Simula Research Laboratory (Simula) will be hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The position is part of the RCN funded Virtual-Eye project. The successful candidate will work on data acquisition, stochastic modeling of eye-gaze trajectories and AI methods to reproduce them. Together with the project team it is further expected that the candidate contributes towards implementation of the models in autonomous searching algorithms.
The successful candidate will be employed at Simula and divide their work time between Simula’s office and the Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) campus, which are both located in downtown Oslo. Further, the candidate will be affiliated with the Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing department (Simula), the OsloMet/SimulaMet AI Lab (OsloMet), and the Nordic Center for Sustainable and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Research (OsloMet).
The position will last for 2 years with a possibility of extension for one additional year.
The candidate’s project will intersect some of the following topics:
- Stochastic processes and mathematical stochastic models
- Statistical learning and theoretical aspects of statistics and probability theory in stochastic processes
- AI methods, with focus on Generative Adversarial Networks and other Machine Learning methods
- Eye-Tracking data
Duties and responsibilities:
- Design mathematical and AI models of eye-tracking data.
- Experimental design and data acquisition using eye-tracking technology
- Disseminate the projects results and outcome through appropriate channels
- Help administrative requirements as project partner
- Help in the supervision of PhD and Master projects related to the Virtual-Eye project.
- Perform eye-tracking experiments with human participants
Candidate profile
Qualification requirements:
- PhD degree in Physics, Computer Science or other related fields.
- Candidates who have submitted their PhD thesis for final evaluation but not yet defended it, might apply. If so, include information about the date set for the PhD defense.
- If the PhD thesis has been defended but the formal confirmation of a diploma is not yet available, please include a confirmation letter of successful defense signed by the university or the main PhD supervisor of the thesis.
- Good oral and written presentation skills in English.
- Documented education, research and/or work experience in stochastic modeling and its different applications, e.g., to eye-tracking data, EEG and other medical data, finance systems, energy systems and power grids.
The following will be considered an advantage:
- Experience researching non-Gaussian stochastic processes.
- Familiarity with machine learning methods and its implementations.
- Ability to work interdisciplinary.
- International experience in research with other groups, particularly in stochastic modeling and AI.
Simula offers
- Excellent opportunities for performing high quality research, as part of highly competent and motivated teams of international researchers and engineers: https://www.simula.no/about/simula-culture and https://www.oslomet.no/forskning.
- An informal and inclusive international working environment.
- Support for travel and opportunities to build international networks, through established collaboration with industry, exchange programs and research visits with other universities, and funding to attend conferences.
- Modern office facilities located centrally in Oslo.
- Competitive salary with a starting range of NOK 575 400.
- Numerous benefits: access to a company cabin, sponsored social events, generous equipment budgets (e.g., computer, phone and subscriptions), subsidized canteen meals, comprehensive travel insurance policy, etc.
- Relocation assistance: accommodation, visas, complimentary Norwegian language courses, etc.
- Wellness and work-life balance. Our employees’ health and well-being is a priority and we encourage them to make use of our flexible work arrangements to help balance their work and home lives efficiently.
About Simula
Simula is a publicly owned research lab located in Oslo, Norway. Simula’s mission is to solve important and fundamental problems of science and engineering, with the main goal of benefiting and advancing society. We do this by concentrating on five select research areas in ICT and performing excellent research, by developing our people, and by spinning out applicable results into profitable startups.
About OsloMet
OsloMet is an urban university with a diverse academic profile and a clear international orientation. Through the research we conduct and the students we educate, OsloMet seeks to respond to the needs of society and the labor market. OsloMet is forward-thinking and committed to adopting new technologies and innovative solutions that improve the way the university is run.
Context of the Virtual-Eye project
As a door to the outside world and by virtue of millions of years of biological evolution, the eyes exhibit a complex scanpath behaviour that is highly efficient at finding objects of interest. Novel search algorithms inspired by eye-gaze trajectories admit a list of potential applications in autonomous robotic search where the search time is critical, such as target detection in surveillance applications and visual scan for self-driving cars. Furthermore, the study of gaze has many important applications to medicine and psychology. It is observed that there is a gaze signature unique to each person which also provides information about personality traits, IQ and skills in a particular field, as well as diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer’s and autism. Mathematical research tends to forego that the eyes are intrinsically linked with the cognitive process. Here, eye movements are often treated as a simple way to forage for visual information. That is, however, a crude simplification: human scan-paths reflect more than just a strategy to forage for visual information and they seem to be better than other searching strategies such as Lévy flights which operate with simplistic assumptions. Both these mathematical processes are seemingly universal in explaining the foraging behaviour in processes as diverse as the hunting movement of albatrosses and sharks, the movement of swimming bacteria or the exploration of the Walt Disney Resort by children. Yet, paradoxically, the debate is still ongoing what its general form actually is. Our hypothesis in this "Virtual-Eye" project is that some of the added complexity of gaze trajectories, when compared to Lévy flights or intermittent processes, are designed to optimize the search for visual information.
Application process
If you would like to apply for the position you must do so electronically through our recruitment system.
You must upload the following documents with the application within the application deadline:
- Application letter
- CV
- Reference persons
- Academic transcripts
- PDF copy of your PhD thesis (or a link to access it online)
Deadline for application:
November 30th 2023, but applications will be reviewed continuously and a hiring decision might appear earlier.
First day of employment (tentative): January 1st 2024
Contact
Additional enquiries regarding the position can be addressed to Prof. Pedro Lind at OsloMet (pedro.lind@oslomet.no) or Dr. Ada Johanne Ellingsrud at Simula (ada@simula.no).
Simula Research Laboratory uses Semac ́s background check in our recruitment process.
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
If you have been funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) in a previous postdoctoral position, you cannot apply for this job. RCN funding can only be granted for one period.