PhD Research Fellow in Tecnology: Computer science

About the position

Are you interested in Applied Artificial Intelligence, Education, and Medicine, and want to engage in research with skilled colleagues who share your interests? Maybe you can become our new colleague? 

You will be affiliated with the PhD program in Technology at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences and formally employed at det USN School of business.

The PhD research fellowship is for a fixed term of three years with organized research training and is available from 01.01.2027 (or earlier if possible). 

It is a condition that the person who accepts the position applies for and is granted admission to the doctoral programme in Technology within three months of starting in the position. The doctoral program includes relevant courses corresponding to approximately six months of study (30 ETCS), a thesis based on independent research, active participation in national and international research environments, relevant research dissemination, a trial lecture and public defense of the thesis. Read more about organised research training at USN on our website.

Your personnel manager will be Bjørn Hansen, the Head of Department of Business, History and Social Sciences, and your main supervisor will be Associate professor Katarina Mangaroska. The place of work will be at campus Vestfold.

About the doctoral project

The BRAIGED project aims to develop an explainable AI-driven educational diagnostic assistant enabling new research on how AI technologies create novel prerequisites, opportunities and challenges for learning, decision-making, and clinical reasoning in medicine. The project aims to move explainability beyond a purely technical feature and toward an interactive educational process that supports metacognitive reasoning, student agency, and responsible use of AI. The project will generate new knowledge and practical tools for implementing context-appropriate explainable AI solutions in medical education.

A central use case is kidney disease (e.g., CKD) and clinical reasoning using renal scintigraphy imaging alongside tabular and textual clinical data. The project integrates experiential learning models and simulation-based learning scenarios, grounded in the paradoxical inquiry framework, to recognize and embrace contradictions inherent in AI-driven medical training.

During the doctoral project, we expect you to

• Complete the doctoral program and obtain the doctoral degree within the employment period
• Conduct high-quality research within the framework of the BRAIGED project
• Develop a theoretically grounded and methodologically rigorous PhD project related to responsible, explainable and governable AI in healthcare and medical education
• Contribute to scholarly publications in high-quality international journals and conferences
• Participate actively in the research group’s activities, including seminars, workshops, project meetings and collaborative research discussions
• Participate in relevant courses offered through the doctoral program
• Contribute to interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers, healthcare professionals, educators, students and other project partners involved in BRAIGED
• Contribute to data collection and analysis (qualitative and quantitative): interviews, focus groups, surveys, usability studies and learning-scenario data
• Develop and evaluate machine learning pipelines (including preprocessing, segmentation/feature extraction, model training and validation)
• Design and test explainability methods 
• Support the co-design and iterative prototyping of AI-driven educational diagnostic assistant tool 
• Be prepared for changes in your work tasks after appointment

Qualifications

To be employed as a PhD candidate it is required that you have: 

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS credits) (or equivalent qualifications) within Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Machine Learning; Biomedical Engineering, Medical Informatics; or a closely related discipline 
• Documented knowledge of relevant methodologies, both quantitative and/or qualitative, at master’s level
• Weighted average grade of B or higher on the master’s degree and thesis. The master’s degree must have been obtained by the application deadline for the position
• Excellent written and oral English language skills (See “Requirements for proficiency in English)
• Meet the formal requirements for admission to USN’s doctoral programmes and Faculty for Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime’s doctoral programme in Technology no later than three months after starting in the position

Personal qualities

In order to be able to complete a doctoral degree within the deadline, you need to be able to:

• Demonstrate motivation and potential for research in the field
• Work independently, but also participate in teamwork
•  Work in a structured way, set goals, and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other academics
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
• Show curiosity and strong motivation for the subject area
• Analyse data, assess different perspectives, and draw well-founded conclusions
• Have the academic skills and personal qualities to be able to complete the doctoral programme within the employment period
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the project plan as necessary

Requirements for proficiency in English 

Requirements for proficiency in English 
This position requires good English language skills. International applicants must document this with a valid certificate from one of the following tests. Specific requirements regarding grades can be found on our webpage English requirement for programmes and subjects taught in English at USN.

• TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (IBT)
• IELTS – International English Language Testing Service 
• Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge
• PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English Academic

The following applicants are exempt from the requirements listed above:

• Applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA
• Applicants who have completed a master’s degree with English as the language of instruction in an EU or EEA country
• Applicants who are exempt based on the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir)’s GSU list (Higher Education Entrance Qualification for foreign applicants)

Applicants from Norway can confirm their English language skills by submitting their upper secondary school diploma.

Project description

Applicants must submit a preliminary research proposal with the application. The project description for the research project should be short and concise, maximum 2–4 pages (600-1200 words).

