PhD Position in Computer Science (Data Mining and Machine Learning)

Job Description

PhD Position in Computer Science (Data Mining and Machine Learning)

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMADA) at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Campus Odense, invites applications for one PhD candidate position in Computer Science, fully funded by a major research project from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF). The successful applicants would become part of the Data Science & Statistics section at the department.

The successful candidate will be based in Odense, under the primary supervision of Prof. Ricardo J. G. B. Campello, but they will be expected to also work closely with collaborators both from SDU (including postdocs to be hired on the project) as well as abroad. In particular, the project involves a formal collaboration with the Institute for Computational Genomics at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. Research visits to our research partner in Aachen are expected to take place for specialized training.

The proposed starting date is in April or May 2024, but a slightly earlier or later start may be negotiable. The appointment will be made for a term of 3 (three) years at a competitive salary and will follow the PhD study program at the Faculty of Science.

Candidate Profile
An ideal candidate has a background in or experience with one or more of the following topics:

• Data Mining (e.g., clustering and outlier detection)
• Machine Learning (e.g., unsupervised, and semi-supervised learning)
• Bioinformatics (e.g., gene-expression data analysis)

The successful candidate will contribute to advancing the state-of-the-art in data mining and machine learning research with applications in computational biology by:

• Developing specialized clustering and visual data mining algorithms with a focus on challenging aspects of application-specific datasets, such as datasets encountered in the computational biology and bioinformatics field.
• Developing specialized methods for automatic or semi-automatic, possibly visually aided evaluation and model selection of such (unsupervised and semi-supervised) algorithms.
• Developing tailored solutions to integrate domain knowledge into domain-agnostic algorithms and evaluation methods, with focus on Single-Cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data analysis.
• Performing extensive experimental assessment and benchmarking of algorithms and evaluation methods in both synthetic and real datasets, with a focus on scRNA-seq datasets.
• Developing software tools compatible for integrated use with popular scRNA-seq analysis packages, to be made available for public distribution.

Eligibility
Essential:

• Relevant Master's degree (see notes below) in Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Statistics, Bioinformatics, Computer Engineering, or related field that provides a sufficient background in computer science, mathematics, and statistics.
• Advanced programming skills.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills (fluency in English is required).

Desirable:

• Fluency in Python.
• Experience with algorithm design, machine learning and data analysis.
• Experience with the analysis of biological data is a plus.

NOTES (on eligibility): (i) MSc candidates about to complete will also be considered and should attach a statement from their supervisors regarding their impending completion; (ii) Relevance of the Master's degree will also take into account the research component of the program undertaken; (iii) The required degree of background in computer science and mathematics/statistics will be assessed in conjunction with previous degrees (typically a Bachelor's).

The deadline for applications: 1 February 2024.

For further information, please contact Professor Ricardo Campello, e-mail: campello@imada.sdu.dk, tel.: +45 6550 8494.

Application, salary etc.
Appointment as a PhD Research Fellow is for three years. Employment stops automatically at the end of the period. The holder of the scholarship is not allowed to have other paid employment during the three-year period.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement on salaried PhD scholars between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Please check links for more information on salary and taxation.

The successful candidate will be enrolled at this university in accordance with faculty regulations and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order).

Further information about the PhD-study can be found at the homepage of the University.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Application must be in English and made in the form of a Declaration of Interest including the following:

• A research proposal/description of your approach to the above project (max one page excluding references).
• A letter stating your specific interest, motivation, and qualifications for the project in question (max. two pages) (please attach this under box "Application form").
• Detailed CV, including personal contact information.
• Copies of diplomas, Bachelor as well as Master's degree, including transcript of notes/grades.
• At least two signed reference letters. Should your referees wish to send their letters directly to us, please have them use e-mail: solda@sdu.dk mentioning your name and the title of the position in the subject line. And please note that these also need to reach us before deadline.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.
Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated. This also applies to reference letters.
Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the below link. You should upload two files: A motivated application as well as a CV including other documents for assessment. All documents must be in Adobe pdf-format.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark.