PhD student in Computing Science with focus on trustworthy AI-empowered healthcare solutions - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Computing Science is now looking for a Doctoral student in Computing Science with a focus on trustworthy AI-empowered healthcare solutions.

The department has been growing rapidly in recent years. An inclusive and participatory environment are key elements in our growth. The 60 doctoral students within the department are a diverse group from different nationalities, backgrounds and fields. We offer very good employment conditions, and administrative and technical support, among other benefits. See more information at:
https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-computing-science/

Is this interesting for you? Welcome with your application before June 5, 2023.

Project description 

This project aims to identify trustworthiness issues (e.g., explainability, bias and privacy) for multimodal architectures, develop baseline trustworthiness models, implement advanced trustworthiness models on text and image data, and finally validate the models with stakeholders and visualize the ethical governance procedure. The project is part of the European project COMFORT (Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Urologic Cancers with Artificial Intelligence-Driven Decision Support Tool) which is developing a cutting-edge decision support system using artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven approaches to assist medical professionals in delivering improved care for people affected by prostate cancer (PCa) or kidney cancer (KC). More information about the project can be found at https://www.comfort-ai.eu .  

The successful candidate will be part of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence group and the Deep Data Mining group at the Department of Computing Science, collaborating with researchers in, e.g., data science, machine learning, and responsible AI. More info about the research groups: https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-computing-science/research/research-groups/.

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.

Documented knowledge and a solid background in data science, machine learning and responsible AI approaches (e.g., explainability, fairness, privacy) is a requirement. Candidates are expected to have good knowledge in programming (e.g., Python, Java, R, Matlab etc.) and the application of open source web-based software. Good understanding of AI-oriented decision support systems and experience of developing and/or working with AI-based decision support system in healthcare applications especially in oncology is considered a merit. 

Other desirable qualifications include experience of processing multimodal data, experience of web service deployment.

Important personal qualities are, besides creativity and a curious mind, the ability to work both independently and in a group and experience in scientific interaction with researchers from other disciplines and in other countries.  

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 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 August 15th 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 statement of purpose (max 2 pages) describing the relevance of your education/academic background and to this project. Your statement of purpose must include a clear description of how to address the responsible AI components of this project. Applications including only a generic statement of interest will not be considered    
• A curriculum vitae 
• A cover letter including a description of your research interests, your reasons to apply for the position, and your contact information 
• A research plan (max 2 pages) for the project described above. Applications without a specific research plan will not be considered
• 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 persons willing to act as references
• 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 June 5, 2023. 

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 prof. Lili Jiang (lili.jiang@cs.umu.se) or professor Virginia Dignum (virginia@cs.umu.se)

We look forward to receiving your application!