Job description

We are seeking to fund eight Ph.D. students who will play a central part in the institutional strategic research initiative “The Digital Society”.

Are you one of them?

Østfold University College

Østfold University College is a state university college with about 7,500 students and 625 employees distributed between its two campuses in Fredrikstad and Halden, in the South-Eastern part of Norway. The university college is a provider of quality education, and we equip our students with the knowledge and skills needed in contemporary society. The University College is in the process of building a strong research profile focussed on ‘The Digital Society’.

"The Digital Society" aims to promote interdisciplinary research activities on how digitalization transforms and affects society. It has a broad focus ranging, for example, from the development of digital solutions that may change and influence societal functions, to consequences of digital solutions on aspects such as health, learning, politics and organisational issues.

The eight Ph.D.-students will work on various projects that develop unique knowledge about the digital society. At the same time, the Ph.D. candidates will participate in joint seminars and meetings to discuss and reflect upon academic issues, exchange experiences, and in so doing play a key role in building a strong and vibrant research culture in this area. The Research Administration Department at ØUC will be available to assist students with practical and administrative aspects related to the research process and their research candidature.

About the position

The Ph.D. position is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years and fully funded by Østfold University College.

Starting date: First semester of the 2019-2020 academic year - exact details to be agreed upon.

Project title: Blockchain-oriented requirements engineering in digitalization initiatives: a framework

Project description: Nowadays, blockchain-oriented Software Engineering is expected to achieve sustainable development and improve overall software quality. In the scenario of digitalization processes, the project is aimed to bridge the gap between Requirements Engineering and Blockchain by developing a framework that allows organizations to manage requirements throughout the software development life cycle in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering for digitalization processes based on blockchain.

The successful candidate will be a member of an active research group. He or she is expected to do research, develop prototype implementations of the framework and write research papers on the topic of his or her project.

Essential Criteria

• Completed a Master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions) within the field of Computer Science, Software Engineering or a closely related field.
• The grade of the Master thesis must be B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale
• The average grade for courses included in the Bachelor degree must be C or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale
• For international candidates (outside of EU/EEA area), approved TOEFL English profficieny test with min score 90 or IELTS test with min. score 7.5
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Deep knowledge in Blockchain technology

Emphasis will be placed on the following:

• Prior academic output by means of a strong publication record in top international academic conferences / journals
• Prior relevant work experience (if applicable)
• The applicant’s own ideas of research themes and research design that would be relevant for the project proposal.
• Very good programming skills
• Interpersonal skills and a willingness to work as part of an international team based in Norway
• Organized and Self-motivated individual, eager to work with industry partners and colleagues on research problems

Admission and appointment

Currently ØUC does not offer a Ph.D.-programme. Consequently, the selected candidate must be admitted to a Ph.D.-programme at another institution. For each of the eight Ph.D.-projects, collaboration has been established with doctoral granting institutions, and the application process will be assisted by the ØUC Research Administration Department. Confirmed admission to a Ph.D.-program must be available prior to employment as a Ph.D. student, and at the latest six months after signing the employment contract.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a Ph.D. student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistants.

Salary

Depending on qualifications and relevant experience, Ph.D. candidates will be placed in the Norwegian government pay scale position code “1017 Ph.D. student” (449.400, - 505.800 NOK per year) and follow ordinary meriting regulations.

The appointment process and the conditions of employment will follow national guidelines for University and University College PhD scholars.

Contact details

For further information about the project, please contact the project leader. For other information, please contact Human Resources or the Research Director.

• Project leader: Professor Ricardo Colomo-Palacios, +47 696 08 291, ricardo.colomo-palacios@hiof.no
• Director of Research: Trine Eker Christoffersen, +47 922 93 881, trine.e.christoffersen@hiof.no
• Human resources senior advisor: Inger Lise Røsnæs, +47 696 08 022, inger.l.rosnas@hiof.no

Application

In order to apply, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button. You will need to create an account, if you do not have one already, in order to log on.

Application must include the following:

• letter of intent (one page) that includes your qualifications, skills and motivation.
• curriculum vitae
• list of publications (if applicable). Include a short description of your contribution in multi-authored publications.
• copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified and translated to English if not awarded in the Scandinavian region)

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. The relevant ØUC faculty may require further documentation, e.g. proof of claimed English proficiency.

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