or link
  • Up to 5 representative publications or links
  • A description of the applicant’s research interests, the relevance of your expertise to the advertised position and a preliminary work plan

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.

Application deadline: 15.11.20

Contact

For questions about the position:

For questions about the application process:

Apply for this job

Powered by Labrador CMS