Doctoral Research Fellow (PhD) in Neuro-Inspired Artificial Intelligence

Bård Halvorsen
19th April 2024
Languages
English

• English

English
Digitalisation and Society
Doctoral Research Fellow (PhD) in Neuro-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
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About the position 

A Doctoral Research Fellowship in Neuro-Inspired Artificial Intelligence is available at the Faculty of Computer Science, Engineering and Economics at Østfold University College (ØUC).

The Doctoral Research Fellow will contribute to ongoing research at the intersection of Explainable Artificial Intelligence, Interpretability, Large Foundation Models and Biologically Inspired Artificial Intelligence.

The doctoral position is part of the research initiative “The Digital Society” at ØUC.

Project description 

In a recent white paper “Catalyzing next-generation Artificial Intelligence through NeuroAI” [1], prominent scientists including ACM Turing Award winners Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio, and NeurIPS president Terrence Sejnowski, call for more fundamental research in NeuroAI to drive AI research forward towards human-level artificial intelligence. Norway has unique world-class expertise in brain sciences and a fast-growing, well-organized AI community at the highest international level. Therefore, NeuroAI is considered a strategic research area for Norway [2]. This project will contribute to advances in NeuroAI. The selected candidate will join our team at Østfold University College (https://www.hiof.no/english/research/ai-hub/), in collaboration with colleagues at Simula, NMBU, and other NeuroAI groups in Norway and abroad (for more information on activities in Norway, please see https://www.nora.ai/nora-sig/NeuroAI/).

The specific focus of this project will be towards AI interpretability. Current AI models (such as large foundation models) are typically trained on large amount of data for next-token prediction. They are able to compress a large amount of knowledge in their latent representations, such that they learn a “model” of the world. However, it is rather complicated to pinpoint where and how specific concepts are stored and retrieved. This is particularly problematic in specific real-world domains where explainability is a requirement. Being able to open the “black-box” would dramatically improve the understanding of the representations learned by such models, and therefore facilitate their adoption in several societal domains, while increasing the trustworthiness in AI systems. As such, AI interpretability is an enabler for a more digitalized society.

Recent preliminary attempts [3] reveal how specific locations or time events, are represented in the internal parameters of the models. Similarly, neuroscience findings by E. Moser and M. B. Moser revealed that specific neurons in the brain encode for specific locations (place cells) or multiple locations across scales (grid cells) [4], and time [5]. This project aims at developing novel NeuroAI methods for understanding artificial brains, therefore exploring the area of virtual brain analytics [6]. This project will encompass basic research in artificial intelligence in a multidisciplinary context where neuroscience, biology, psychology, and socio-ethical perspectives are very important.

References 

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37180-x

[2] https://journals.uio.no/NMI/article/view/9950

[3] https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.02207

[4] https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03721

[5] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06864-1

[6] https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S0896-6273(17)30509-3

About research fellowship  

The Doctoral research fellowship is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years funded by Østfold University College. 

The candidate will be employed at Østfold University College. The candidate is expected to apply and be accepted in our Doctoral Programme “Digitalisation and Society”. Read more on our website: Digitalisation and Society  

Estimated starting date: 1st of September 2024

The candidate is expected to

• actively take part in inter- and multi-disciplinary research activities relevant to AI Hub hosted by Østfold University College.
• disseminate research results on the project through high-quality scientific publications.

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Qualification requirements 

The successful candidate is required to have 

• completed a master's degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions) within the fields of Computer Science or related disciplines, such as Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Neuroscience, before the application deadline. Candidates that are close to completion may also be evaluated. Documentation of the completed master’s degree must be submitted within three weeks after the application deadline.  
• been awarded the grade B or better for the Master thesis - in terms of the Norwegian grading scale. If the research summary is of excellent quality, grade C candidates can be considered.  
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English and sufficient oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language. For international candidates (outside of EU/EEA area), approved TOEFL English proficiency test with min score 90 or IELTS test with min. score 7.5. 
•  solid programming skills.

Desired qualifications

We would like you to have

• an average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree of B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale.
• relevant work and/or academic experience.

Personal qualifications

The successful candidate has

• motivation and potential in the field of research.
• has the ability to work independently and in collaboration with other researchers, as well as the ability to be innovative and creative.
• challenges the status quo and promotes new initiatives.
• sees the big picture and takes broader considerations into account.
• sets challenging goals and works hard to achieve them.
• identifies and acts on unresolved issues.
• is positive and enthusiastic, even in difficult situations.
• initiates activities and projects without needing support from others.
• works together with others across established reporting lines.
• takes responsibility for own research goals.
• has good communication and collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities.

