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Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.
The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.
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The department of Computing Science in collaboration with Umeå School of Business, Economics, and Statistics, is seeking candidates for a PhD student position in Computer Science, with focus AI-driven contextual communication.
Contextual communication consists in placing online messaging in relevant media contexts. The practice is not new in itself, but recent advances in media AI makes the practice viable at a global scale, and at the granularity of individual viewings. The most common instance is contextual advertising, where automatic trading systems buy advertising space and base their bids on information about the surrounding media context, but there are also recent examples in news syndication.
The PhD student will contribute to a multidisciplinary theory of AI-driven contextual communication. The project combines qualitative and quantitative methods and is conducted under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Johanna Björklund and Prof. Sofia Lundberg. The student will receive education in machine learning, algorithm analysis, and empirical methods, but also an introduction to media communication and auction theory. The research plan will be finalized by the PhD student in dialogue with his or her advisors.
The Department of Computing Science is a dynamic environment with around 100 employees representing more than 20 countries worldwide. The student will be part of the research group for Foundations of Language Processing, which studies the theoretical and practical aspects of representing language on computers, and its interconnection with other sources of information. The group consists of 4 senior researchers and 7 PhD students who collaborate in varying constellations.
The project is financed by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation (KAW). The intention is that the student will be affiliated to WASP-HS (see https://wasp-sweden.org/about-us/wasp-hs/). The WASP-HS graduate school provide foundations, perspectives, and state-of-the-art knowledge in the different disciplines taught by leading researchers in the field. It thus provides added value on top of the existing PhD programs at the hosting university, providing unique opportunities for students who are dedicated to achieving international research excellence in a multidisciplinary context.
The PhD student’s project will be part of a larger, overarching, research project which studies the consequences for citizens and society when artificial intelligence becomes the dominating method of placing messages in online media contexts. The emphasis is on AI-driven contextual advertising, for which almost no previous work exists. The research questions include: How do the dynamics of AI-driven contextual auctions change when different types of contextual information are made available? How does contextual communication affect the functioning of democratic processes? How are the consumers’ search costs affected by the new technology?
The method builds on economic theory and regression analysis based on controlled experiments that generate field data on bidder and consumer response to personalized and contextual advertising including the nature of the ad. This will give us access to unique field data that will facilitate the empirical analysis. The data will include, e.g., information about content, click rates, auction design, and price formation.
The project contributes to the establishment of AI-driven contextual communication as a new research field. It is a multidisciplinary undertaking, engaging researchers from computer science, behavioural science, media and communication studies, business management, and social economy.
The PhD student’s project will be in Computer Science, and can focus on a range of tasks that all contribute to the overarching project goals. These include, e.g., (i) the formalisation and quantification of the notions of media objects being related or congruent; (ii) simulation as a tool for understanding the dynamics of auctions or public elections in the presence of contextual information; or (iii) translation of media contexts into high-level semantic representations that are suited to inform autonomous bidding systems.
The successful applicant will receive a competitive salary for a period of four years full time research, provided that expected study and research results are achieved. The position may also include part-time teaching (normally up to 20%). If so, the total time for the position is extended accordingly (up to maximum five years). Expected starting date is 1st of August 2020 or as otherwise agreed.
The applicant is required to have completed a second-cycle level degree, or completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits are at second-cycle level, or have an equivalent education from acquired in another system, or equivalent qualifications. To fulfil the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in computing science, the applicant is required to have completed courses equivalent to 90 ECTS credits in computing science, or in a subject considered to be directly relevant for the specialisation in question.
Candidates are expected to have a background in computer science; a specialization in artificial intelligence or machine learning is a merit. Candidates from related disciplines, with a very good understanding of fundamental concepts of computer science and good programming experience may also be considered. Since research is conducted in an international research environment, the ability to collaborate and contribute to teamwork, and a very good command of the English language, both written and spoken, are key requirements.
A complete application must contain the following documents:
Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system Varbi, and be received no later than June 7, 2020. Reference number: AN 2.2.1-664-20
The procedure for recruitment for the position is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (chapter 12, 2§) and the decision regarding the position cannot be appealed. As we strive for a more balanced gender distribution within the department, we encourage women as applicants.
For additional information, please contact Johanna Björklund at johanna@cs.umu.se
We look forward to receiving your application!
Type of employment | Temporary position |
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Contract type | Full time |
First day of employment | 200801 |
Salary | Monthly salary |
Number of positions | 1 |
Full-time equivalent | 100 |
City | Umeå |
County | Västerbottens län |
Country | Sweden |
Reference number | AN 2.2.1-664-20 |
Contact |
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Union representative |
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Published | 07.May.2020 |
Last application date | 07.Jun.2020 11:59 PM CEST |