PhD Fellow in “Decision Analyses of Human and Digital Navigators in Ship Encounters at Bridge...

The Department of Technology and Safety (ITS) at UiT the Arctic University of Norway has a PhD position vacant for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is attached to the research groups “Operation and maintenance in cold climate” and “Human Factors in the arctic”.

The workplace is at Campus Tromsø. The Department is organised under the Faculty of Science and Technology and is located at two campuses: Tromsø and Harstad. The department has approximately 90 employees and approximately 500 students. It offers undergraduate, master’s, and PhD degree programmes as well as research in the areas of nautical science, aviation, societal safety, environment, and international preparedness.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The position will primarily be assigned teaching duties within nautical science.

The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

This project is connected to Center of Excellence in Maritime simulator Training and Assessment (COAST), which aim to evaluate and develop simulation practices for training and assessment in Maritime Education and Training.

The PhD project will focus on decision making in vessel encounters, specially related to ship collision avoidance. With the introduction of autonomous vessels, ship collision avoidance in a mixed environment, with both manned and autonomous vessels, will likely introduce operational challenges the needs to be addressed in maritime education and training. Such interactions are difficult to study in a realistic oceanic environment.

Consequently, this project proposes to conduct experiments in a bridge simulator environment, where manned and autonomous vessels can interact under various encounter situations. The project will not only focus on the respective interactions, but also the cognitive / information processing factors underlying decisions by both human and unmanned navigators.

The proposed research will include the following main tasks:

• Implement a digital navigator in a software simulator environment using fuzzy logic. The digital navigator should run according to COLREG standards.
• Develop a methodology for identifying possible regulatory failure situations for various ship encounters in a simulator environment. This includes how human and digital navigators will interpret the same regulations (COLREGs) in ship encounter situations, specially under possible regulatory failure situations.
• Develop experiments where the interaction between digital and human navigators can be studied, and where requirements for human operator selection and training can be identified and mapped.

Further information about the position is available by contacting:

This position requires a relevant Master’s degree, as applicants must fulfil the requirements for admission to the PhD programme in nautical sciences. 

It is preferable if the candidate has knowledge and experience within at least one of the following fields:

• Nautical operations / navigation/ COLREGs
• Psychology of judgment / decision making
• Machine learning / data science/Fuzzy logic
• Programming languages such as e.g. MATLAB, Python and/or C++
• Good analytical, numerical and experimental skills

Applicants must document good communication skills in both written and spoken English. Knowledge of a Scandinavian language is beneficial.

Emphasis is strongly attached to the relevant background of the applicant, as demonstrated via their previous academic and professional work.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position.

As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

For employment in the PhD position, you must be also be admitted to the National Joint PhD Program in Nautical Operations  and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period. Admission requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a relevant master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS, with good results
• 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. 

A weighted grade average for the master's degree equal to B or better is normally required for admission. The candidate must also have a grade of B or better on the master's thesis. Exceptions to these admission rules can be considered if the candidate can document particular suitability for a PhD education. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here . 

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

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
• Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
• Transcript of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian  or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• References with contact information

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcripts for the master’s degree with your application.

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. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline. 

• 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 for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants . 

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

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017.  A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

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

UiT is a multi-campus research university in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. 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 the challenges of the future. At UiT you 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.

The Department of Technology and Safety (ITS) at UiT the Arctic University of Norway is an interesting and exciting workplace with a focus on a good working environment for employees and a good learning environment for students. The department has an important role as a knowledge provider for the labor market in the region, through education, research and continuing education. Our students appreciate that the department works closely with the industry during the study program.