Phd Fellowship in Computer Science (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems)

The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Computer Science at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The position is vacant for appointment as soon as possible.

This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.

The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Science and Technology. The education includes relevant courses to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website.

The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively, or four years with both research and 25% compulsory duties. This will be clarified in the recruitment process.

The PhD student will be affiliated to the "Capacity Boost Tunnel Safety" (KATS) project and will undertake the project within ICT-based Tunnel Safety (iTSRG) research group at the department.

The KATS project is about increasing the industry’s capacity for research-based innovation to improve the safety of road tunnels domestically and internationally. The goal is to raise the multidisciplinary research, collaboration and competence capacity amongst  companies, enterprises, authorities and the research environment.

Safe and efficient flow of traffic within the road network in general, and  tunnels in particular, play a critical role in general notion of public safety. More automation is expected to be seen on future roads and  tunnels with emergence of self-driving and fully autonomous vehicles and fully automated road-side infrastructure.

However, in the transition period to a fully autonomous transport many systems with various levels of automation will have to coexist together in a hybrid environment on the road and in tunnels. Ensuring the safety of road tunnels in such heterogenous environments is therefore of utmost importance. In recent years, significant progress has been made within the areas of information and communication technologies and Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS). As a highly multidisciplinary field, tunnel safety and emergency management can benefit from such progress to facilitate the transition towards future autonomous vehicles and roads.

The KATS project has already begun some initiatives in these directions – i.e., investigating: (1) how the notion of real-time risk assessment using sensor fusion data can be incorporated into a more intelligent decision-making process for the use of multiple entities on the road system (e.g., road users, traffic controllers, tunnel operators, etc.); (2) how increased connectivity and automation can impact the safety in road tunnels both positively and negatively. Therefore, this PhD project explores how C-ITS and CCAM (cooperative, connected, and automated mobility) can contribute to tunnel safety particularly with the emergence of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs). 

We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree (3+2) within a relevant field (e.g. Computer Science, ICT, telecom, C-ITS, transportation) , preferably acquired recently; or possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.

You should also have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• one or more programming languages and collaborative software development tools (e.g. C/C++, Python, git)
• C-ITS and CCAM concepts, protocols, standards, and applications
• risk assessment and modelling, decision support system and vehicular networking

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master’s thesis and the weighted average grade of your master’s degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade. If you finish your education (masters degree) in the spring of 2022, you are also welcome to apply.

Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and/or with other types of credits than sp/ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subject that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales  to calculate your points for admission.

Emphasis is also placed on your:

• motivation and potential for research within the field
• professional and personal skills for completing the doctoral degree within the timeframe
• ability to work independently and in a team, be innovative and creative
• ability to work structured and handle a heavy workload
• having a good command of both oral and written English

You must attach a cover letter (as a separate attachment, not to be mistaken with the application text) explaining your interest in the project and the relevance of your background and experience.

A good proficiency in English is required for anyone attending the PhD program. International applicants must document this by taking one of the following tests with the following results:

• TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (IBT). Minimum result: 90
• IELTS – International English Language Testing Service. Minimum result: 6.5
• Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) og Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge
• PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English Academic. Minimum result: 62

The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements:

• Applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA
• Applicants with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma
• Applicants with a completed bachelor's and / or master's degrees taught in English in a EU/EEA country

• a PhD education in a large, exciting and socially important organisation
• an ambitious work community which is developing rapidly. We strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure.
• colleague-based guidance programme (NyTi ) if teaching is a part of your position
• salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, l.pl 17.515, code 1017, NOK 491 200 gross per year with salary development according to seniority in the position. A higher salary may be considered in special cases. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund , which provides favourable insurance- and retirement benefits
• favourable membership terms at a gym and at the SIS sports club  at campus
• employment with an Inclusive Workplace organisation which is committed to reducing sick leave, increasing the proportion of employees with reduced working capacity, and increasing the number of professionally active seniors
• "Hjem-jobb-hjem"  discounted public transport to and from work
• as an employee in Norway, you will have access to an optimal health service, as well as good pensions, generous maternity/paternity leave, and a competitive salary. Nursery places are guaranteed and reasonably priced
• relocation programme
• language courses : On this page you can see which language courses you may be entitled to (look up “language courses” under employment conditions)

University of Stavanger values independence, involvement and innovation. Diversity is respected and considered a resource in our work and learning environment. Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities.

You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, disability or cultural background.

The university aims to recruit more women within the subject area. If several applicants are considered to have equal qualifications, female applicants will be given priority.

More information on the position (and project description) can be obtained from Associate Professor Naeem Khademi, tel: +47 51 83 11 77, e-mail: [email protected]  or Associate Professor II Henrik Bjelland, tel: +47 91 63 75 87, e-mail: [email protected] .

Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR-advisor Rosa Andrade, tel: +47 51 83 11 91, e- mail: [email protected] .

To apply for this position please follow the link "Apply for this job". Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here. 

The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:

• cover letter explaining your interest in the project and the relevance of your background and experience to the position. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
• CV with a full summary of your education and experience
• references, academic certificates/diplomas and other documentation that you consider relevant
• Diploma Supplement or similar and a confirmed conversion scale if this is required
• documentation on competence in English if this is required
• publications or other relevant research work

Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above and that you have attached the necessary documentation. 

The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload.

Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants - see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act . If your request is not granted, you will be notified.

UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.

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. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further assessment.

Employment as PhD Fellow is regulated in "Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident ".

Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee's statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.

The appointee will be based at the University of Stavanger, with the exception of a stay abroad at a relevant centre of research.

It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.

The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the English text takes precedence.