University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) has a PhD position in Computer Science vacant for a candidate committed to take the degree of Philosophy Doctor (PhD).

The position is organized under the Department of Computer Science and allocated to a project with the title “AI with reasoning strategies and negotiation algorithms for smart societies.”

The appointment is for a period of four years for a candidate with knowledge, skills and will to successfully complete the PhD study within the time frame.

The PhD position is for a fixed term, with the objective of completion of research education to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to a PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position. The PhD candidate shall participate in the Faculty’s organized research training, and the PhD study shall be completed during the period of employment. Information about the application process for admission to the PhD programme, application form and regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) are available at the Faculty’s website for Research training.

Further information about the position is available by contacting:

• Professor Anne Håkansson anne.hakansson@uit.no, phone +47 77644096
  

For administrative questions, please contact the Department’s administration: phone +47 77644036, email: administrasjon.ifi@nt.uit.no.

The position’s affiliation

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway with about 16,000 students and 3,400 employees. UiT is a founding member of the University of the Arctic, an international network of study and research institutions of the circumpolar region. Two hundred international agreements secure an active academic exchange of students and staff with partner institutions worldwide.

The Department of Computer Science provides a strong international research environment with 15 tenured faculty members, 4 adjunct professors, 4 post doctors and researchers, 7 technical/ administrative staff members and about 20 PhD students. The goal of the Department is to advance the research and teaching of computer science as a discipline, to demonstrate leadership within our areas of interest, and to contribute to society through our education, research and dissemination. More information available at https://uit.no/informatikk.

The research project “AI with reasoning strategies and negotiation algorithms for smart societies”

The research project is about reasoning strategies and negotiation algorithms that can extract and combine heterogeneous data for sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) to improve infrastructures and create smart, connected and inclusive societies, which provide the same opportunities for everyone, such as health care.

The real-time environment constitutes a volatile network of devices and deploying it into cities and communities. Volatile Multi Smart Systems is multiple connected systems that are only connected in some situations or for some purposes. Volatile means the situation decides the incorporated smart systems – data and information exchange are lost when the smart systems are out of the communication sphere.

The Volatile Multi Smart Systems are necessary to be able to provide Future Smart Cities and Smart Societies with heterogeneous smart systems, things and objects. Smart volatile ICT-infrastructures are designed to provide smart societies with user-centered services. The ICT-infrastructures is of multidisciplinary art and includes different kinds of parts: hardware, software, and artificial intelligence techniques, such as reasoning strategies and negotiation. The framework provides solutions to decide what parts shall be used for a particular need and this depends on the available parts and the services to be delivered.

Research, with methods and frameworks, is needed to provide a powerful and smart, and cost-saving volatile ICT-infrastructure with specific user-centered, ubiquitous and malleable parts, i.e., devices, such as sensors, IoT and CPS. The requirements of the ICT-infrastructure are high. The ICT-infrastructure must be distributed, connected and coordinated, robust and responsive. Moreover, it must be adaptable, resilient, and finally safe and secure. Hence, the research must be carried out with these requirements in mind.

The main advisor for the PhD project will be professor Anne Håkansson, Department of Computer Science, UiT.

Qualification requirements

The successful applicant must fulfil the requirements for admission to the Faculty’s PhD programme; cf. Regulation for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Tromsø. The applicant should in addition be able to document proficiency in English equivalent to Norwegian Higher Education Entrance Qualification, available at the same website.

This position requires a Master’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science. It will be preferable with knowledge of relevance to the project as described above.

The master’s dissertation must be included in the application. Candidates in the final phase of their Master study may apply. A preliminary version of the dissertation can be included if the final version is not ready before the application deadline. Information about the delivery deadline for the dissertation should be given. A completed degree must be documented before an acceptable date for commencement.

Emphasis shall also be attached to personal suitability.

Working conditions

The normal period of appointment is four years. The PhD study is standardized to three years. The fourth year consists of teaching or other duties for the university, organized according to a distribution formula of 25 % per year in agreement with the Head of Department, cf. the directive for duties for research fellows (in Norwegian only).

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the research fellow has already completed parts of his/her research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position (PhD Candidate, research assistant, or the equivalent) in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Candidate is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. During this assessment process, emphasis will be attached to the applicant’s potential for research as shown by:

• Master’s thesis or equivalent
• Publications
• Any other academic works
• Knowledge and interest of the specific project and it`s topic

In addition, consideration may be given to work experience or other activities of significance for the implementation of the PhD studies, and to any teaching qualifications. This includes teaching education, teaching experience, experience from popularization and experience/education from other types of dissemination.

The applicants assessed as the best qualified can be called to an interview. The interview shall among other things aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position.

Application

The application must be submitted electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no and shall include:

• Letter of application.
• CV with:
  • A complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional experience.
  • List of scientific publications, including information about author(s), the publication’s title, the publisher’s name, year of publication, and number of pages.
  • Reference letters and/or list of references with contact information.
  • Copies of:
    • Diploma and transcript of Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
    • Diploma and transcript of Master’s degree or equivalent.
    • Diploma supplement for completed degrees.
    • Documentation of English language proficiency.

The works (published or unpublished) t the applicant wishes to be taken into consideration during the assessment process must be submitted in the web portal.

All documentation that is to be evaluated must be translated into English or a Scandinavian language.

Information and material to be considered during the assessment must be submitted by the stipulated deadline.

General

Applicants shall also refer to the Supplementary regulations for appointment to postdoktor (Postdoctoral Research Fellow), stipendiat (PhD) and vitenskapelig assistent (Research Assistant) positions at the University of Tromsø and to the Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for posts of postdoktor (Postdoctoral Research Fellow), stipendiat (PhD), vitenskapelig assistent (Research Assistant) and spesialistkandidat (Resident).

Questions concerning the organisation of the working environment, such as the physical state of the place of employment, health service, possibility for flexible working hours, part time, etc. as well as questions about the PhD programme may be directed to the telephone reference in this announcement.

UiT has HR policy objectives that emphasize diversity, and therefore encourages qualified applicants to apply regardless of their age, gender, functional ability and national or ethnic background.

The university is an IW (Inclusive Workplace) enterprise, and will therefore emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.

Personal data given in an application or CV is processed in accordance with the Personal Data Act. You may request not to be registered on the public list of applicants, but the University may decide that your name will be made public. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication.

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