About the position

The PhD position is at the Department of Information Security and Communication Technology (IIK), NTNU. This is a researcher training position aimed at providing promising researcher recruits the opportunity of academic development in the form of a doctoral degree in the PhD Programme in Information Security and Communication Technology. The PhD candidate will work closely with the Networking Research Group at IIK and will contribute to strengthening the human-centric perspective towards next generation Internet and multimedia services within the department.

The position’s working place is at NTNU’s campus in Trondheim and reports to the Head of Department.

Main duties and responsibilities

The vision for the next generation Internet (NGI) as put forward by the European Commission a number of years ago is that it should be a "human centric internet or an internet of humans" and emphasizes that it should be "trustworthy, resilient, sustainable and inclusive". From a technological point of view, the major advancements in domains such as artificial intelligence, interactive and immersive technologies (AR/VR/XR). Internet of Things, distributed ledger technologies (e.g. blockchain) are enabling drivers in this respect. However, in order to better understand what really matters for citizens, human communities and users, multidisciplinary approaches are needed. These should draw on a strong interaction and collaboration between human-centered disciplines (e.g., social sciences) and more technology-oriented fields, truly embracing next generation of Internet services, and ensuring key ideals such as empowerment, trust, inclusion and human control/in the loop. One of the notions that has been undergoing a transition towards a more human-centric paradigm, and that may play a role in this respect, is Quality of Experience (QoE). Depending on the skills and interests of the candidate, different aspects may be emphasized in the scientific work as part of this PhD position, for instance by focusing on

• New methods, measures and standards for evaluating Quality of Experience in ecologically-valid ways (e.g., in the context of smart cities)
• QoE, engagement and user behavior from a longitudinal point of view (and its methodological challenges)
• Approaches to leverage on user diversity in next generation internet and multimedia services
• Approaches focusing on key goals such as empowerment, trust, human control

The PhD position will be under the main supervision of associate professor Katrien De Moor.

Qualification requirements

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits), or to be enrolled in the final year of a master’s degree programme, with a strong academic background in either:

• Communication- and Information technology, Computer Science (e.g., with a specialisation in Human-Computer Interaction), or similar, with relevant and documented experience with user research and user research methods (qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed-method approaches)
• Social sciences, Psychology, Cognitive sciences, ... or similar, and with a strong and documented interest in, or previous experience with research at the intersection of people and technology.

Candidates must have a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale for their master’s degree. Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may be considered only if they can document that they are particularly suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree.

Candidates completing their master’s degree in spring 2020 are encouraged to apply. The position is also open for an integrated PhD for NTNU students starting the final year of their master’s degree in autumn 2020; see https://www.ntnu.edu/iik/integrated-phd for information about the integrated PhD.

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.

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

Other qualifications:

• Motivation for fundamental scientific research with societal relevance is essential
• Applicants should have relevant experience with quantitative, qualitative and/or mixed-method user research/user research methods and be able to document that experience in their application (e.g., transcripts of records listing relevant courses, involvement in user studies, relevant master’s thesis work)
• The applicant’s master’s thesis must be research-oriented
• Publication and dissemination activities in the aforementioned disciplines will be considered an advantage.
• Good written and oral English language skills. Applicants 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.
• For applicants from EU/EEA-countries: other proofs of English proficiency:
  • You have a high school diploma from an exempted country
  • A certificate documenting that you meet the B2 English language level, using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages scale. Please note that an IELTS of 6.0 is not sufficient.
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) will be considered as an advantage (in order to be able to conduct user studies in Norway).

Personal characteristics

We are searching for applicants who:

• Have a strong motivation and enthusiasm for research
• Are able to work independently, but who also enjoy to work in a team-based environment
• Are curious, have an open mindset and a strong interest in multidisciplinary research at the interface between people and technology
• Have very good communication skills

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

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 479 600 per annum. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is for 3 years, or for 4 years with required duties.

Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to NTNUs PhD programme in Information Security and Communication Technology.

As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that the candidate is in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months.

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 the candidate must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

General information

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are therefore particularly encouraged to apply. We also point to the recently started project IDUN: from PhD to professor at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (IE) in this respect.

Questions about the position can be directed to Katrien De Moor (e-mail: katrien.demoor@ntnu.no).

About the application:

Publications and other academic works that the applicant would like to be considered in the evaluation must accompany the application. Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify the applicant's individual contribution to joint works, the applicant must include a brief description of his or her contribution.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. 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): http://www.chsi.com.cn/en/).

The application must contain:

• Curriculum vitae (CV) with information about the candidate’s prior training, exams, and work experience
• A cover letter (1 page) explaining the candidate’s motivation for doing a PhD and how the candidate’s skills and experience relate to the research focuses of the position
• A research statement (max. 2 pages), detailing the candidate’s research interests, the candidate’s view on the research challenges within the area of the PhD position and initial research directions given the description of the position.
• Names and contact information of at least 2 reference persons
• A copy of the master thesis (in PDF), or, for those who are near to completion of their MSc, an extended abstract combined with a statement of how and when the applicant plans to complete the thesis.
• Certified copies of transcripts and diplomas of the bachelor and master’s degree. The documents have to be translated to English unless they are in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German or English.
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement (for European Master Diplomas 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 will not be considered.

Application deadline: 15.12.2019

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 December 2019
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service NTNU Campus Gløshaugen