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Stillingstittel:
PhD Research Fellow in ICT - Deep Learning for Chatbots

Stillingsbeskrivelse:

Jobbnorge ID: 169177

About the position

The University of Agder invites applications for a full-time fixed-term position for a period of three years as PhD Research Fellow. The position is linked to the Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and is located in Grimstad, Norway. The starting date is as soon as possible or by agreement.

The department of ICT has three large and active research groups in Information and Communication Technology including eight Professors, 20 Associate Professors/Assistant professors and about 20 Research Fellows on the PhD programme in ICT. The department pursues a variety of research interests, focusing especially on ICT and crisis management, artificial intelligence, eLearning and eHealth. The department has successfully led a number of large research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway, the EU research programmes FP7 and H2020 as well as national and international industries.

The open position is associated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) and part of the project "Chatbots for Loyalty" funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

Responsibilities

The aim of the PhD Research Fellow is to advance the state-of-the-art in deep learning techniques for chatbots - machine agents serving as natural language user interfaces to data and service providers in social networks. Natural language interaction is the next frontier in the development of ubiquitous data and services.

The research fellow will get the opportunity to develop novel approaches to increase the attention span of deep learning models and enable more goal directed conversations. Furthermore, the candidate will explore and develop mechanisms for leveraging rich contexts, captured through both structured information (demographics, transaction history, etc.) and more unstructured information (e.g., logs of previous dialogue at other contact points). By leveraging a rich context, spanning multiple channels, the ultimate goal is to open up for more intelligent goal-oriented and task-oriented chatbot services. Datasets for training and evaluating the mechanisms developed will be available from several domains, such as private and public sector customer service, and informational services within the health domain.

Research topics for the PhD research fellows include, but are not limited to the following:

• Deep learning approaches for conversational user interfaces
• Combining machine learning and user-centred design for smart chatbot services

Required qualifications

Further provisions relating to the positions as PhD Research Fellows can be found in the Regulations Concerning Terms and Conditions of Employment for the post of Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Research Assistant and Resident.

The candidate must hold a master's degree in ICT, Computer Science or a similar/related field and document competence in areas relevant to the position.

Furthermore, the applicant must have strong academic credentials, written and spoken English proficiency, communication and teamwork skills.

It is a prerequisite for employment that the candidate is to be admitted to UiA's PhD programme at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, specialization in ICT, within three months of appointment. More information about the programme and a complete list of admission requirements.

The following admission requirements apply to the PhD programme:

• The average grade for courses included in the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) should be C (or equivalent) or higher;
• The average grade for courses included in the master's degree (or equivalent) should be B (or equivalent) or higher;
• The master's thesis (or equivalent) should have a grade B (or equivalent) or higher when the candidate is admitted to the PhD program.

The successful applicant must have written and spoken English proficiency. Applicants from some countries must document their English proficiency through one of the following tests or certificates:

• TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language with a minimum score of 600 on the Paper-based Test (PBT), or a minimum of 92 on the Internet based Test (iBT)
• IELTS - International English Language Testing System, with a result of at least 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5. (only Academic IELTS test accepted)
• CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) certificate of at least Level B2

Please check this website to see if an English test is required. Please note that the English test requirement applies to applicants from most countries according to the list mentioned above. No other English tests or certificates will be approved, and certifications/statements cannot replace an English test.

Applications from applicants who already hold a PhD will normally not be considered.

Applicants will be assessed on the basis of academic background and results, attainment, and any previous research and development work.

Desired qualifications

The ideal candidate will have expertise in at least three of the following areas:

• Deep reinforcement learning
• Transfer- and meta-learning
• Bayesian learning and probabilistic reasoning
• Recurrent neural networks
• Convolutional neural networks
• Natural language processing
• Tsetlin machines

Personal qualities

Personal suitability, good teamwork skills, inventiveness, and a proactive approach, will be emphasized in the evaluation as well as relevant practical experience. The PhD Research Fellow will be expected to contribute to an active research community that promotes the personal and professional growth of the doctoral candidates. The position places great demands on the applicant's capacity for independent goal-oriented work, ability to concentrate and attention to detail.

Personal qualities and suitability for the position will be emphasised.

We offer

• the opportunity to contribute to the strategic capabilities of a world-class research organization, along with intensive PhD supervision. You will collaborate with top scientists in your field and have excellent prospects for personal development in an innovative working environment for aspiring researchers.
• professional development in a large, exciting and socially influential organisation
• a positive, inclusive and diverse working environment
• modern facilities and a comprehensive set of welfare offers
• membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

More about working at UiA.

The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.515, code 1017 PhD Research Fellow, NOK 449 400 gross salary per year. A compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is deducted from the pay according to current statutory provisions.

General information

A good working environment is characterised by its diversity. We therefore encourage all qualified candidates to apply for the position, irrespective of gender, age, disability or cultural background. The University of Agder is an IW (Inclusive Workplace).

Women are strongly encouraged to apply for the position.

The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with the current regulations for the position, and organisational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position must be expected. Appointment is made by the University of Agder's Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions.

Short-listed applicants will be invited for interviews. With the applicant's permission, UiA will also conduct a reference check before appointment. More about the employment process.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act § 25 (2), applicants may request that they are not identified in the open list of applicants. The University, however, reserves the right to publish the names of applicants. Applicants will be advised of the University's intention to exercise this right.

Application

The application and any necessary information about education and experience (including diplomas and certificates) are to be sent electronically. Use the link " Apply for this job ".

The following documentation must be uploaded electronically:

• Certificates and/or grades for all post-secondary education, up to and including the bachelor's level
• Master's degree/higher degree certificate, with a summary of the courses/subjects included in the degree
• Applicants with a foreign higher education must attach an official abstractJV_description of the grading system used at the issuing institution
• Summary (approximately 1-2 pages) of the master's thesis
• Applicants who are required to document their English proficiency must submit his/her TOEFL or IELTS test results (these may be forwarded after the closing date)
• Summary or links to the applicant's scientific publications (if any)
• A abstractJV_description of the candidate's research interests and background for the project applied for

The applicant is fully responsible for submitting complete digital documentation before the closing date. We draw your attention to the fact that we cannot, unfortunately, include you in the assessment process if attachments are missing. All documentation must be available in a Scandinavian language or English.

Application deadline: 13.05.19

Contact

For questions about the position:

• Professor Ole-Christoffer Granmo, tel. +47 37 23 33 57, e-mail ole.granmo (at) uia.no
• Head of Department Folke Haugland, tel. +47 37 23 32 20, e-mail folke.haugland (at) uia.no

For questions about the application process:

• HR Advisor Nina Rønningen, tel. +47 38 14 20 16, e-mail nina.ronningen (at) uia.no

Se annonsen og søk på stillingen www.jobbnorge.no

PAM

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