Ph.D. position in Explainable Multi-stakeholder Recommender Systems

Ph.D. position in Explainable Multi-stakeholder Recommender Systems
Ph.D. position in Explainable Multi-stakeholder Recommender Systems

Published	Deadline	Location
31 May	20 Jun	Maastricht

The Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering (DKE) at Maastricht University, the Netherlands, is looking for a Ph.D. candidate to work on Explainable AI.
In a world of increasing numbers of choices, recommender systems suggest items for people to try or buy. Increasingly these include social recommendations such as recommendations of people (e.g., in domains such as jobs, dating, and micro-lending), as well as content on social networks based on the credibility of people.
This candidate will apply and improve current explainable algorithms that consider fairness in these domains and evaluate the effectiveness of these explanations in user studies.
Job description

The position is embedded in the current Explainable Artificial Intelligence (EAI) group of DKE. The group consists of full Professors and Associate & Assistant Professors, postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates and master/bachelor students. The group works together closely on a day-to-day basis, to exchange knowledge, ideas, and research advancements. We conduct both fundamental and applied research, with a focus on Explainable Artificial Intelligence.

The PhD candidate will also benefit from a strong industry and research network such as PIs involvement with a Marie-Curie European International Training Network on Interactive Natural Language Technology for Explainable Artificial Intelligence (NL4XAI https://nl4xai.eu/), and the ROBUST Long Term Program program in development (https://www.nwo.nl/en/researchprogrammes/knowledge-and-innovation-covenant/long-term-programmes-kic-2020-2023/robust-ltp).

The full-time position is offered for a duration of four years, with yearly evaluations.

The successful candidate is expected to:

• perform scientific research in explainable AI as described above;
• publish results at (international) conferences and in international journals;
• collaborate with other group and faculty members;
• assist with educational tasks (e.g., assist labs, supervise Master students and internships).

Specifications

• Maastricht View on Google Maps

Maastricht University (UM)

Requirements

• M.Sc. degree in Computer Science, artificial intelligence, or equivalent;
• Experienced with user-centered evaluation methodologies;
• Demonstrated (e.g., through publications, code, projects, etc.) interest and experience with the field of explainable AI, and at least one of machine learning, recommender systems, or computational measures of fairness.
• Proficiency in English (oral and written);
• Excellent communication skills;
• Ability to collaborate in a multi-disciplinary and international setting

Conditions of employment

The full-time position is offered for a duration of four years, with yearly evaluations.

The salary will be set in PhD salary scale of the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities (€2.443 gross per month in first year to €3.122 in the fourth and final year). On top of this, there is an 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance. The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. Non-Dutch applicants could be eligible for a favorable tax treatment (30% rule).

Employer
Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 22,000 students and about 5,000 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.

Department
The Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering

Founded in 1992, we are a fast-growing department undertaking internationally respected research in the areas of computer science, human-machine interaction, artificial intelligence and applied mathematics. Much of our research takes place at the interfaces of these disciplines. We maintain a large network of industry partners and provide education through one bachelor’s programme and two master’s programmes.

Situated in the heart of Europe and within 30 kilometers from the German and Belgian borders, Maastricht and its 120,000 inhabitants have a strong international character. It is a safe, vibrant city with a history spanning more than 2,000 years. The city’s rich past is reflected everywhere in the streets: the ratio of monuments-to-inhabitants is roughly 1:73. If you are unfamiliar with the Netherlands, UM’s Knowledge Centre for International Staff will gladly assist you with practical matters such as housing.

Our new colleague(s) will be joining a tight-knit department consisting of ~70 principal investigators, postdocs and PhD students, >800 BSc and MSc students and a team of dedicated support staff members. Together, we come from over 40 different countries.

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/dke

Additional information

Informal inquiries concerning this position can be directed to:
Prof. Nava Tintarev, [email protected]

The Faculty of Science and Engineering. Maastricht University heavily invests in the growth of its STEM research and education. The Faculty of Science and Engineering – which houses the Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering – is one of the focal points of these developments. Within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, over 260 researchers and more than 2,700 students work on themes such as data science and artificial intelligence, circularity and sustainability, and fundamental physics. 

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fse

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Application procedure

Your application must contain the following documents (all in English):

A motivation letter (max. 5 pages in total) including the following:

A summary of major achievements

Relevant research and programming experience

Your motivation for this specific project and the University of Maastricht

A mini-research proposal focused on the approach you would take for the topic of Explainable Multi-stakeholder Recommender Systems (max. 2.5 pages incl. references)

A detailed curriculum vitae (no page limit);

A course list of your Masters and Bachelor programs (including grades);

Results of a recent English language test, or other evidence of your English language capabilities;

Name and contact information of two references

You can submit your application via email to [email protected] .

Please note: Applications that are incomplete or exceed the page limit will not be considered in the selection procedure.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.