About the position

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at the Department of Informatics at University of Oslo (UiO).

Starting date as soon as possible and no later than 1st of May 2024.

The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of two (2) years which can be extended with up to three (3) months (10%) of teaching-related work by the time of appointment.

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

To be eligible, candidates must not be a citizen of any other country than European countries, NATO countries, and Five-Eyes countries. This is because cyber security research may involve collaboration with defense and national security organizations where security clearance may be needed.

Job description

The postdoctoral position focuses on investigating the use of hybrid (also called neuro-symbolic) artificial intelligence (AI) to support cyber operations in SOCs (Security Operation Centres). Hybrid AI for cyber security combines modern deep learning with symbolic AI, which is based on logic and reasoning, to ex-ploit the complementary properties of these different approaches.

The postdoctoral position is closely linked to PHOENI2X, a three-year research project financed by the European Horizon Europe programme, and CyberHunt, funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR).

Note that applicants are required to have knowledge to some of the aforemen-tioned areas, such as machine learning, symbolic AI, or cybersecurity.

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate with the ambi-tion to uncover new research insights and the ability to publish papers in lead-ing international conferences and journals. The applicant must show a strong interest in teamwork and be willing to work in close collaboration with the pro-ject PIs and other members of the project team.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

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 these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (in Artificial Intelligence/Data science or Cybersecurity). The Doctoral disserta-tion must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to perform high impact work, demonstrated by previous publications in relevant journals and conferences will be beneficial.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in cybersecurity and AI will be beneficial.
• Previous knowledge in security domains such as security operations, incident response, threat intelligence, automation and playbooks will be beneficial.
• Experience in academic teaching related to ICT, cyber/information security will be beneficial. Applicants with teaching experience at a bachelor's/master's/PhD level should mention this fact in their application.
• Experience in organizing academic events and workshops will be beneficial. Other dissemination activities should be clearly documented. For example, the applicant may have published blog posts relevant to the position.
• The application should describe how the applicant's PhD project and other research activities are relevant to the position.

It is expected that the candidate can work independently and take the initiative to make contacts and collaborate with the national and international research community.

Applicants who are in the process of completing their PhD degree must submit their PhD thesis by the application deadline February 15, 2024. 

We offer:

• Salary NOK 575 400 – 657 300 per year depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Professionelly stimulating working environment
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Postdoctoral development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarization of scientific work and research interest, and should also address the suitability of the candidate based on the requirements specified above)
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work/scientific publications, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity) 
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records 
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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).

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations:

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years).

No one can be appointed twice as a Postdoctoral fellow financed with funds from The Research Council of Norway (NFR).

According to the Norwegian Freedom and 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 a.o.

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 persons:

For further information please contact:

• Associate Professor Vasileios Mavroeidis, e-mail: vasileim@ifi.uio.no or 
• Professor Audun Jøsang, email: josang@ifi.uio.no

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

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