Department of Computer Science

Grade 7: - £34,304 - £40,927 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 33 Months
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 16-Jun-2022, 6:59:00 AM

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare benefits and the University’s Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

The Department

The Department of Computer Science is rapidly expanding – it tripled in size over the last 4 years and now has around 50 academic faculty. A new building, joint with Mathematical Sciences, to house the expanded Department has recently been inaugurated, and it hosts all our academics, our students, and experimental kit. The current Department has research strengths in algorithms and complexity, in artificial intelligence and human systems, networks, scientific computing, and computer vision, visualisation, and imaging. The Department of Physics is the home department of the Institute of Computational Cosmology which is one of the international flagship research places for computational astrophysics and plays a pivotal role to obtain new scientific insight through (super-)computing. Hosted in an award-winning building, its researchers have access to the Tier-2 supercomputer COSMA as well as multiple experimental hardware cluster.

For more information, please visit our Department pages at https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/computer-science/

Durham University and Newcastle University seek to appoint a total of 9 postdoctoral researchers for the EPSRC funded project ‘AGENCY: Assuring Citizen Agency in a World with Complex Online Harms’. We invite applications of candidates from a variety of disciplines to become part of an exciting, multidisciplinary research project incorporating scholars from Computing (including AI, HCI, and Cyber Security), Sociology, Ethics, Business, and Law. The team’s research aims to protect citizens and society from online harms such as hate speech, misinformation, issues around self-image, and domestic violence during a pandemic. Specifically, AGENCY researches how to provide end-users with control (‘agency’) over their online experiences. The team will design new citizen-centred technologies, influence policy and contribute to new ethical frameworks.

See http://agencyresearch.net for more information on all available posts.

The Role

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The ideal candidate for this role is a capable and independent researcher who has expert working knowledge in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML), with experience using collaborative (co-)design research methods and working with research stakeholders and intended end-users of technology design. You will also hold computer-related expertise, and have demonstrable skill in implementing, deploying, and evaluating ML models for NLP tasks. You will have a clear interest in conducting research to support the fight against harmful online content, including misinformation and cyberbullying. A completed (or nearly completed) PhD in NLP, ML, or a related subject is considered essential, and must be demonstrated in the application.

You will be based in the Artificial Intelligence and Human Systems Group (AIHS – pronounced “ace”, https://aihs.webspace.durham.ac.uk/) of the Department of Computer Science at Durham University, resident at the brand-new state-of-the-art Mathematical Sciences and Computer Sciences building, under the supervision of Dr Stamos Katsigiannis.

As member of the AGENCY project team, you will work in an inclusive, interdisciplinary team. You will be provided with individual career support and be part of a national network of related research projects (see http://agencyresearch.net). The research will be guided by case studies, including personal health devices, digital identity management, smart homes, and online disinformation. You will help shape the specific research associated with the case studies in collaboration with a variety of external partners.

Core responsibilities

• Work under the supervision of Dr Stamos Katsigiannis for the UKRI project “AGENCY: Assuring Citizen Agency in a World with Complex Online Harms” (funded from UKRI’s Protecting Citizens online call), to conduct interdisciplinary Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning research.
• Work effectively with the AGENCY project consortium, by taking part in project meetings, collaborating, and supporting the production of deliverables.
• Prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• Publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• Assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
• Conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• Work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio. 
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions. 
• Liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• Plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• Deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors, and students as appropriate.
• Be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students. 
• Contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• Engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• Engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

The post is fixed term for 33 months, as part of the EPSRC funded project AGENCY, which is time limited and will end on 31 March 2025.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by 1 July 2022.

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’).  In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application. Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV; 
2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;
3. The person specification and Realising Your Potential Approach grids.  Please copy and paste the grids from this job description into a separate Microsoft Word document, complete the evidence columns and submit this alongside your other application material. 
4. Up to three published scientific papers.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details

For further information please contact Dr Stamos Katsigiannis at stamos.katsigiannis@durham.ac.uk

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

The Requirements

Essential:

• A good first degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or similar.
• A PhD (or near completion) in Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related subject.
• Experience in conducting high quality academic research.  
• Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly ranked journals.
• Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
• Demonstrable experience in conducting research in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing.
• Experience in programming and working with industry-standard Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing libraries (e.g., Keras, PyTorch, TensorFlow, NLTK)
• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
• Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.  
• Excellent writing skills.

Desirable:

• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.
• A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career.
• Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.
• Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g., acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals.
• Experience in working with scientists and industrial partners across different disciplines.
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team environment and actively supporting the development of a collaborative research culture
• Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.