1-2 PhD students in Computing Science with focus on cloud native computing systems

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest institutions of higher education with over 35,000 students and 4,200 faculty and staff. We are characterised by world-leading research in several scientific fields and a multitude of educations ranked highly in international comparison. Umeå University is also the site of the pioneering discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors - a revolution in genetic engineering that has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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To our department, characterized by world-leading research in several scientific fields and a multitude of educations ranked highly in international comparison, we now look for 1-2 doctoral students in autonomous management systems for Cloud Native computing systems (see Cloud Native Computing Foundation, CNCF (https://www.cncf.io)). The recruitment is performed as part of a comprehensive expansion of the research group, which means that the doctoral students’ specific research problems can to a large extent be defined in dialogue with the candidates, based on the candidates’ background and interests and opportunities for synergies with other people currently being recruited.

The Department of Computing science has been growing rapidly in recent years where focus on an inclusive and bottom-up driven environment are key elements in our sustainable growth. The 50 doctoral students within the department consist of a diverse group from different nationalities, background and fields. If you work as a doctoral student with us, you receive the benefits of support in career development, networking, administrative and technical support functions along with good employment conditions. See more information at:
https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-computing-science/

Is this interesting for you? Welcome with your application before 20 September

Project description

The research, led by Professor Erik Elmroth, focuses on autonomous systems for managing resources and applications in environments based on cloud native technology (and possibly serverless technology), i.e., the software landscape built around Kubernetes run by CNCF. The specific research problem can to a large extent be adapted to the candidate's background and interest, with the ambition of creating new knowledge about the design of autonomous management systems for future software systems designed specifically for execution in clouds. General objectives for autonomous management systems are typically to achieve high reliability, availability, performance, and efficiency with moderate manual effort.

The research group Autonomous Distributed Systems Lab is an international leader in its field that has focused on autonomous management systems for cloud, edge and HPC systems for more than 15 years. The group currently consists of just over 20 people, of which 10 are doctoral students, but is now expanding sharply through the recruitment of another 15 early-career researchers. The research is largely interdisciplinary and develops the autonomous management systems of the future with contributions from, e.g., control theory, discrete optimization, mathematical statistics, and artificial intelligence, especially machine learning. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research and the great industrial interest, research is often carried out in formal or informal collaborations. Important industrial partners are Ericsson Research (Stockholm and Lund, Sweden), Intel (Germany), IBM (Israel), Google (USA), Red Hat (Spain) and TietoEvry (Sweden) and others, as well as our own spin-off company Elastisys. Academic partners include University of Massachusetts Amherst, Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, Lund University, Uppsala University, KTH, and Chalmers.

See https://www.cloudresearch.org for further information on the group's activities.

Admission requirements

The general admission requirements for doctoral studies are a second-cycle level degree, or completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits are at second-cycle level, or have an equivalent education from abroad, or equivalent qualifications. To fulfil the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in computing science, the applicant is required to have completed at least 90 ECTS credits in computing science or areas of direct relevance for the PhD topic. Applicants who otherwise have acquired skills that are deemed equivalent are also eligible.

You must be able to independently progress your work and your development, in projects that often take place in collaboration with others. Furthermore, you must have a background in distributed systems or software systems, as well as a good ability to communicate in English.

It is an advantage if you have experience from working in research projects and from writing scientific articles. Industrial experience is also an advantage, especially in areas relevant to the PhD topic.

As a person, you are curious, independent, and determined but at the same time flexible and responsive in collaborations with others. As we strive to create an environment characterized by openness and care, honesty and consideration are other qualities of value.

About the position

The position provides you with the opportunity to pursue PhD studies in Computing Science for four years, with the goal of achieving the degree of Doctor in Computing Science. While the position is mainly devoted to PhD studies (at least 80% of the time), it may include up to 20% department service (usually teaching). If so, the total time for the position is extended accordingly, resulting in a maximum of five years.

The procedure for recruitment for the position is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (chapter 12, 2§) and the decision regarding the position cannot be appealed.

Starting date based on agreement.

Application

Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University.

A complete application should contain the following documents:

• A cover letter including a description of your research interests, your reasons to apply for the position, and your contact information
• A curriculum vitae
• Reprints / copies of completed BSc and/or MSc theses and other relevant publications, if any
• Authenticated copies of degree certificates, including documentation of completed academic courses and obtained grades
• Documentation and description of other relevant experiences or competences.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. Attached documents must be in pdf format. Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University, and be received no later than 2022-09-20.

The Department of Computing Science values gender diversity, and therefore particularly encourages women and those outside the gender binary to apply for the position.

For additional information, please contact professor Erik Elmroth ([email protected]).