PhD Research Fellow in generative machine learning with geoscience applications [Distinguish]

• English
• Norsk Nynorsk

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad. 

There are seven departments and several centres at Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Read more about the faculty  and departments.  

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

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There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in machine learning at the Department of Informatics . The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with compulsory other work (e.g. teaching duties at the Department). The position is financed by the Research Council of Norway, associated with the project “DISTINGUISH: Decision support using neural networks to predict geological uncertainties when geosteering ”.

The position is available from 01.05.2024 and we expect that the candidate can start the position no later than 31.10.2024.

Digitization of businesses, industry, public administration, and education makes informatics play an increasingly important role in the development of the society. Research and education in informatics are crucial for the digital transformation of the society to succeed. The Department of Informatics contributes to this through eight research groups that deliver research and education at a high international level. The groups are within algorithms, bioinformatics, information security, machine learning, optimization, programming theory, visualization and informatics didactics. The Department offers education at the Bachelor, Master and PhD levels. The Department is in rapid growth regarding its number of students, research directions, and employees. We have about 900 students and about 150 employees, among which 37 are Faculty members and 70 are PhD candidates. We have established the Center for Data Science (CEDAS) as an important extension of our research and education activities and an interdisciplinary cooperation of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, besides additional related topics and applications.

The ability to fine-tune well positioning in real-time through geosteering increases the potential value of wells and minimizes risks. Geosteering is essential for petroleum and penetrates other types of drilling, including geothermal projects, civil wells and tunnels, and soon CO2 storage wells. Following the newest trends in the industry geosteering workflow of the future shall capture and update uncertainty in an ensemble of geomodels. The most advanced ensemble methods are the core of closed-loop reservoir management (EnCLRM), the new standard for optimizing the development of petroleum fields. However, EnCLRM is not fast enough for real-time operations due to the involved geomodelling complexity. We plan to remove this complexity by creating new Generative-Network (GN) geomodels. GN-geomodels “learn geology” before the operation and have sub-second performance. They unlock next-generation data assimilation and new predictive decisionsupport AI. This position is primarily dedicated to developing GN-geomodels that reproduce and parametrize a realistic, complex subsurface environments. Additionally, the PhD candidate shall contribute to methods of consistent integration of data during the training and subsequent data assimilation. Note that, NORCE also employs another PhD within the same project that will focus on decision support using AI.

• The must hold a master's degree or equivalent education in computer science or a related field (e.g. mathematics, statistics, geoscience with strong emphasis on computational and programming aspects), or must have submitted his/her master's thesis for assessment by 30.06.2024. It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• Experience in machine learning is a requirement
• Good programming skills is a requirement
• Experience from generative models is an advantage
• Experience in geomodelling is an advantage
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills
• Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system . The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

About the PhD Research Fellow: The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year, consisting of 25 % compulsory work (e.g. teaching responsibilities at the department) distributed over the employment period. The 4th year is contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the head of department upon appointment. The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training: As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

• Exciting development opportunities as part of your role in a strong professional environment
• Salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This currently amounts to an annual salary of NOK 532 200 before taxes (equivalent to pay grade 54). Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

• motivation letter with a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master's or equivalent thesis
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees. if you have not yet completed your master's degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming that you are submitting the thesis by 30.06.2024. In that case, a draft of the master thesis should also be provided.
• relevant certificates/references
• approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission )
• a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting: Associate Professor Nello Blaser or Senior Researcher Sergey Alyaev at NORCE. For HR related matters, please contact Karoline Christiansen .

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here .

Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at UiB.

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Karoline Christiansen

HR adviser

+47 55 58 47 70

[email protected]

1st May 2024

University of Bergen

Bergen

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Fixed Term

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