Emphasis will be placed on the following

In the evaluation of the applicants, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

Furthermore, we will also consider the

• quality of the research experience and publications.
• prior academic output and/or research performance (Master thesis and papers in journals/conferences and citations).
• applicant’s own ideas of research themes and research design that would be relevant for the project, and the quality and relevance of the project sketch.

We offer

• a gross annual salary of minimum NOK 532 200,- and automatically development with a 3 % annual increase during the period. In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. 
• an exciting job opportunity at Østfold University College. 
• participation in a new interdisciplinary doctoral program and a research group where the project is located. 
• beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund. 
• good employee welfare arrangements. 
• working locations at Østfold University College, Halden (Norway).
• a vibrant AI community, see https://www.hiof.no/english/research/ai-hub/  

Submitting an application  

Please submit your application electronically via our recruitment system Jobbnorge.no. All attached documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or in English.

Application must include the following: 

• A short (1-2 page) cover letter describing your motivation, your suitability, relevant qualifications and research interests for this position. The cover letter must also state your reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work.  
• A brief high-level project sketch/project description (maximum 2 pages) for a PhD project according to the project description above.
• A copy of your CV.
• A list of publications (if applicable). Include a short description of your contribution in multi-authored publications.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records. Higher education taken outside the Nordic countries must be documented by the submission of a dated and signed diploma/certificate and a transcript of grades in the original language. If the original language is not English or a Nordic language, you must also enclose an official translation. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
• A copy of your master thesis.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). 

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. Other documentation may be claimed at a later stage, e.g., proof of claimed English proficiency.

Documents to be sent as hard copies by post
Applicants with degrees from: Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA must send their transcripts and diploma of master’s and bachelor’s education as hard copies directly from the relevant college/university, in addition to uploading them online. The hard copies must be received by us within 4 weeks after the application deadline expires. 

To send hard copies to HiØ, please use the following address:

Høgskolen i Østfold
HR-section
Postboks 700
1757 HALDEN

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Admission and appointment 

Admission to the doctoral programme Digitalisation and Society is a condition for appointment as a research fellow. The final plan for research training shall be approved and regulated by contract at the latest three months after the appointment is taken up.

The successful candidate will receive assistance in the application process to the PhD programme Digitalisation and Society at Østfold University College when starting in the position.  

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a PhD student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistant. 

Contact persons 

You are strongly encouraged to contact the main supervisor for a discussion about the position, relevant references and the project. For other information, please contact the Vice-Dean or the advisors:

• Main supervisor: Professor Stefano Nichele, +47 69 60 85 33, e-mail: [email protected]
• Vice-Dean of Research: Tore Gimse, +47 69 60 80 58, e-mail: [email protected]
• Advisor for the PhD programme: Liv Simensen, +47 69 60 85 61, e-mail: [email protected]  
• HR Senior Advisor: Hilde Gunn Avløyp, +47 69 60 82 97, e-mail: [email protected]

Other information

The university college is committed to fostering a diverse and gender-balanced workforce. We seek employees with diverse skills, academic backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CVs, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview.

In accordance with the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25, paragraph 2, information about the applicant may be disclosed even if the applicant has requested not to be included on the list of applicants.

If you disclose that you have an immigrant background, disability, or gaps in your CV, this information, in anonymized form, may be used for statistical purposes.

About us

Through education, research, and artistic development of national and international quality and relevance, and through our contribution to public discourse and knowledge dissemination, we create a better and more sustainable society. We aim to have international engagement while also strengthening our visibility and focus on the local community. Through interaction and dialogue with regional businesses and society, we take an active role as a societal developer. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about their field and who want to contribute to the development of Østfold University College, building an attractive, competent, and forward-thinking institution. Become one of us!

The Digital Society is our largest priority area of research, where we explore the interaction between digitalisation and society from various theoretical perspectives and develop new responsible digital technology.

Our other priority area of research is Language in Learning, which aims to enhance collaboration across language disciplines and create conditions for a diverse research and teaching environment.

 

Questions about the position

Stefano Nichele

Professor

+47 69 60 85 33

[email protected]

Tore Gimse

Vice-Dean

+47 69 60 80 58

[email protected]

Apply for this job
Deadline

19th April 2024

Employer

About Østfold University College

Municipality

Halden

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Duration

Engagement

Place of service
B R A veien 4, 1783 Halden

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