PhD Research Fellow in Machine Learning

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in  Machine Learning is available in the Department of Informatics and the Norwegian Centre of Excellence Integreat.  

Starting date as soon as possible and upon individual agreement.

The fellowship period is three years.

An extension of the appointment by up to twelve months may be considered, which will be devoted to career-enhancing compulsory work duties, e.g. teaching. This will be dependent on the qualifications of the applicant and the specific teaching needs of the department.

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

Job description

This Ph.D. position is focused on ML in realistic settings referring to statistical and system characteristics in the real world contrary to an ideal learing setting. The candidate will contribute to understanding how neural networks extract the most relevant information of the data to make a prediction using advanced mathematical tools. This insight opens the door for enjoying the real world. The candidate further develops efficient and robust algorithms for realistic settings in terms of data and computing resources and collaborates to addresses major challenges in important applications including marine domain and neuroscience.

This project is funded by a prestigious FRIPRO Grant for Early Career Scientists and is built on our ongoing Integreat project “Embedded Sufficient Statistics”.

This position is placed at Integreat - Norwegian Centre for Knowledge-driven Machine Learning is a Centre of Excellence, funded by the Research Council of Norway. Researchers at Integreat develop theories, methods, models, and algorithms that integrate general and domain-specific knowledge with data. By combining the mathematical and computational cultures, and the methodologies of statistics, logic and machine learning in unique ways, Integreat's machine learning will solve fundamental problems in science, technology, health and society, and contribute to make Norway a world leading country in AI.

As an Integreat PhD Fellow, you will join a vibrant community of scientists, from young talents to established researchers, across machine learning, statistics, logic, language technology, and ethics.

You will be also part of the Digital Signal Processing and Image Analysis (DSB) group in the Department of Informatics at UiO.

What skills are important in this role?

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.

• Master’s degree or currently working on finalizing master thesis in computer science, statistics, mathematics, data science, or related fields.
• Strong background in statistics and linear algebra.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.

• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:
  https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see:
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Being highly motivated, open-minded, creative, and curious
• Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Positive attitude and the ability to handle hectic periods

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We can offer you

• A pleasant and stimulating work environment
• Good welfare schemes
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
Career development programmes
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• Salary in position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund 

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

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.

We hope that you will apply for the position.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

How to apply

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• List of publications and academic work 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)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.  

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.