RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP | Center for Responsible Al | 985447

21 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universidade de Coimbra

Research Field

Engineering » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Portugal

Application Deadline

8 Apr 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

European Union / Next Generation EU

Reference Number

7142

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

CALL FOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

University of Coimbra opens a call for one  research fellowship, in the framework of the CRAI project “Center for Responsible Al” (reference: 7142), financed by PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan and by the Next Generation EU Funds, following NOTICE N.º 02/C05-i01/2022, Component 5 – Capitalization and Business Innovation - Mobilizing Agendas for Business Innovation, in the following conditions:

Scientific area: Informatics Engineering or similar.

Skills/Qualifications/Admission requirements: Master's degree in Informatics Engineering, or similar enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Informatics Engineering or similar .

Although the recipients must be enrolled in a cycle of studies leading to the attribution of an academic degree, at the time of application it is not necessary for the candidate to have made such an enrollment, and proof of enrollment must be presented until the fellowship is contractualized. Candidates are only required to meet the requirements to enroll in the training offer. If there are candidates already enrolled (including attending a course), they compete on an equal footing with those who are not enrolled.  

Work plan/ Objectives:  
The work plan activities are designed for the scholarship holder to acquire new knowledge and skills in Data Science, with a focus on developing methodologies and techniques for causal inference and explainable AI in machine learning. The key components of the plan include:

1.    Study of basic principles of Computational Neuroscience to understand how the brain processes information, aiming to build and interpret computational models of these mechanisms.
2.    Conduct a comprehensive review of Large Language Models, evaluating their performance and benchmarking them to select a suitable Transformer model for further exploration
3.    Exploration of Third-Generation Neural Network Models: Investigating the current state of the art in third-generation neural network models.
4.    Study mechanisms of causal inference, to enhance the explainability and interpretability of previous models
5.    Implementation of a framework involving Third-Generation Neural Network Models and Transformers by enhancing the potential of this transformative approach with causal inference
6.    Analysis and Validation of the System Using Real Data: Applying the developed framework to analyze and validate its effectiveness using real-world data.

Regime: The attribution of the fellowship does not generate or entitle a relation of a legal-labour nature, and the fellowship is undertaken in an exclusive dedication regime. The fellowship holder is awarded the Fellowship Statute of the UC, in its current wording, according to the Research Fellowship Holder Statute , and according to the Regulation for Research Fellowships of the Foundation for Science and Technology, both in their current wording.

Location: Department of Informatics Engineering  at the University of Coimbra.

Duration: 12 Months .

Renewal: Eventually renewable.

Scientific orientation: Bernardete Martins Ribeiro; Catarina Helena Branco Simões da Silva.

Financial conditions: The amount of the fellowship is € 1259.64  corresponding to the monthly compensation stipulated in the FCT table (https://www.fct.pt/en/financiamento/programas-de-financiamento/bolsas/ ), plus social security (Seguro Social Voluntário, first level contributions) tuition fees up to the maximum of € 2.750,00 for students enrolled in a PhD degree at the University of Coimbra, supported by own resources and  personal accidents insurance. The payment will be made by bank transfer. This amount will not be increased during the entire period of the fellowship duration.

Selection methods: Curriculum Evaluation (50%) and Interview (50%) .

Selection criteria: 
Curricular Evaluation: 
Absolute merit of curriculum vitae – 50%; 
Adequacy of the candidate's profile to the work plan to be developed – 30% 
Publications in scientific journals and minutes – 20%;

Interview: 
Ability to express oneself and verbal fluency – 30%;
Knowledge and profile appropriate to the functions to be developed - 30%; 
Motivation and Interest – 40%.

Jury responsible for selection: 
President: Bernardete Martins Ribeiro; 
Members: Catarina Helena Branco Simões da Silva; Jorge Manuel Oliveira Henriques. 
Alternate Members: César Alexandre Domingues Teixeira; Marco António Machado Simões.

Formalization of application:  
Motivation Letter; 
Curriculum Vitae; 
Certificate of qualifications; 
Proof of enrolment – doctoral degree (optional); 
Declaration mentioned below, the fulfillment of which is carried out in a specific form on the apply.uc.pt platform ..

Declaration on the honor of the candidate(s) with the indication of the fellowship(s) of the typology to which the contest was held and the respective duration(s).

Applicants with academic degrees obtained abroad will be required to present a Certificate of Recognition in accordance with applicable law. This document is mandatory only in the contractualization phase.

Applications submission: Applications must be submitted through the Apply UC platform https://apply.uc.pt/IT137-24-149 .

Submission of applications: Between 22/03/2024  and 08/04/2024.

Submission deadline date: 08/04/2024.

Additional information: The evaluation results will be announced within 90 working days after the end of the applications submission deadline, by notifying the applicants via email. After the announcement of the results, candidates are considered automatically notified to, if they wish to do so, comment on the results on a preliminary hearing period within 10 days after that date. After this, the selected candidates will have to declare in writing their acceptance. Unless a justification worthy of consideration is presented, if the declaration is not submitted within the referred period, it is considered that the candidate waivers the fellowship. In case of resignation or withdrawal of the selected candidate, the next candidate with the highest evaluation score will be notified immediately.
Once the selection process is completed, the fellowship contract will be drawn up in accordance with the draft contract provided by the FCT.
After the contracted period, the fellowship holder and supervisor must prepare the final report in accordance with the respective assessment criteria that were established.

Pursuant to subparagraph h) of Article 9 of the Portuguese Constitution, the University of Coimbra, as employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in access to employment and professional development, and acts to prevent each and every kind of discrimination.
Therefore, no one can be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or immune from any duty on account of, in particular, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic or racial origin, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs and trade union membership.

Selection reserve list: NA 

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Coimbra

Country

Portugal

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://apply.uc.pt/IT137-24-149

Contact

City

Coimbra

Website

https://apply.uc.pt/IT137-24-149

Street

Rua Larga

Postal Code

3004-504 Coimbra

STATUS: EXPIRED