PhD student in Computing Science with focus on serverless edge intelligence - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Computer Science, characterized by world-leading research in several scientific fields and a multitude of educations ranked highly in international comparison, is looking for a Doctoral student in serverless edge intelligence.

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 60 Doctoral students within the department consists of a diverse group from different nationalities, backgrounds, and fields. If you work as a Doctoral student with us you will 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 interesting for you? We welcome your application no later than 30 May 2023.

Project description

Serverless cloud-edge frameworks are an infrastructural evolution of existing serverless cloud environments in which the computing resources are highly distributed and located geographically closer to the end user (i.e., at the Internet’s edge). Existing serverless solutions (including Function as a Service technologies) lack the ability to deal with continuous adaptability of workloads, optimal task placement, and cost efficient orchestration across continuum - as well as meeting critical criteria such as reliability, security, and energy constraints.

This project aims to investigate and develop a serverless edge AI (SEAI) framework where edge AI utilises serverless computing to address key challenges including learning and inference ability on the edge for smart workload relocation and orchestration, mobility of FaaS applications, and prediction of energy consumption and workloads across the continuum. By developing an efficient framework and associated algorithms (e.g., continual learning, sequence modelling, multi-objective optimization), the project will improve performance of learning and decision making for optimizing and managing resources on serverless edge nodes in comparison to traditional centralized cloud approaches. The framework and algorithms will be validated through a real-time testbed and simulation environment to solve key challenges.

The successful candidate will contribute to the Autonomous Distributed Systems (ADS) Lab within the Department of Computing Science. The ADS Lab is an internationally leading research group with a focus from distributed AI to autonomous resource management and modern. The Lab currently comprises over 20 experienced and world-leading research colleagues from more than 10 different countries. For more information, see www.cloudresearch.org

This position is part of a EU funded project called SovereignEdge - a large new research initiative to build a next-generation European Edge-Cloud Framework (https://cognit.sovereignedge.eu/).

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 fulfil the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in computing science, the applicant is required to have completed at least 90 ECTS credits in computing science. Applicants who otherwise have acquired skills that are deemed equivalent are also eligible.

Candidates are expected to have solid foundations in the theory and algorithms of project related areas, such as machine learning, edge computing, distributed systems, and excellent programming ability. Experience in broad competence areas including development of machine learning algorithms, statistical analysis methods, distributed learning, and discrete optimization is desirable. Additionally, experience in software development, configuring experimental testbeds, and developing simulations is a merit. A strong command in both written and spoken English language is a key requirement. 

Besides creativity and a curious mind, important personal qualities include the ability to work independently as well as together with others either in a group or outside. You are also expected to have a willingness to develop yourself continuously to become a competent researcher.

About the position

The position provides you with the opportunity to pursue PhD studies in Computing Science for four years, with the goal of achieving the degree of Doctor in Computing Science. While the position is mainly devoted to spend 100 % time on PhD studies.

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 August 20, 2023 or as otherwise agreed.

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. Generic cover letters, or applications without cover letter will not be considered.
• A curriculum vitae.
• Reprints / copies of completed BSc and/or MSc theses and other relevant publications, if any.
• Copies of degree certificates, including documentation of completed academic courses and obtained grades.
• Contact information for three reference persons.
• Documentation and description of other relevant experiences or competences.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. 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 2023-05-30.

Selected applicants will be invited for an interview round, including a computing and programming assignment.

Umeå University wants to offer an equal environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. We welcome people with different gender, backgrounds and experiences to apply for the current employment.

For additional information, please contact Assist. Prof. Monowar Bhuyan (monowar@cs.umu.se) or Prof. Erik Elmroth (elmroth@cs.umu.se)

We look forward to receiving your application!