The position

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT – Developing the High North

UiT is a multi-campus research univeristy in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.

Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.

The Department of Physics and Technology

The Department of Physics and Technology consists of six research groups: (1) Machine Learning, (2) Energy and Climate, (3) Complex systems modeling, (4) Earth Observation, and (5) Space Physics, and (6) Ultrasound, Microwaves and Optics. The department provides education on the Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels, and comprises 22 permanent scientific positions and a technical/administrative staff of 10 persons.

We are seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to take an active role in the group’s research on advancing machine learning methodology. Special emphasis will be given to candidates who have experience working with deep clustering, and in particular based on convolutional neural networks, as well as approaches for graph propagation. The overarching basic research idea is to develop unsupervised and semi-supervised approaches for deep learning.

The candidate will seek to develop the novel methodology for use within the applied fields of the group. This includes data-driven health for decision and diagnosis support, based on analysis of heterogeneous data from electronic health records (close collaboration with the University Hospital of North Norway), as well as image analysis research together with collaborating partners, in addition to industrial research. The candidate is expected to master tools such as e.g. TensorFlow, Keras, Pytorch, and/or Caffe.

The postdoctoral research fellow will be a part of the UiT Machine Learning Group, and will engage in collaborative research with the other members of the group. The fellow will be exposed to, and expected to contribute to, proposal writing, organization of scientific seminars, and to co-supervision of master students. The candidate will be part of the teaching team for the group’s machine learning and deep learning courses.

The position’s affiliation

The UiT Machine Learning Group conducts basic and applied research, funded e.g. by the Research Council of Norway and by industry. The group’s basic research is currently focusing on jointly advancing deep learning (convolutional neural networks, autoencoders) and kernel machines (spectral clustering, dimensionality reduction, manifold learning), by synergistically coupling those paradigms.

A recent example includes e.g. the group’s work on so-called deep clustering. On the applied side, the group is active in health analytics (decision support, diagnosis support) by mining electronic health records, as well as medical image analysis research, both in a medical and in an industrial context.

Contact

Professor and head of the UiT Machine Learning Group Robert Jenssen:

• phone: +47 776 46493
• email: robert.jenssen@uit.no

Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Department Stian N. Anfinsen:

• phone: +47 776 45173
• email: stian.anfinsen@uit.no

Qualifications

We are looking for a motivated candidate who is independent thinking, but who like to work in a team. The suitable candidate should be an expert in graph propagation and Bayesian approaches and should document interest in combining this expertise with deep learning.

Experience in both theoretical works and applied works are required. A strong documented background in mathematics is needed. Publications at top international conferences such as ICML (International Conference on Machine Learning) or ECML (European Conference on Machine Learning) are required.

For appointment as Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the applicant is required to have a Norwegian doctoral degree in the subject area concerned or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree.

The main purpose of postdoctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in top academic positions within their discipline and this requires a strong commitment from the candidate. The candidate should be motivated for scientific work, and have excellent analytical and collaborative features. A good command of English and excellent communication skills are required. Emphasis is attached to personal suitability.

Application

Your application must include:

• 1-2 page letter of application (cover letter) highlighting the candidate’s background and its relevance to the announced job
• CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
• Diplomas and transcripts from completed degrees
• 2-3 references with contact details
• Form for documentation of teaching experience
• Academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.

Documentation has to be in English or a Scandinavian language. We only accept applications through Jobbnorge.

If you are in the process of completing your PhD, you must document that you have submitted your PhD thesis by the application deadline and attach a statement from your supervisor concerning completion of your PhD studies.

We offer

• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• A large degree of independence in work
• Good welfare arrangements for employees

The appointment is for a period of 3 years. Remuneration of PhD positions are in State salary code 1352. In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

Teaching and other duties for the department can constitute up to 25% of the position.

The objective of the appointment as a Postdoctoral Fellow is to qualify for work in senior academic positions, and no one may be appointed to more than one fixed term period at the same institution.

More information about working and living in Norway can be found here: Welcome to UiT!

General

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. UiT and will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability

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.

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