1. Introduction (the title, main problem and research questions and the background to the project)
2. State of the art (the project’s research field)
3. Theory
4. Methodology
5. Work plan
6. Bibliography

Applications with a project description exceeding 1200 words will not be processed.

The project proposal will be included in the assessment of the applicant’s competence.

The final project description and work plan will be prepared in consultation with the supervisor(s) during the first three months of the employment period. It is a prerequisite that you complete the project during the employment period.

When assessing applications, particular importance will be attached to

• Formal qualifications
• The scientific quality, research relevance and degree of innovation of the project (see “Project description”)
• The relevance of the project to the profile of the doctoral programme (see “Project description”)
• The personal qualities mentioned above
• Strong programming skills
• Strong skills in data preprocessing and analysis
• Competence in research methods (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods).
• Competence in developing and evaluating machine learning pipelines
• Familiarity with computer vision and natural language processing
• Familiarity with explainable AI techniques
• Familiarity with UX research, prototyping, and usability evaluation
• Familiarity with ethics and governance for health and educational data 

What we offer

• Organised research training in a large undertaking with an important social mission
• Careers advice and guidance throughout the entire doctoral programme. Together we will draw up a career plan that includes the skills and knowledge you will acquire
• An inclusive working environment with ambitious colleagues
• The opportunity to take Norwegian language courses
• Salary in accordance with the Norwegian State salary scale for PhD research fellows (position code 1017) NOK 550,800. In special cases, code 1378 may be used. Any further increases in pay grade will be based on length of service in the position
• Deductions will be made from your salary in order to make statutory contributions to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund on your behalf
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, ensuring favourable pension, insurance and loan schemes

Diversity

We believe that diversity is a resource in our work and learning environment. Different experiences and backgrounds contribute to different perspectives and better solutions to challenges that need to be solved. 

We are committed to respecting each other's differences and will facilitate employees with disabilities. We take into account your needs and your situation in different phases of life. 

If you find this position interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, disability, cultural background or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

 If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CV or an immigrant background, we will call at least one applicant in each of these groups for an interview. If you recognize yourself in one of these categories, you can tick the box in our job search portal. 

Welcome to USN

The University of Southeastern Norway (USN) ranks as the country's fourth largest higher education institution. We are a vibrant community of approximately 18,000 students and 1,900 employees.

Video: https://vimeo.com/898549899/60305e2540

General information

The Appointment Committee for Fellowship Positions (TUS) is the appointing authority for this position. Your competence for the position will be assessed by an expert committee. The expert committee will assess your competence for the position based on the documentation you have registered in Jobbnorge. 

Based on the expert committee’s assessment, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview and to hold a trial lecture. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. 

Employment at USN is carried out in accordance with the principles set out in the Norwegian Civil Service Act. The University’s Guidelines for recruitment positions at the University of South-Eastern Norway provide a more detailed description of the criteria for appointment as a PhD research fellow. 

As an employee of USN, you must at all times adapt to changes in the field and all organisational changes that are adopted.

How to apply

If you think this position looks interesting and matches your qualifications, you can submit an application electronically.Here you will need to enter a short application text and information about your relevant education and work experience. In the application text, you must clearly describe your skills and motivation for the position. 

The application must include:

• Certified diplomas for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees (120 ECTS). The diplomas must be in a Scandinavian language or English
  • Applicants with higher education completed outside Norway must provide documentation that the education has been recognised and approved by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) You must submit your application for approval before the position’s application deadline. Attach a receipt (e-mail) or decision when applying. The approval must be forwarded once available and is a requirement for employment.
• An explanation of the grading system for foreign education (diploma supplement if available)
• Your master’s thesis. If your master’s thesis was a collaborative project, you must submit a short statement detailing your involvement
• Other relevant certificates and diplomas
• 2–4 pages project proposal describing the doctoral project 
• A personal statement explaining your motivation for the position
• Documentation of your English language skills (See “Requirements for proficiency in English)
• List of any scholarly publications with reference for what sections in those papers the student produced/worked on
• Contact information for up to three references

The application will be assessed based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the expiry of the application deadline. Make sure your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the competence requirements described in the job advertisement. 

When assessing who is best qualified for the position, we attach weight to education, experience and personal qualities. 

All documentation must be provided in a Scandinavian language or English. If the attachments exceed 30 MB in total, they must be compressed before uploading.

Please note that information about you as an applicant may be disclosed publicly even if you have requested not to be included on the public list of applicants (cf. Section 25 of the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act).  You will be notified if your request for exemption from public disclosure is denied.

We only consider applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge. On request, you must be able to provide certified copies of your documentation.

Contact information

For more information about the position:

Assosiate Professor Katerina Mangaroska katerina.mangaroska@usn.no

For questions regarding the recruitment process:
HR-advicer Kari Ann Sommerset ksom@usn.no.