PhD student in Computational Science and Engineering with a focus on machine learning - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

To our department, characterized by world-leading research in several scientific fields and a multitude of educations ranked highly in international comparison, we now look for a doctoral student in machine learning. The position is for four years of full-time doctoral studies at the Department of Computing Science, where you will be able to work in a dynamic environment with 140 employees from more than 20 countries.

The Department of Computing science has been growing rapidly in recent years where focus on an inclusive and bottom-up driven environment are key elements in our sustainable growth. The 50 Doctoral students within the department consists of a diverse group from different nationalities, background and fields. If you work as a Doctoral student with us you receive the benefits of support in career development, networking, administrative and technical support functions along with good employment conditions. See more information at:
https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-computing-science/

Is this of interest to you? Welcome with your application before 30th of May 2022.

Project description 

Machine learning is a key technique in many different areas, and machine learning accounts for many of the recent successes in artificial intelligence. One way to handle the problem with small amounts of data in high-dimensional machine learning is to use prior information—usually by prior distributions or penalties. Structured priors and penalties mean that we encode domain-specific, expert, or prior knowledge about a problem into the machine learning model. By encoding a particular structure, the model can select relevant groups of variables, reduce the risk of overfitting the training data, and improve our ability to interpret the model and understand the data.

The goal of this project is to develop a generic Bayesian machine learning framework within which such structured relationships can be encoded. The project will develop new methods, theory, and algorithms for Bayesian machine learning with applications in e.g. medical image analysis.

The doctoral student position is offered within the machine learning project ”Using Structured Priors when Analysing Image Data” that is financed by the Swedish research council. The project is led by Tommy Löfstedt, docent and associate professor at the Department of Computing Science, Umeå University.

Admission requirements 

The general admission requirements for doctoral studies are 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 abroad, or equivalent qualifications.

To fulfill the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in computational science and engineering, the applicant is required to have completed at least 90 ECTS credits in relevant fields for computational science and engineering (mathematics, mathematical statistics, and computing science), of which at least 30 ECTS credits are at second-cycle level. Applicants who otherwise have acquired skills that are deemed equivalent are also eligible.

Candidates are expected to have very good knowledge in project related areas, and in particular in Bayesian methods, optimisation theory, numerical methods, and machine learning. Experience in mathematics, mathematical statistics, computer vision, and image analysis is a merit. A very good command of the English language, both written and spoken, is a key requirement.

Important personal qualities are the ability to work on your own as well as together with others, to be creative, and to have a will to actively develop yourself to become a competent researcher.

About the position

The position provides you with the opportunity to pursue PhD studies in Computational Science and Engineering for four years, with the goal of achieving the degree of Doctor in Computational Science and Engineering with a specialisation in Computing Science. While the position mainly is devoted to PhD studies (at least 80% of the time), it may include up to 20% department service (usually teaching). If so, the total time for the position is extended accordingly, resulting in a maximum of five years.

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.

The expected starting date is 15th of August 2022, or as otherwise agreed upon.

Application

Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University.

A complete application should contain the following documents:

• A cover letter including a description of your research interests, your reasons to apply for the position, and your contact information 
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• Certified copies of degree certificates, including documentation of completed academic courses and obtained grades
• Copies of completed BSc and/or MSc theses and other relevant publications, if any
• Documentation and description of how you fulfill the specified requirements
• Contact information to three references
• Documentation and description of other relevant experiences or competences.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. Attached documents in other languages should be translated. Attached documents must be in pdf format. Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University, and be received no later than 30th of May 2022.

The Department of Computing Science values gender diversity, and therefore particularly encourages women and those outside the gender binary to apply for the position.

For additional information, please contact associate professor Tommy Löfstedt (tommy@cs.umu.se).

We look forward to receiving your application!