PhD Research Fellow in Formal Methods and Software Engineering for Digital Twins

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Informatics available at Department of Informatics, University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Preferred starting date no later than September 1, 2024. The fellowship period is three (3) years.

An extension of the appointment by up to twelve months may be considered, which will be devoted to career-enhancing compulsory work duties, e.g. teaching or supervision. This will be dependent on the qualifications of the applicant and the specific teaching needs of the department.

Knowledge development in a changing world - Science and technology towards 2030.

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Job description

Are you interested in doing a PhD in formal methods and software engineering, developing exciting software solutions in a unique, interdisciplinary research environment? In this project, we will work on digital twins, which are technologies that can support the development and exploration of hypothetical experiments (so-called “what-if” scenarios). The project aims to develop digital twin solutions that work in practice and that allow us to argue for correctness. The design of the digital twin should allow us to express the correctness of its underlying architecture but also to justify specific configurations for different hypothetical exper-iments.

The work will be conducted in the context of the project “A Digital Twin for Vaccination Strategies at Geographic Scales”. The successful candidate will work as part of a unique team of researchers within the fields of computer science, biology (ecology and evolution), medicine, and scientific ethics. Team members in-clude Einar Broch Johnsen – the primary supervisor for the announced position – and Nils Chr. Stenseth, Gunnveig Grødeland, and Anders Strand, as well as a well-developed international network. A postdoctoral candidate focusing on epidemiology will be appointed and work closely with the appointed postdoctoral researcher. The project will develop a digital twin to study the effects of different vaccination strategies against current and future diseases at a local and global level. Digital twins are one of the central pillars of digitalization in engineering and are now increasingly used as a tool for natural science.

The project is conducted at an active research group at the Department of Informatics, which works on digital twin solutions from the perspective of software engineering and formal methods. The group provides a vibrant and collaborative research environment with a strong commitment to research excellence. This position is ideal for applicants interested in logic, formal descriptions, software engineering, and programming. In addition, by participating in the “A Digital Twin for Vaccination Strategies at Geographic Scale” project, you will contribute to the development of novel digital twin solutions that help us understand and poten-tially tackle effects of epidemiological dynamics and vaccination strategies. We offer an attractive salary and benefits package as per University of Oslo standards.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in computer science or equivalent fields. Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system.
• Excellent skills and experience in logic, formal methods or theoretical computer science
• Excellent skills and experience in software engineering and programming in languages such as Python, Julia, R, Java, etc.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with formal specification and modelling
• Experience with software engineering
• Experience with data analysis and processing
• Interest in applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques
• Interest or experience in statistical modelling and analysis
• Interest in mathematics and natural science
• Experience with scientific publication and conducting research
• Experience with teamwork and/or interdisciplinary research

Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educa-tional system
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:

https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position.

For more information see:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

Personal skills

• Ability to work structured, creative, independently and in a team
• Enthusiasm, readiness to learn new knowledge, and ability to take initiative
• Flexibility, ability to handle pressure and meet deadlines
• The candidate should be highly self-driven and able to take responsibility for his/her own work, including troubleshooting and acquiring additional skills required to reach the project goals

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per year depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Career development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

UiO has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact information

For further information please contact Professor Einar Broch Johnsen, phone: +47 228 2509, e-mail: einarj@ifi.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no