PhD fellowship in Applied Information Technology (PhysioGuard)

Kristiania University College is offering a fully funded PhD fellowship in Applied Information Technology for a period of three (3) years beginning in January 2024. During this time, the successful applicant will be employed at the School of Economics, Innovation and Technology and included in a team of researchers with ambitious plans to further develop research and pedagogical activities at the university college.

About Kristiania University College

Kristiania University College is Norway's largest independent comprehensive university college with 18,000 students. Our mission is to strongly contribute to Norway's social and economic development through problem-driven and applied knowledge development and dissemination, in close cooperation with the public and private sectors. Students can choose from a large portfolio of study programmes at the bachelor’s and master’s levels that are offered in Oslo, Bergen and online. Among these are study programmes in management, organization, marketing, communication, computer science, information technology, health sciences, innovation, and creative arts. The two PhD programmes at Kristiania University College offer advanced graduate work in most of these fields. For more information about the PhD programmes, see here: https://www.kristiania.no/en/research/phd/

About the position

The PhD position is a three-year fulltime position that involves 30 ECTS credits of required course work. This is equivalent to one semester of study. The remaining time is allocated to the development and completion of an independent research project, which takes the form of a written dissertation. The three-year employment period granted to the successful candidate may be reduced if the successful candidate has previously been employed in a PhD position.

The successful candidate is expected to live and work in the Bergen region during the employment period and to take an active part in scholarly and social activities at Kristiania.

About the project

The PhD project is affiliated with the larger project, i.e., PhysioGuard: XAI Empowered Non-invasive IoMT Anomaly Resolution for Physiological Biomarkers Monitoring at the Edge. PhysioGuard aims to develop a noninvasive solution that integrates Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices, edge computing, and explainable artificial intelligence to advance the monitoring of physiological biomarkers such as heart rate and breath rate. This solution will focus on identifying and correcting any inaccuracies in the physiological data provided by IoMT devices, ensuring reliable information for decision-making processes, thereby enhancing patient care services.

The successful candidate must design an independent project that fits with the theme and research questions of the main project. The successful candidate should formulate the project such that it is integral to the development of knowledge within the area addressed by this main project. The successful candidate should also be able to argue that the project will contribute to the success of the main project by answering questions such as:

• What are the key challenges and opportunities in using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve the accuracy and reliability of physiological biomarkers (e.g., heart rate and breath rate) measured by IoMT devices in healthcare?
• Which AI algorithms are most effective for improving the accuracy and reliability of physiological biomarkers measured by IoMT devices, and how can their performance be evaluated?
• How can explainable AI be used to enhance the interpretability and transparency of machine learning models that are dedicated to improving the accuracy and reliability of physiological biomarkers (e.g., heart rate and breath rate) measured by IoMT devices at the Edge?

Qualifications and personal qualities

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree (ECTS or equivalent) in ICT, Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Analytics, or a similar/related field with a grade B or better on the master’s thesis and for the master’s degree in total. The master’s thesis must be a minimum of 30 ECTS or equivalent.
• Relevant 180 ECTS bachelor’s degree.
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English.
• Solid expertise in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things is essential.
• Proficiency in programming languages like Python, C/C++, Java, or JavaScript.

Desired qualifications:

• Familiarity with edge computing and AI frameworks such as TensorFlow is beneficial.
• Understanding healthcare systems and physiological biomarkers is advantageous.

Personal qualities:

• Curiosity and a strong motivation to carry out independent research.
• Good communication and cooperation skills
• Excellent analytical skills
• The ability, desire, and capacity to work independently, systematically, and purposefully
• Orientation toward the completion of projects and the attainment of goals

Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability for the position.

Your application must include:

• A short cover letter (maximum 2 pages), including a brief account of your research interests and motivation for the position.
• Official Transcripts and Diplomas in a Scandinavian or English language. If the original is in another language than these, then both the original and an English translation should be submitted.
• CV
• Master’s thesis
• Any relevant publications
• The names and contact information of two reference persons. (One should preferably be the main supervisor/advisor of your master’s thesis.)
• A proposal for a research project of a maximum of five (5) pages. See here for template: https://www.kristiania.no/contentassets/aea39e6158c24858ac7627a1e3537242/project-proposal-template_fellowship-application.pdf

Kristiania University College will only process applications submitted through our electronic recruitment system. All documents must be uploaded in this system for your application to be considered. The documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language. Translations must be authorized, and you must be prepared to present originals during a potential interview. Kristiania conducts document verification to ensure a genuine evaluation and fair competition for you as a candidate. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Evaluation of the applicants

All complete applications from qualified applicants will be assessed by an expert committee.

The candidate must be accepted to the PhD programme at the latest three months after signing the employment contract. To be accepted to this programme, one must fulfil the following requirements:

• a relevant 180 ECTS bachelor’s degree, and
• a relevant 120 ECTS master’s degree (or integrated bachelor and master) with minimum 30 ECTS master thesis, and with grade similar to the Norwegian/European grade B or higher both in average for the master’s degree in total and for the master’s thesis alone.

We offer:

• An exciting job in a dynamic professional environment in an organization with ambitions
• A pleasant and stimulating working environment with good colleagues
• Opportunities for professional development
• Good insurance and pension schemes
• Corporate sports teams and training facilities
• Modern workspace in the heart of Bergen city

The starting salary is 532,200. NOK per year.

Kristiania University College welcomes and encourages diversity. Women and persons with minority background are particularly encouraged to apply.

We use Semac background checks in our recruitment process.

Application deadline

03.11.2023

For more information about the School of Economics, Innovation and Technology, see here: https://www.kristiania.no/en/schools/school-of-economics-innovation-and-technology/

For more information about Kristiania, see here: https://www.kristiania.no/

Only applications received through our application portal will be considered