About the position

In the H2020 Ria project ALAMEDA we have a vacancy for a Post-Doc Researcher at the ColourLab / Department of Computer Science

This position will mainly be devoted to test and develop an extensive range of data analytics algorithms based on ML/DL to perform early diagnosis of brain diseases. The focus will be put on the detection of changes and anomalies in the functioning and behaviour of an individual over time, which might indicate significant preclinical decline. The challenge is to significantly distinguish such preclinical decline from normal aging. Our hypothesis is that this approach implies that a diagnosis can be provided well before a gold standard clinical diagnosis can be made, potentially giving doctors a chance to intervene early with treatment.

Rule-based decision-making solutions will be integrated in order to semantically correlate the available information and achieve situational awareness, i.e. the interpretation of user’s conditions taking into account the data collected from sensors, analysis results from other components of ALAMEDA, as well as user profiles and clinical knowledge. The aim will be to analyse collectively the aggregated observations and derive a high-level understanding of the behaviour in terms of the activities and situations the person engages in and the identification of clinically defined functional problems. In addition, this task will combine classification tasks, such as diagnosis prediction with taxonomical knowledge found in the developed ontologies during the project, in order to support explainability, i.e. human-understandable explanations of the analysis outcomes to assist end users interpret the finding.

You will report to Head of Department.

Duties of the position

• To develop semantic annotation for all collected modalities, leading to global interoperability.
• To define the semantic framework of the Alameda AI Toolkit.
• To develop the behavioural data acquisition methods.
• To develop agent-based interactions for the non-intrusive collection of lifestyle data.
• To develop, test and compare to current gold standards in brain disease diagnosis and treatment novel AI-based data analytics methods.
• To select the most suitable AI-based data analytics methods for inclusion in the ALAMEDA Toolkit.
• To develop the Alameda AI framework (Analytics/Machine learning/Deep learning/AI-algorithms).
• To develop the ALAMEDA Security and trustworthiness framework and to collaborate with H2020-IMI Project IDEA-FAST.
• To report on these tasks and to participate in meetings and present the outcomes of these activities.

Required selection criteria

A postdoctoral research fellowships is a qualification position in which the main objective is qualification for work in academic positions. You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree in computer science or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree is required.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

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.

• Strong Expertise in AI/DL/ML: publications and projects especially in the field of visual media processing.
• Behaviour understanding, based on sensory-data analysis.
• Large-scale data analysis, especially medical signal/image analysis is of great interest.
• Optimization, motion analysis, feature classification for diagnosis.
• Matlab, Visual studio C++, OpenCV, Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Latex.
• Good written and oral English language skills.

Preferred selection criteria

• Three years or more of research work after the PhD.
• Secured research funds, by writing proposals as lead PI or Co-PI.
• International collaboration and stays.

Personal characteristics

• Social person
•  team player
•  organised

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

The employment period is 3 years.

Postdoctoral candidates are placed in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 542 400 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 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 you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding from the H2020 RIA ALAMEDA project.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. 

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas.
• Research plan or project proposal (max. 2 pages).
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 works). Relevant publications after the PhD are highly regarded.
• Name and address of three referees.
• Proof of secured funds for research work.
• English language test for those who studied in other languages

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability.

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

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

The city of Gjøvik has a population of 30 000 and is a town known for its rich music and cultural life. The beautiful nature surrounding the city is ideal for an active outdoor life! The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world.

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.

Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Faouzi Alaya Cheikh, telephone +47 951 879 956, email: faouzi.cheikh@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Stine Terese Ruen Nymoen, e-mail: stine.t.r.nymoen@ntnu.no

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. 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).

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application 2020/35309 when applying.

Application deadline: 30.11.2020

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.

Department of Computer Science

We are the leading academic IT environment in Norway, and offer a wide range of theoretical and applied IT programmes of study at all levels. Our subject areas include hardware, algorithms, visual computing, AI, databases, software engineering, information systems, learning technology, HCI, CSCW, IT operations and applied data processing. The Department has groups in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Computer Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering .

Deadline 30th November 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Gjøvik
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Campus Gjøvik