Job description

Position as PhD Research Fellow in formal methods available at the Department of Informatics, University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than October 1, 2023.

The research fellowship is a full-time position with a fixed-term period of three (3) years. A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

More about the position

This PhD project is part of the broader Real-Time Maude project, which aims at developing formal modeling languages and analysis methods that can be successfully applied to complex modern cyber-physical systems, and has been used, e.g., to find previously unknown faults in cars in Japan. The project involves leading universities around the world, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ETH Zürich, and POSTECH Korea.

In particular, Real-Time Maude is a rewriting-logic-based modeling language and formal analysis tool for real-time systems that has been applied to a wide range of systems, and also as a semantic framework and analysis backend to other modeling languages, such as fragments of Ptolemy II and AADL.

The goal of this PhD project is to integrate symbolic analysis methods such as narrowing analysis and SMT solving into rewriting-based analysis techniques for real-time and hybrid/cyber-physical systems, and into tools such as Real-Time Maude and Synchronous AADL. Since a number of formal cryptoprotocol analysis tools also are based on multiset rewriting, the proposed methods might also be used on security in cyber-physical systems.

This PhD position will involve collaboration with researchers in France (Université Sorbonne Paris Nord), Korea (POSTECH), USA (University of Illinois), and elsewhere.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for this fellowship will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in computer science, with good background (M.Sc. thesis work, courses taken, etc.) in formal methods or closely related topics for this project
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system

Desired qualifications:

• A solid background in theoretical computer science is an advantage

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2023 to complete the final exam.

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

• http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/
• http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

We offer

• Salary NOK 501 200 – 544 400 per year depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Career development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter, including statement of motivation and research interests indicating why this PhD topic fits their interest and background.
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records.
• Documentation of English proficiency
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Applicants will be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact information

For further information please contact: Peter Ölveczky, phone: +47 97614678, e-mail: peterol@ifi.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no.

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