There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Informatics at the UiB’s Department of Informatics. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4 th year.
The position is connected to the project “Visual Data Science to Master Complex Simulation Ensembles”, which is a collaboration between the University of Bergen and the University of Stuttgart in Germany. The planned research will be done in the context of CEDAS, UiB’s Center for Data Science.
About the Department
Digitization of businesses, industry, public administration, and education makes informatics play an increasingly important role in the development of the society. Research and education in informatics are crucial for the digital transformation of the society to succeed. The Department of Informatics contributes to this through seven research groups that deliver research and education at a high international level in algorithms, bioinformatics, information security, machine learning, optimization, programming theory and visualization. We are also building up a group in computer science didactics. The department offers education for the future at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels. The department is in rapid growth regarding its number of students, research directions, and employees. We have today about 900 students, and 150 employees, among which 37 are faculty and 70 PhD candidates. We have established the Center for Data Science (CEDAS) as an important extension of our research and education activities, interdisciplinary cooperation in the domain of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence
About the project/work tasks:
Our employees are expected to contribute to excellence with high-quality research and teaching. The working environment for this position is (1) UiB’s Center for Data Science, CEDAS, (2) the involved research groups of visualization and machine learning, as well as (3) the cooperation between UiB and the University of Stuttgart. The cooperation with UiB’s Department of Geosciences is also important for this position. The PhD project is advised by Prof. H. Hauser (visual data science) and co-advised by Assoc.-Prof. N. Blaser (machine learning) as well as Prof. Th. Spengler (meteorology). Profs. Th. Ertl and M. Sedlmair from the Univ. of Stuttgart are also involved in the planned research. The project synopsis is: To understand inherent uncertainties in weather prediction, it is common to consult stochastically perturbed simulation ensembles with highly detailed ensemble members. Extracting relevant conclusions from such ensembles is very challenging and depends on a successful condensation of the data. Especially when aiming at an interpretation of an entire ensemble in terms of domain-relevant features, such as cyclones, fronts, rain, etc., summarization is very difficult and only possible on the basis of expert knowledge. We foresee that new visual data science methods from this project will significantly support the study of such rich ensembles.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
- Applicants must hold a Master’s degree (or an equivalent education) in Computer Science, or must have submitted their Master’s thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the Master’s degree (or an equivalent degree) has been awarded.
- Applicants must document their education in visualization, visual data science, visual computing, or a tightly related field.
- Education in / experiences with machine learning, topological data analysis, and/or meteorology is/are an advantage.
- A solid mathematical education (linear algebra, calculus, etc., as part of a technical undergraduate education) is a requirement and needs to be documented in the application. Applicants need to explain their level of mathematical / technical knowledge and skills in the cover letter.
- Solid knowledge and substantial experiences with programming is a requirement and needs to be documented in the application. Any particular knowledge and/or experiences with respect to data science should be explained in the cover letter.
- Applicants need to explain their motivation for applying in the cover letter, also relating explicitly to the project context of this position (see above).
- Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
- Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English.
- Knowledge of Norwegian (or any Scandinavian language) may be beneficial.
- Strong personal and relational qualities are welcome. Ambition and potential also counts when evaluating applications.
About the PhD position:
About the PhD Research Fellow
The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year, consisting of 25% of compulsory other work (e.g. teaching responsibilities at the Department) distributed over the employment period. The 4th year is contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the head of Department upon appointment. The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).
About the research training
As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen
We can offer:
- A good and professionally stimulating working environment
- Salary at pay grade 54 (Code 1017/Pay range 20, alternative 10) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 491 200. Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position.
- Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Good welfare benefits
Your application must include:
- An account of the applicant’s research interests and the motivation for applying for this position, relating explicitly to the project context of this position (see above)
- The names and contact information for two references. One of these should be the main advisor for the Master’s thesis (or equivalent thesis)
- CV
- Transcripts/diplomas showing the completion of the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (or any equivalent education). If the Master’s degree is not yet completed 100%, a statement from the host institution confirming that the Master’s thesis has been submitted needs to be submitted
- Relevant certificates / references / letters of recommendation, if available
- Approved documentation of proficiency in English
- A list of relevant works of scientific nature (publication list)
- Any publications in your name
General information:
Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting:
For HR related matters, please contact Lene Sørheim.
Employment is subject to approval with respect to the Norwegian export control legislation
The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.
Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.
For further information about the recruitment process, click here.
Life as a PhD candidate at UiB
Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at UiB.https://www.youtube.com/embed/nrtp6VxMeJ4?autoplay=0&modestbranding=1&playsinline=0&rel=0&start=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jobbnorge.no&widgetid=2
About UiB
The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
There are seven departments and several centres at Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.