The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.
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Research scientist
There is a vacancy for a researcher position at MediaFutures within Media Content Interaction and Accessibility. The position is for 2-years. We are looking for an ambitious and self-motivated colleague to join us in MediaFutures: Research Centre for Responsible Media Technology & Innovation.
MediaFutures is a centre for research-based innovation at the Department for Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen and is located at Media City Bergen. The centre is a part of the Norwegian Research Council’s Research-based Innovation scheme. MediaFutures is cooperating with industry partners from news media and media technology research topics like media experiences, recommender technology, content production and analysis, content interaction and availability, and Norwegian language technology. The goal is to develop responsible technological solutions to societal challenges like AI, fake news, echo chambers, and political polarisation. The results will be new digital tools, analysis methods, and content types for the future of media. The centre performs research training within media technology and innovation. This creates outputs such as new prototypes, research articles, and software, as well as innovative start-up companies.
The candidate will work at MediaFutures at MediaCity Bergen in Work Package 4 (WP4) on Media Content Interaction and Accessibility. The candidate will collaborate closely both with researchers and partners in this work package, including, Schibsted, TV2, VizRT etc., and with relevant researchers and partners in other work packages as well. This is a 2-year research position, starting fall 2024. The position will be hosted by the Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with a MediaFutures industry partner. The research will target long-term industry challenges and publish results in leading conferences and journals for the HCI and media research (ACM or IEEE). The researcher will be expected to work within the premises of the industry partner (secondment) for parts of the project and produce research results which can be verified within the context of production systems or products belonging to the industry partner. Research output may for instance include technical prototypes integrated into an existing production flow, or demonstrations of new standalone tools or products. At the same time, these prototypes will provide input to systematic user studies and publications. Valued competencies and skills may include some of the following: programming, statistics, machine learning, data analysis, and/or UI design.
The Work Package 4 (WP4) on Media Content Interaction and Accessibility aims to develop methods and technologies supporting adapted media experiences for all types of users, regardless of their technical aptitude and personal needs. Our focus is to overcome barriers to engagement, understanding, and participation. Such barriers can be related to language, culture, age, knowledge level, or associated with disabilities. Simultaneously, we strive to support media experiences that cater to individual demands, such as the desire for specialised narratives, multi-device and/or multi-modal interaction, advanced graphics, and social integration. Key industry partners involved in WP4 include Schibsted, TV2, and VizRT
This research position will explore one or more research questions concerning the use of AI in media production and user experiences. For example, how can AI be exploited to produce new media products, fostering more adapted and accessible user experiences while also limiting production costs? How can additional layers of statistics, visualisations, or individual highlights be automatically generated based on user preferences, and incorporated seamlessly into the user experience? How can consumers be allowed to speak directly with an ongoing media experience, for instance to engage with a larger context behind it, including active datasets or narratives, possibly spanning multiple seasons of a series or news articles over an extended time-period.
We expect significant contributions to interdisciplinary publications reporting on the project results, as well as an ability to develop prototypes to be showcased to the industry partners in the centre. The position has an orientation towards innovation and will support the transfer of scientific knowledge into prototypes developed by the industrial partners, and the researcher may also aid in the implementation of solutions in real life applications.
The candidate will be supervised by the work package leadership. The candidate will also carry out secondments at industry partners in MediaFutures.
The personal manager of this position is the centre director at MediaFutures.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
The applicant must hold a Norwegian PhD or an equivalent degree in Information Science, Computer Science, or Artificial Intelligence. They must have submitted their doctoral thesis for assessment before the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
Strong programming skills are a must.
Background within media technology and AI in journalism is an advantage.
Experience from scientific work (e.g., previous conferences and journal publications) is a requirement.
Experience in innovation work, grant writing, and proposal authorship is an advantage.
Great motivation for research and innovation work, interest in the topic, and good knowledge of relevant theory and methods are a must.
We are seeking candidates who have proven skills to work in a team, as well as the ability to work independently and in a structured manner.
Proficiency in both written and oral English (this is the working language of the center).
Potential candidates may be invited to the center for an interview.
We can offer:
A good and professionally challenging working environment.
Salary at NOK 624 500,- per year (code 1109) on the government salary scale upon appointment (equivalent to pay grade 64). Further promotions are made according to the length of service in the position.
Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
Practical questions about the application process should be directed to the Adviser – HR, Pernille Hole, pernille.hole@uib.no.
We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions. Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.
