Postdoc in Sustainable Data Science

Department of Computer Science
Faculty of Science

University of Copenhagen

The Machine Learning Section at the Department of Computer Science (DIKU) invites applicants for a Post-doctoral fellowship of 24 months duration, in developing methods to improve the resource efficiency of Big Data pipelines. The project will have a particular focus on improving the environmental sustainability of pipelines that utilize advanced deep learning methods. This position is part of a European research consortium “EnrichMyData”, and is financed by the European Research Council.

The start date is (expected to be) 1st  November, 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
Recent developments in Big Data Analysis have shown remarkable progress across different application domains. These developments have been accelerated by the availability of hardware accelerators such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and affordable/scalable storage solutions. Processing Big data in elaborate pipelines require proportionally increasing computational resources. Consequently, the energy consumption and the corresponding carbon footprint of these pipelines has also grown considerably.

In this project, we aim to investigate methods to improve the resource-efficiency of big data pipelines. This can be at the level of developing novel algorithms, learning paradigms or hardware optimization techniques that can result in reductions in the resources required when deploying big data and machine learning pipelines. Methods that yield reductions in resources that are broadly identified as data, labels, energy consumption and carbon costs will be of particular interest for the goals of this project.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The Machine Learning Section is a part of the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. The department is heading 2 centers within Artificial Intelligence: the SCIENCE AI Center and the Pioneer Center within Artificial Intelligence. The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is the oldest and largest university in Denmark. It is often ranked as the best university in Scandinavia and consistently as one of the top places in Europe. Within computer science, it is ranked number 2 in the European Union according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2021.

The Department of Computer Science offers a friendly and thriving international research and working environment with opportunities to build up internationally competitive research groups. Copenhagen is one of the 10 most livable cities in the world with a rich culture within music, theater and associations. Life for families is made easy by a publicly supported daycare and health care system, dual career opportunities, maternity/parental leave and six weeks of paid annual vacation. International candidates may find information on living and working in Denmark www.workindenmark.dk . Useful information is also available at The International Staff Mobility office (ISM) at the University of Copenhagen (link ). ISM offers a variety of services to international researchers coming to and working at the University of Copenhagen.

The post-doc will closely work with Assistant Professor Raghavendra Selvan ([email protected] ) and Professor Erik B Dam, Department of Computer Science, ([email protected] .

Terms of employment
The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include

• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
• Research plan – description of current and future research plans
• Complete publication list
• Separate reprints of 3 particularly relevant papers

The deadline for applications is 15 August 2022, 23:59 GMT +2.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.