PhD Research Fellow in ICT - Creating artificial morality

About the position

A fixed-term 100% position is available at the University of Agder, Faculty of Engineering and Science as a PhD Research Fellow, affiliated to the Department of Information and Communication Technology, for a period of 3 years. The position is located at Campus Grimstad. The starting date is as soon as possible or to be negotiated with the Faculty.

The Department of ICT has three large and active research groups in Information and Communication Technology including 8 Professors, 20 Associate Professors/Assistant professors and about 20 Research Fellows on the PhD programme in ICT. The Department of ICT pursues a variety of research interests, focusing especially on ICT and crisis management, artificial intelligence, eLearning and eHealth. The department has successfully led a number of large research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway, the EU research programmes FP7 and H2020 as well as national and international industries.

Responsibilities

This open position is associated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and part of the project “Artificial Morality and Causality”, which is a collaboration between computer scientists and philosophers.

The aim of the PhD Research Fellow is to help advance state-of-the-art in artificial morality– artificial intelligence that can reason morally. Artificial morality is the next frontier in the development of artificial intelligence, and the research fellow will get the opportunity to develop novel approaches to programming and training systems in making moral decisions. In more detail, the candidate will explore and develop ways of programming and training systems on board games and computer games that have a moral dimension; it might also include creating and programming some simple such games from scratch. The goal is to create an artificial intelligence that can play these games at least as well as humans, and thus demonstrate its mastery of the moral dimension involved. Datasets for training and evaluating the mechanisms developed will be available from several domains, e.g. game producers as well as our own generated data on our own games.

Research topics for the PhD Research Fellow include, but are not limited to the following:

• Machine ethics/artificial morality
• Moral games
• Learning cause and effect in moral domains

Required qualifications

• Master’s degree in ICT, Computer Science, or a similar/related field and document competence in areas relevant to the position
• The ideal candidate will have expertise in the following areas:
  • Bayesian networks
  • Philosophy/ethics
  • Causal inference
  • Machine learning
  • Meta- learning
  • Dynamic systems
• Strong academic credentials
• Written and spoken English proficiency

Applicants from some countries must document their English proficiency through one of the following tests with the stated results or better:

• TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language with a minimum score of 550 on the Paper-based Test (PBT), or 80 on the Internet based Test (iBT);
• IELTS – International English Language Testing System, with a result of at least 6.0.

Please check this list to see if an English test is required. Please note that the English test requirement applies to applicants from most countries according to the list mentioned above. No other English tests will be approved, and certifications/statements cannot replace an English test.

The PhD Research Fellow must be admitted to the PhD Programme in Technology, with specialization in ICT, within three months of appointment. More information about the programme and a complete list of admission requirements can be found here. The following admission requirements apply to the PhD programme:

• The average grade for courses included in the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) should be C (or equivalent) or higher;
• The average grade for courses included in the master's degree (or equivalent) should be B (or equivalent) or higher;
• The master's thesis (or equivalent) should have a grade B (or equivalent) or higher when the candidate is admitted to the PhD program.

Applications from applicants who already hold a PhD will normally not be considered.

Provisions relating to the position as PhD Research Fellow can be found in the Regulations Concerning Terms and Conditions of Employment for the post of Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Research Assistant and Resident.

Personal qualities

Personal suitability, good communication and teamwork skills, inventiveness, and a proactive approach, will be emphasized in the evaluation as well as relevant practical experience. The PhD Research Fellow will be expected to contribute to an active research community that promotes the personal and professional growth of the doctoral candidate.

The position places great demands on the applicant’s capacity for independent goal-oriented work, ability to concentrate and attention to detail.  In return, we offer the opportunity to contribute to the strategic capabilities of a world-class research organization, along with intensive PhD supervision. You will collaborate with top scientists in your field and have excellent prospects for personal development in an innovative working environment for aspiring researchers.

Applicants will be assessed on the basis of academic background and results, attainment, and any previous research and development work.

We offer

• Professional development in a large, exciting and socially influential organisation
• A positive, inclusive and diverse working environment
• Modern facilities and a comprehensive set of welfare offers  
• Membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund  

More about working at UiA.

The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.515, code 1017 PhD Research Fellow, NOK 479 600 gross per year. A compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is deducted from the pay according to current statutory provisions.

General information

A good working environment is characterised by its diversity. We therefore encourage all qualified candidates to apply for the position, irrespective of gender, age, disability or cultural background. The University of Agder is an IW (Inclusive Workplace).

Women are strongly encouraged to apply for the position. 

The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with the current regulations for the position, and organisational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position must be expected. Appointment is made by the University of Agder’s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions.

Short-listed applicants will be invited for interviews. With the applicant’s permission, UiA will also conduct a reference check before appointment. Read more about the employment process.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act § 25 (2), applicants may request that they are not identified in the open list of applicants. The University, however, reserves the right to publish the names of applicants. Applicants will be advised of the University’s intention to exercise this right. 

Application

The application and any necessary information about education and experience (including diplomas and certificates) are to be sent electronically. Use the link "Apply for this job".

The following documentation must be uploaded electronically:

• CV
• Certificates and/or grades for all post-secondary education, up to and including the bachelor's level;
• Master's degree/higher degree certificate, with a summary of the courses/subjects included in the degree;
• Applicants with a foreign higher education must attach an official description of the grading system used at the issuing institution;
• Summary (approximately 1-2 pages) of the master's thesis;
• Applicants who are required to document their English proficiency must submit their TOEFL or IELTS test results (these may be forwarded after the closing date);
• Summary or links to the applicant's scientific publications (if any);
• A description of the candidate’s research interests and background for the project applied for.

The applicant is fully responsible for submitting complete digital documentation before the closing date. All documentation must be available in a Scandinavian language or English.

Application deadline: 06.01.20

Contact

For questions about the position:

• Professor Einar Duenger Bøhn, tel. +47 38 14 19 42, e-mail: einar.d.bohn@uia.no
• Professor Ole-Christoffer Granmo, tel. +47 37 23 33 57, email: ole.granmo@uia.no
• Head of Department Folke Haugland, tel. +47 37 23 32 20, email: folke.haugland@uia.no

For questions about the application process:

• HR Advisor Nina Rønningen, tel. +47 38 14 20 16, e-mail nina.ronningen@uia.no
• Higher Executive Officer Lise Askbo Fylkesnes, tel. +47 37 23 31 25, e-mail: lise.a.fylkesnes@uia.no