PhD Candidate in AI for Depression Assessment

About the position

We have a vacancy for a PhD candidate in AI for Depression Assessment at The Department of Computer Science (IDI).

The Department of Computer Science (IDI) in Gjøvik invites applications for a 4-year fulltime PhD position in Computer Science. The position will be based at TheNorwegian Colour and Visual Computing Laboratory.

The main task of the PhD student in the doctoral work will be on devising new methodologies within machine learning (classical and deep learning) for temporal data from wearable devices. The successful candidate will perform research in the area of applied machine learning for early detection and relapse of depression. 

The position reports to Head of Department at Gjøvik.

The candidate is expected to be present at the data collection site (Modum Bad) during the data collection period (between one and two years). Depending on availability, Modum Bad offers housing for employees and kindergarden.

Duties of the position

The candidate is expected to work together with clinical psychologists and supplement the depression detection approaches using machine learning on data from wearable sensors and quantitative surveys. The research objective is to enable clinical decision making for psychologists related to depressive symptoms. Depending on the skills of the candidate, different aspects may be emphasized, for instance by focusing on:

• Temporal deep learning for wearable data.
• Classical machine learning for trajectory prediction in depression treatment.

The position is for 4 years. The candidate is expected to interact with clinical psychologists at Modum Bad. During the employment period, the candidate may spend a stipulated period for internship at other international groups.

Main supervisor: Assoc Prof. Kiran Raja (NTNU), Ph: +47 311 35 374, e-mail: [email protected] .

Co-supervisors: (1) Prof. Roger Hagen, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Psychology ([email protected] ) (2) Pål Ulvenes, head of analysis, Modum Bad ([email protected] ), (3) Prof. Marius Pedersen ([email protected] ), NTNU Gjøvik

Required selection criteria

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in mathematics, signal processing, computer science or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale .

The required selection criteria will include:

• Mandatory - Masters in computer science with strong focus on mathematics, statistics, signal processing and machine learning.
• Mandatory - Knowledge of pattern recognition, applied machine learning and deep learning.
• Mandatory - Excellent programming skills (documented on public websites/publications) in Python, Matlab, C++ and Deep learning framework (e.g., Keras, Tensorflow).
• Mandatory - A research proposal (maximum 2 pages excluding references) and should be relevant to the PhD position.

Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may be considered only if they can document that they are particularly suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree.

Other required selection criteria

• Prior experience from mobile and wearable application development.
• High motivation for research work and ability to work independently. Ability to collaborate with clinical practitioners.
• Good organization and communication skills with interest in wider context of own research and ability to engage in cross-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to work both individually and in a (virtual) team environment and a high level of personal responsibility, initiative and leadership skills.
• Eagerness to disseminate research results through publications and presentations at international conferences.  
• Knowledge of Norwegian language (written and oral) is an advantage.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants  and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

Preferred selection criteria

• Publication activities in the aforementioned disciplines will be considered an advantage.
• Good written and oral English.

Candidates who have completed their Master degree in an institution where English is not the language of instruction must present one of the following Secure English Language Test (SELT) results as follows:

• TOEFL Internet-Based (iBT) – minimum 95 with a writing score of at least 24.
• Academic IELTS – minimum 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each element.
• Advanced Cambridge Certificate at grade C or better.

The test results must not be older than 24 months on the date of the application deadline.

Other qualifications:

• A masters with background in machine learning is required.
• Good programming skills is required (C++/Python/Matlab).
• Good written and oral English language skills.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

Personal characteristics

• Ability to collaborate with fellow researchers in other disciplines like psychology.
• Being versatile to seek for solutions in challenging scenarios.

We offer

Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 491 200 per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The position is for 4 years.

Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Computer Science . As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

Publications and other academic works that the applicant would like to be considered in the evaluation must accompany the application. Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify the individual applicant's contribution to joint works, the applicant must include a brief description of his or her contribution.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Only complete applications will be evaluated.

• Curriculum vitae (CV) with information about the candidate’s prior training, exams, and work experience.
• A mandatory research statement (max. 2 pages), detailing research interests and initial plans with regard to the specific project description for this position provided above. The statement should also describe why the applicant is suited for the position, and how the project relates to previous education, research and competence.
• Names and contact information of at least 2 reference persons.
• A copy of the master thesis (in PDF), or, for those who are near to completion of their MSc, an extended abstract combined with a statement of how and when the applicant plans to complete the thesis.
• Certified copies of transcripts and diplomas of the bachelor and master’s degree. The documents have to be translated to English unless they are in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German or English.
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement (for European Master Diplomas outside Norway) or a similar document that describes in detail the study and grading system and the rights for further studies associated with the obtained degree.
• Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI) . 
• Pakistani applicants are required to provide information of Master Diploma from Higher Education Commission (HEC ). 
• Applicants with degrees from Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, Philippines, Sudan, Uganda and USA have to send their education documents as paper copy directly from the university college/university, in addition to enclose a copy with the application.

Incomplete applications will not be considered for evaluation. Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. 

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply. 

The city of Gjøvik has a population of 30 000 and is a town known for its rich music and cultural life. The beautiful nature surrounding the city is ideal for an active outdoor life! The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

Questions about the position can be directed to Assoc. Prof. Kiran Raja, phone number +47 311 35 374, e-mail [email protected]  or group leader Prof. Marius Pedersen, phone number +47 61 13 52 46, e-mail [email protected] .If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR, e-mail: [email protected] .

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number 2022/18198 when applying.

Application deadline: 25.06.22

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Computer Science 

We are the leading academic IT environment in Norway, and offer a wide range of theoretical and applied IT programmes of study at all levels. Our subject areas include hardware, algorithms, visual computing, AI, databases, software engineering, information systems, learning technology, HCI, CSCW, IT operations and applied data processing. The Department has groups in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Computer Science  is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering  .

Deadline 25th June 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Gjøvik
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Campus Gjøvik