PhD Research Fellow in Transport mode detection with location privacy

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in transport mode detection with location privacy available at the Department of Informatics / PT (Programming Technology).

The fellowship period is three years.

Depending on the candidate and the teaching needs of the department, the fellowship period can be extended either for compulsory work consisting of e.g., teaching and supervision duties and research assistance up top four years.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.

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

Place of work is IFI (the Department of Informatics) / PT (Programming Technology), at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

Automatic human activity detection (HAR), mainly transport-wise (transport mode detection), has been gaining interest since 2000. It allows us to better plan our cities, and new approaches have been made possible with the widespread use of smartphones carrying several different sensors. As a matter of fact, in most developed countries, smartphone penetration exceeds 80%. The automatic transport mode detection (TMD), when effectively exploited, possibly using some kind of machine learning algorithm, provides more accurate data than traditional data collection methods, e.g. paper-based surveys.

This data is valuable to several stakeholders: i) architects and urban planners when designing cities or roads, ii) public transportation systems (e.g., as an automatic way for issuing tickets for the travelers, particularly when they are using public transport means such as train, bus, subway, etc.), iii) mobile users with a need to navigate, iv) healthcare (e.g., it is a useful way of detecting abnormal activities of patients with Alzheimer, dementia or any other mental pathologies, and v) entertainment, and more (e.g., a football match, a national festival or a bad weather condition may change the regular public transportation demands in a particular period of time). In addition, the information obtained by TMD systems is essential for providing mobile users with various value-added services, without tracking the user, for location-privacy. 

This proposal aims at solving the challenge of location-privacy by developing a) a system that can perform TMD with the capacity of generalization (not significantly affected by the geographical location, user variation, smartphone type, or smartphone position, e.g., in a bag or pocket), without tracking the user for location-privacy.

Software lies at the core of all IT-systems. The Programming Section, in which the candidate should be integrated, performs research and teaching on how to develop high quality software that benefits society and that is useful for both individuals and organizations.

Goal / Development plan:
In this PhD project you will develop a system that will be able to perform TMD, without the GPS to ensure location-privacy, with the capacity of generalization (not significantly affected by the geographical location, user variation, smartphone type, or smartphone position, e.g., in a bag or pocket).

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.

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Informatics or equivalent
• The candidate should know the issue of knowing related apps, for example Strava, in which the running is identified.
  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

Candidates without a master’s degree have until June 30, 2026 to complete the final exam.

Language requirement:

• 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?

Personal skills:

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• You are a person who prefers being present at work and actively contributes to the professional and social environment you are a part of

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 from 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund 

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma (see below)
• Letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 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 this job". Foreign applicants should attach an official explanation of their University's grading system.

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.