PhD Fellow in Computer Science

A PhD position is available at the Department of Computer Science with the Arctic Green Computing (AGC) research group. The position is a part of the new Horizon Europe project MISO - Autonomous Multi-Format In-Situ Observation Platform for Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Methane Monitoring in Permafrost & Wetlands (2023 - 2026).

The position is for a period of three years. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to a Ph.D. program is a prerequisite for employment, and the program period starts on the commencement of the position.

The Department of Computer Science provides an active international research environment with 18 tenured faculty members, 4 adjunct professors, 6 post-doctors and researchers, 8 technical/administrative staff members and about 28 Ph.D. students from different countries. The goal of the Department is to advance the research and teaching of Computer Science as a discipline, demonstrate leadership within our areas of interest, and contribute to society through our education, research, and dissemination.

The Arctic Green Computing (AGC) research group addresses energy efficiency, system complexity, and dependability across mobile, embedded, and data center systems. The group's current research interests include (energy-) efficient, high-performance computing (Green HPC) and scalable, efficient artificial intelligence (Green AI). The group was a work-package leader in the EU ICT project EXCESS on energy-efficient computing systems. The group is leading the work on energy-efficient edge intelligence in the EU project MISO and the EEA project HAPADS. The group is PI and Co-PI of several national research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR) through prestigious funding programs such as FRIPRO Young Research Talents, Research Infrastructure, and IKTPLUSS ICT Initiative. The group is a member of the EU network of excellence HiPEAC in computer systems, and the EU network of research excellence centers TAILOR in artificial intelligence.

The main objective of MISO is to develop and deploy an autonomous in-situ observation platform for use in hard-to-reach areas for detecting and quantifying carbon dioxide and methane gasses. The platform will use a combination of stationary and mobile (drone) solutions requiring minimum on-site intervention when deployed. The platform ultimately aims to increase the geographical coverage of areas with measurements and long-time series availability of in situ GHG observations.
The project will develop new energy-efficient autonomous cyber-physical systems for MISO in-situ observatories. The new systems will enable the in-situ observatories to operate autonomously, minimize communication, and extend the deployment period.

Further information about the position is available by contacting Professor Phuong H. Ha:

This position requires a Master's degree or equivalent in Computer Science. A successful candidate should be interested in at least one of the topics: energy-efficient computing, distributed machine learning, and energy-efficient edge intelligence. Experience with low-power AI systems (e.g., Intel/Movidius NCS, Google Edge TPU) and efficient machine learning techniques (e.g., pruning, quantization, neural architecture search) is a plus. Since our research results are experimentally evaluated, excellent programming skills are necessary.

Qualification with a Master's degree is required before commencement in the position. If candidates are near completion of their Master's degree, they may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from their supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. Candidates must document the completion of their degree before commencement in the position.

Applicants must document fluency in English and be able to work in an international environment.

The assessment emphasizes the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, research proposal, and other scientific work. In addition, other experiences of significance for the completion of the doctoral program may be given consideration.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment

As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. Candidates who already hold a Ph.D. or have equivalent competence will not be appointed to this position.

For employment in the Ph.D. position, candidates must be qualified for admission to the Ph.D. program at the Faculty of Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS.
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.

In order to gain admission to the program, the applicant must have a grade point average of C or better for the master's degree and relevant subjects of the bachelor's degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether their educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from NOKUT.

Candidates employed in the position will be provisionally admitted to the Ph.D. program. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking the position.

• Involvement in an interesting research project
• Good career opportunities
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund
• More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here

Remuneration for the position of Ph.D. fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. At present, the gross salary starts from NOK 501 200 per year. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

Potential candidates are welcome to send an email to [email protected] . The email must include the following email subject and PDF files:

• Email subject containing the candidate's full name
• Cover letter explaining motivation and research interests
• CV
• Research proposal (2-3 pages) describing how the candidate can contribute to the project
• Publications, Master thesis, and any other academic works
• Contact information of three references
• Diplomas, diploma supplements, and transcripts (all degrees)
• Documentation of English proficiency. This website states how English proficiency must be documented.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian.

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. Our website provides more information for applicants .

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the Ph.D. fellow has already completed parts of their research training program or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position Ph.D. fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply regardless of their gender, functional capacity, or cultural background. UiT will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability
More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: Welcome to UiT!

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to Offentleglova information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. Candidates will receive advance notification in the event of such publication if they have requested non-disclosure.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus research university and the world's northernmost university. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet future challenges. At UiT, candidates can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.

Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.