Postdoctoral position in Statistical Design of Experiments/Statistical Sampling - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Information Technology has a leading position in research and education. The Department currently has about 300 employees, including 120 teachers and 110 PhD students. More than 4000 students study one or more courses at the department each year. You can find more information about us at the web page of the department of Information Technology

This position is one of four postdoc positions on the topic of equal opportunities aspects in IT.

The position is hosted by the Division of Scientific Computing within the Department of Information Technology. As one of the world’s largest focused research environments in Scientific Computing the research and education has a unique breadth, with large activities in classical scientific computing areas such as mathematical modeling, development and analysis of algorithms, scientific software development and high-performance computing. The division is currently in an expansive phase in new emerging areas such as cloud and fog computing, data science, and artificial intelligence, where it plays key roles in several new strategic initiatives at the University. The division currently hosts 20 PhD students, with more than 80 doctorates awarded. Several PhD alumni from the division are successful practitioners in the field of scientific computing and related areas, in industry as well as in academia.

The position is also part of the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) network and offers a rich and highly interdisciplinary research environment. SciLifeLab is a leading institution and national research infrastructure with a mandate to enable cutting-edge life sciences research in Sweden, foster international collaborations, and attract and retain knowledge and talent. Our research group specializes in developing theory, methods and software for intelligent scientific experiments. This project is a collaboration between the Department of Information Technology (Prashant Singh at the Division of Scientific Computing, Dave Zachariah at the Division of Systems and Control, Carolina Wählby at Vi3), and the Department of Medicinal Biochemistry and Microbiology (Luisa Warchavchik Hugerth). We also have a wide network of collaborators, and there will be opportunities to work together with excellent researchers within Sweden and abroad. 

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at Uppsala University

Duties
The project involves fundamental research on statistical design of experiments incorporating fairness constraints. The goal of the project is to build algorithms to generate both – one-shot and sequential design of experiments that result in balanced sampling properties, with fairness and equal opportunities aspects taken into account. The developed approaches will be used for designing microbiome studies. As a proof-of-concept, we will leverage available large-scale datasets such as the SCAPIS or SIMPLER cohorts from which to extract balanced and fair case-control cohorts. The position may also involve teaching activities (up to 20%) and opportunities for supervising students in second-cycle education.

Requirements
PhD degree in mathematical statistics, machine learning, computational science, signal processing, computational statistics, computer vision, mathematics, computational biology, biostatistics, bioinformatics or other relevant field or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in mathematical statistics, machine learning, computational science, signal processing, computational statistics, computer vision, mathematics, computational biology, biostatistics, bioinformatics or other relevant field. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year frame period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

The applicant must have a strong background in mathematical sciences, good programming skills (e.g., in Python/Julia), and an interest in interdisciplinary research. Good communication skills, and excellent proficiency in written and oral English are also requirements. As a person, you are creative, thorough and have a structured approach. When selecting among the applicants we will assess their ability to independently drive their work forward, to collaborate with others, to have a professional approach and to analyze and work with complex problems. Great emphasis will be placed on personal characteristics and personal suitability.

Additional qualifications
Experience in the study of microbiomes, and/or demonstrated experience of conducting interdisciplinary research is meriting. Research experience in the area of active learning, statistical sampling, design and analysis of computer experiments (DACE), surrogate modelling, or Bayesian optimisation is especially meriting. Additionally, experience with microbiome datasets or other compositional data sources is also a merit.

The application must contain:
A cover letter briefly describing your motivation for applying for this position and project, and indicating the earliest possible employment date (max 1 page). A curriculum vitae (CV). A copy of relevant diplomas and transcripts (translated into Swedish or English). A list of publications. Up to five selected publications in electronic format. A research statement describing how your past and current research experience can contribute to this project (max 2 pages). Contact information for two references.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 1 September 2023 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Assistant Professor Prashant Singh + 4618-471 5412,  e-mail address prashant.singh@it.uu.se. 

Please submit your application by 2 May 2023, UFV-PA 2023/971.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? Find out more about what it´s like to work and live in Sweden.