Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computer Science

The position

An exciting researcher position is available in the Department of Computer Science at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The position is funded for a period of three years.



Goal: Contribute broadly to research on AI in medicine, and in particular to the development and validation of new algorithms and tools for a spoken language based clinical decision support system.

Start date: Fall 2023. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position in Tromsø, within four months after receiving the offer.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of three years. Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

The position's field of research

The postdoctoral researcher position is affiliated with ‘TRUSTING’, an EU funded research project where an international interdisciplinary team will develop a machine learning based monitoring system that leverages spoken language processing (SLP) and natural language processing (NLP) of speech recorded at home to calculate relapse risk. The developed monitoring system will be used in a randomized clinical trial where the goal is to validate the clinical outcomes of those affected by schizophrenia. Within this project, we are seeking a computer science researcher to take an active role in developing novel machine learning based systems and tools on the path towards clinical use and implementation of AI for the treatment and care of patients.

The candidate will contribute broadly to the project to enable the development of new algorithms for clinical AI based on patient data from heterogeneous sources notably language/speech based. The activity will focus on the development of a prototype implementation of early warning- and other AI-based decision support systems to study the effectiveness and safety of a novel clinical decision tool that is based on SLP/NLP and utilizes large language models. The project will focus on interaction with clinicians, with a goal of closing the gap between foundational research in machine learning and the clinical use of machine learning methods for the benefit of patients from a healthcare point of view. Hence, the work will be done in a highly interdisciplinary research environment and the candidate will collaborate with an international team consisting of clinicians, researchers in science and technology, health, industry partners, as well as personnel responsible for ICT, data security, privacy concerns and more. Good communication skills are therefore needed.

The work will be conducted at UiT in a project team that comprises researchers with expertise in computer science, machine learning, psychiatry and psychology. The UiT team will collaborate with the other research teams within the TRUSTING consortium.

Working environment

The Health Data Lab (HDL) is a research group at the Department of Computer Science at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. HDL’s mission is to build and experimentally evaluate the systems, methods, and tools needed to analyze and interpret complex health datasets. In TRUSTING, the group collaborates with the Psychiatry Research Group at the Department of Clinical Medicine at UiT where NLP methods are used to complement traditional methods of evaluating the mental state of psychiatric patients. The project will also work with The Norwegian centre for clinical artificial intelligence (SPKI) at the University Hospital of North Norway. In SPKI, the focus is patient-centered AI, in the sense that implementation and actual use of AI for the benefit of the patients and clinicians is considered to be equally important as the research activity of the SPKI centre. All three research groups are in Tromsø, Norway.

Our research groups work with the development of computer systems for data analysis, development of machine learning methods, and the clinical use of technology. Within the research group you will therefore work together with computer scientists with expertise in data management, distributed systems, security, machine learning, and development of health technology solutions. In addition, you will work with experts in psychology and psychiatry. The HDL and SPKI research groups are part of the Centre of Research-based Innovation SFI Visual Intelligence  that is a center-of excellence in machine learning research. The research groups are also active in entrepreneurship, clinical process innovation, and industry collaboration.

Contact

Further information about the position and UiT is available by contacting:

• Professor Lars Ailo Bongo: phone +47 92015508; email: lars.ailo.bongo@uit.no
• Professor Brita Elvevåg:  phone +47 91993063; email: brita.elvevag@uit.no
• Associate Professor Karl Øyvind Mikalsen; phone +47 91565867; email: karl.o.mikalsen@uit.no
• General and administrative questions: Head of administration Svein Tore Jensen, svein.tore.jensen@uit.no

Qualifications

The position requires a PhD degree in computer science and a publication record that document solid expertise in experimental computer science, and strong technical skills.

If you are at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. You must have received your PhD before the start-up date of the position.

We are looking for applicants with a strong interest in computer systems research with a focus on machine learning methods for the health domain. Previous experience in systems development, data management, networking, health technology, and applied machine learning is therefore considered a benefit. It is also beneficial if the applicant has an interest and previous experience in collaboration with inter-disciplinary or industrial collaboration.

Candidates with research experience and relevant publications in conferences and journals will be considered with higher priority. Experience with health-related machine learning applications, sound-based systems or natural language processing (NLP) will be considered a benefit.

We are looking for an interested, active and highly motivated candidate, who likes to explore new technologies, is both independent thinking and also enjoys working in collaboration with other researchers and clinicians. The position is part of an interdisciplinary project, and close interaction with other project participants will be required. Good communication skills in English are necessary and documented fluency in English is required.

During this assessment process, emphasis will be put on your potential for research as shown by your thesis and any other academic works. In addition, we may consider work experience or other activities of significance. The assessment will emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position.

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

UiT wishes to increase the proportion of females in academic positions. In cases where two or more applicants are found to be approximately equally qualified, female applicants will be given priority.

We are also looking for a full-stack developer in the same project. We encourage those with a PhD to apply for both positions. 

Inclusion and diversity  

UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.  

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics. 

We offer

• An exciting international academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund
• The possibility to balance professional development with a location to experience the liberating arctic nature: ski under the northern lights, hike and bike along the fjords

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility 

Application

We will evaluate you based only on the documentation that you submit with the application. Your application must include:

1.       Letter of application, including a 1-page summary of your motivation for applying for this position and a description of why you are qualified for this position

2.       CV with complete overview of education, supervised professional training, professional experience, and list of scientific publications

3.       Diplomas and transcripts (all academic degrees)

4.       Contact information to 2-3 references

5.       Description of your academic and software production, stating which works you consider most important. A brief description of the other listed works should also be included to demonstrate breadth of production. These descriptions shall be an attachment to the application.

6.       Up to five academic works. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.

7.       Link to your GitHub homepage or other repositories with code that you have written

8.       Documentation of English proficiency

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position.

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

Moderate gender quota: UiT wishes to increase the proportion of females in academic positions. In cases where two or more applicants are found to be approximately equally qualified, female applicants will be given priority. 

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. 

Eallju - Developing the High North 

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus comprehensive university at the international forefront. Our vision is to be a driving force for developing the High North. The Northern Sami notion eallju, which means eagerness to work, sets the tone for this motive power at UiT. Along with students, staff and the wider community, we aim to utilise our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio and interdisciplinary advantage to shape the future.

Our social mission is to provide research-based education of high quality, perform artistic development and carry out research of the highest international quality standards in the entire range from basic to applied. We will convey knowledge about disciplines and contribute to innovation. Our social mission unites UiT across various studies, research fields and large geographical distances. This demands good cooperation with trade and industry and civil society as well as with international partners. We will strengthen knowledge-based and sustainable development at a regional, national and international level.

Academic freedom and scientific and ethical principles form the basis for all UiT’s activities. Participation, co-determination, transparency and good processes will provide the decision-making basis we need to make wise and far-sighted priorities. Our students and staff will have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Founded on academic integrity, we will be courageous, committed and generous in close contact with disciplines, people and contemporary developments.

We will demonstrate adaptability and seek good and purposeful utilisation of resources, so we are ready to meet the expectations and opportunities of the future. We will strengthen the quality and impact of our disciplines and core tasks through the following three strategic priority areas.