Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.
The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.
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The Department of Informatics is now looking for a PhD student for a limited-time employment for four years starting in autumn 2024 or as agreed.
Assignment
The doctoral position is linked to the project “Indigenous Digital Storytelling with New Media”, which has a special focus on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), new media and support for storytelling. Within the project, you work with empirical studies as well as with prototype and theory development, user studies and publication of scientific articles at international conferences and journals. A particular focus of the project is AI tools for text-to-video, as well as AI as support and transformative technology related storytelling and cultural heritage.
Those who are employed as a doctoral student must primarily devote themselves to their own research training that is intended to result in a doctoral degree. The work includes both own research and participation in postgraduate courses. The doctoral internship is carried out as independent work within the chosen field together with a supervisor. Therefore, great importance is attached to the attached research plan. To a certain extent, the employment may include some teaching or other department activities (maximum 20%). In that case, the employment period is extended to a corresponding extent.
Do you want to know more about what it means to be a doctoral student at our doctoral program? Read more here
About the employment
You will be employed by and accepted as a PhD student at the Department of Informatics, Umeå University. The employment runs for four years on a full-time basis and means that you complete your doctoral studies within the department’s operations with a doctoral degree as the goal. Salary is paid according to established ladder for doctoral position, and is raised in line with study progress. Starting date is autumn 2024 or according to an agreement. Placement is at Umeå University, the department of Informatics and we are looking for a PhD student who will be present and part of our daily operations.
Eligibility
For employment as a doctoral student, admission to doctoral education is required. The basic eligibility to be admitted to postgraduate education is for those who have completed an advanced level degree in informatics or equivalent. The department’s complete eligibility for admission to our phd programme can be read here – Syllabus for the PhD programme in informatics.
In order to fulfill the requirement for special eligibility, it is required that the applicant has basic university education in informatics of at least 90 higher education credits, as well as 60 higher education credits at advanced level in informatics (master’s level) or other education of equivalent scope and depth.
Other qualifications
Because the doctoral student will be part of a multicultural department, it’s preferable if the candidate is able to communicate well in both Swedish and English.
When selecting eligible applicants, great importance is placed on the thesis plan and ability to assimilate the education and previous study results. Otherwise, reference is made to provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in regulation SFS 1993:100 (Högskoleorordningning ch. 5).
Application
Your application must include:
• A letter of introduction/personal letter (1 page)
• A draft thesis plan and description of research interest (2 pages)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Copies of previous thesis/work (MSc/MA and/or BSc/BA)
• Copies of academic transcripts including documentation of completed academic courses and grades
• Copies of published own research (if any)
The application must be complete in order for it to be considered in the recruitment process. The application must be made via the recruitment system Varbi.
Department of Informatics
At the Department of Informatics, research and education is conducted with a focus on digitization of society, organizations and interaction. Digital technology has become an enabler for changed ways of living and conducting business. In our research, we study these changes and change processes and we study the interaction between humans and technology to understand technology’s possibilities and its limitations. In our studies of digitization, we move in many contexts such as the public sector, media, games, entertainment, financial companies, entrepreneurship, IT companies, manufacturing industry and trade.
