About the position

We have two vacant PhD positions at the Department of Computer Science (IDI). The PhD positions are affiliated with TailorMade: Tailoring Server Processors to Application Characteristics for Sustainable Warehouse-Scale Computing, a 4-year research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council. TailorMade aims to take a leap towards sustainable warehouse-scale computing by specializing server processor microarchitecture to application characteristics.

The computing landscape is shifting from the traditional desktop computing to mobile-cloud computing model. In this new model, datacenters have emerged as the workhorses that do all the heavy-duty computations and serve as the backbone of mobile services. A modern datacenter draws multi mega-watts of power and costs over $100 million to deploy. However, the processors deployed in datacenters remain highly under-utilized due to a large mismatch in application characteristics and processor microarchitecture.

The objective of this project is to specialize server processor architectures to match application characteristics. Datacenter applications are characterized by massive instruction footprints that frequently stall the core front-end. TailorMade will investigate low overhead instruction delivery mechanisms to mitigate this front-end bottleneck. Datacenter applications offer very limited instruction- and memory-level parallelism which causes core back-end to burn energy on instructions without much performance gain. TailorMade will investigate allocating expensive resources only to performance critical instructions while executing the rest cheaply.

The positions report to Head of department.

Duties of the position

Main duties and responsibilities

• Take lead in setting up and executing research plans under supervision
• Take lead in writing research papers under supervision
• Comply with the PhD training program of the Faculty
• Establish close cooperation with the other PhD students within Computer Architecture Lab

Required selection criteria

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) with a strong academic background in computer science or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale 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 who are close to finishing their master’s studies are also encouraged to apply.

Other qualifications

The ideal candidate has the following qualifications:

• Strong programming skills
• Good understanding of key computer architecture techniques (e.g., out-of-order processing and techniques for exploiting Memory-Level Parallelism)
• Experience with simulator-based evaluation of computer architectures
• Experience with software development and optimization
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills

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.

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.

Personal characteristics

• Passion for uncovering new knowledge and explaining it to others
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Demonstrated ability to quickly acquire knowledge in new topics

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 before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 4 years with teaching duties assigned by the department. Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Computer Science.

As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are 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 criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you 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.

The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply.

Questions about the position can be directed to Associate Professor Rakesh Kumar, phone number +47 409 85 753, e-mail: rakesh.kumar@ntnu.no, or the Head of the Department, Professor John Krogstie, e-mail: john.krogstie@ntnu.no.                             

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

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

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

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 individual applicant's 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 the following documents:

• A short (1-2 page) cover letter describing your motivation for applying for this position, relevant qualifications and research interests.
• CV including details about education and relevant experience.
• Academic diplomas and certificates.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to applicant, e-mail and telephone number)

Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. 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/).

Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters.

Please refer to the application number 2020/6721 when applying.

Application deadline: 06.09.2020

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.

Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

The Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering is Norway’s largest university environment in ICT, electrical engineering and mathematical sciences. Our aim is to contribute to a smart, secure and sustainable future. We emphasize high international quality in research, education, innovation, dissemination and outreach. The Faculty consists of seven departments and the Faculty Administration.

Deadline 6th April 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 jobs)
Duration Temporary
Place of service Trondheim