Job Delft University of Technology - PhD: Adaptive Collaboration Support System

The SMART VORTEX project aims to provide a technological infrastructure consisting of a comprehensive suite of interoperable tools, services, and methods for intelligent management and analysis of massive data streams to achieve better collaboration and decision making around the whole product lifecycle in an engineering context.

The contribution of the Systems Engineering Section is centred around the collaboration and decision making processes. The PhD candidate will focus on the design and development of an adaptive collaboration support system. This work includes the design and development of methods and tools to gather and analyse data about collaboration processes, design and develop new adaptable collaboration support tools, and evaluate and integrate existing ones in a service-oriented architecture. A key challenge is to design intelligent interventions to guide user groups in selecting appropriate tools and techniques for their collaboration.

Responsibilities include:
1. Conducting research on collaboration process analysis and design
2. Participating in the development process of the associated collaboration support system.
3. Participating in the EU project, including the responsibility to attend meetings, collaborate with partners, write reports and disseminate knowledge.
4. Selecting within the project a focus for the PhD thesis and completing this within four years.

The candidate
- has the drive and ambition to complete a high-quality PhD research project within 4 years.
- has a strong research mindset.
- speaks and writes fluently in English.
- has a Master's degree in computer science or a comparable field.
- has experience in object-oriented software design and development.
- has experience in the development of web-based systems.
- has experience in collaboration support tools and processes.
- preferably has some experience in service-oriented architectures.
- preferably has some experience in agent-based systems.
- preferably has some experience in artificial intelligence.
- preferably has some experience in modelling and simulation.
- likes to travel around Europe and possibly beyond.

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home, and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package (the 'IKA'). Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

For more information about this position or to apply, please contact Dr. S. G. Lukosch, phone: +31 (0)15-2783403, email:
s.g.lukosch@tudelft.nl. To apply, please e-mail a detailed CV, references and a publication list (if any) along with a letter of application by 15 September 2010 to Dr. Lukosch, vacature-tbm@tudelft.nl.
When applying for this position, make sure to mention vacancy number ATTBM10-011.

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a multifaceted institution offering education and carrying out research in the technical sciences at an internationally recognised level. Education, research and design are strongly oriented towards applicability. TU Delft develops technologies for future generations, focusing on sustainability, safety and economic vitality. At TU Delft you will work in an environment where technical sciences and society converge. TU Delft comprises eight faculties, unique laboratories, research institutes and schools.

The Department of Multi-Actor Systems (MAS) develops innovative concepts, methods, and tools for understanding and facilitating multi-actor decision-making in large-scale, socio-technical systems. Its research focus is on decision-making processes (ranging from operational planning decisions to international policy negotiations), while the research locus spans a diversity of socio-technical systems such as urban areas, traffic management systems, energy markets, information systems for e-business, e-collaboration and e-government, and systems for water management and flood control. The Systems Engineering Section is an interdisciplinary research group combining expertise in computation, engineering and social science. Research focuses on questions related to the analysis, (re-)design, and support of distributed processes and systems within social, technical systems in changing environments: dynamic complex systems. The section develops models and architectures, simulations and gaming to facilitate groups and individuals during design, decision-making, and collaboration in multi-actor settings, to support exploration of the impact of different design choices/decisions.

S. G. Lukosch
+31 (0)15-2783403
s.g.lukosch@tudelft.nl
Technische Universiteit Delft