Postdoctoral Position in Text Privacy

About the position 

The Department of Information Security and Communication Technology (IIK) has a vacancy for a position as a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering( IE), in the cross-disciplinary field of cyber security.

The position is a part of the Machine Learning for the Anonymization of Unstructured Personal Data   (CLEANUP) project funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. 

The position's working place is at NTNUs campus at Gjøvik and reports to the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

The appointment is for a term of 2 years and is a part of the CLEANUP project funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The CLEANUP project spans several research institutions, including NTNU, the University of Oslo, the Norwegian Computing Center in Norway and University of Rovira i Virgili in Spain. It aims to develop novel computational models and processing techniques to automatically anonymize unstructured data, with a focus on text documents. The project will also design dedicated evaluation methods to assess the empirical performance of text anonymization mechanisms, and examine how these metrics should be interpreted from a legal perspective. Finally, the project will investigate how these technological solutions can be integrated into organizational processes – in particular how quality control can be effectively performed, and how the level and type of anonymization can be parametrized to meet the specific needs of the data owner.

The position will be concerned with analyzing and designing mechanisms for text data and information access that allow control of the privacy- utility trade-off. Of particular interest is:

• Development of differentially private text data query mechanisms.
• Evaluation of existing anonymization approaches.

The research will be carried out as an integrated part of the NTNU Applied Cryptology Lab, and under guidance of Staal A. Vinterbo.

Required selection criteria

You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in:

• Statistics
• Machine learning/NPL
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Information theory

or equivalent.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant .

Preferred selection criteria

• Interest in the proposed research and the ability to acquire necessary tools for conducting the research
• Ability to work independently.
• Good organization and communication skills.
• Interest in a wider context beyond own research.
• Eager to disseminate research results through publications and presentations at international conferences.
• Good written and oral English and Norwegian language skills. Applicants who do not master a Scandinavian language must provide evidence of good English language skills, written and spoken. The following tests can be used as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are: 
  • TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test).
  • IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted).
  • CAE/CPE: grade B or A.

Publication activities in the aforementioned disciplines will be considered a strong advantage.

Personal characteristics

We are seeking applicants who are:

• Highly motivated by fundamental scientific research of practical relevance.
• Able to work independently.
• Well organized and have interests beyond their own research.
• Eager to disseminate research results through publications and presentations at international conferences.

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

We offer 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 574 700 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 2 years.

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 criteria 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. 

The position is subject to external funding .

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

Appointment takes place on the terms that apply to State employees at any time, and after the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

About the application 

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. 

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

Submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Do not send the application via email. Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Include the following in the application:

• A cover letter explaining your motivation and how your skills and experience relate to the research associated with the position (1 page). 
• A draft research proposal (1 page).
• CV with list of publications and GRE scores or other supporting documents as documentation of the candidates’ study and language abilities. 
• Relevant transcript of grades, diplomas, and certificates, including undergraduate. The documents have to be translated to English unless they are in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German or English.
• A copy of the PhD thesis (in PDF), or, for those who are near to completion of their PhD, an extended abstract combined with a statement of how and when the applicant plans to complete the thesis.
• Names and contact information of at least two references, preferably from academic supervisor(s).
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are requested to send a diploma supplement (for European Diploma holders 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.

Incomplete applications submitted without justification will not be considered.

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well. 

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

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

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 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. 

Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Staal Vinterbo, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Stine Terese Ruen Nymoen, e-mail: [email protected]

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI) .

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number 2021/ 54671 when applying.

Application deadline: 15.11.21

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 Information Security and Communication Technology

Research is vital to the security of our society. We teach and conduct research in cyber security, information security, communications networks and networked services. Our areas of expertise include biometrics, cyber defence, cryptography, digital forensics, security in e-health and welfare technology, intelligent transportation systems and malware. The Department of Information Security and Communication Technology is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering  .

Deadline 15th November 2021
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Gjøvik
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Campus Gjøvik