The System and Network Engineering Lab, one of the three largest research labs at the Informatics Institute, invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in the area of networking with focus on programmable networks. The PhD candidate will be embedded and contribute to the recently awarded SecConNet project.

The SecConNet project - Smart, Secure Container Networks for trusted Big Data Sharing - is funded by the JEDS 2017 program of NWO and eScience Center. The objective is to create infrastructure foundations for trusted Big Data sharing. The approach is to identify suitable models involving containers and high performance optical network technologies to create archetypes that can securely handle distributed Big Data applications.

In the project we research, develop and validate novel container network architectures, which rely on programmable infrastructures and virtualisation technologies across multiple administrative domains whilst maintaining quality and security requirements of requesting parties for both private sector and scientific use-cases.

SecConNet will research whether and how containers can be interconnected to deliver these different operational models, which in turn can support a plethora of distributed Big Data applications in domains such as life sciences, health and industrial applications. Research focus will lie on the use of semantic models to support the instantiation of container networks across domains.

• MSC in computer science or computer engineering;
• prior expertise in one or more of the following fields: networking, SDNs, semantic modelling virtualization techniques.
• fluency in oral and written English is required as well as good presentation skills;
• strong programming skills in C, Java, Python and knowledge of Semantic Web is highly appreciated;
• work with a team of researchers.

The appointment will be full-time (38 hours a week) for a period of four years (initial employment is 18 months). Periodic evaluations will be held after 9 and 14 months, and upon positive evaluation, the appointment will be extended to a total of 48 months. The appointment must lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). An educational plan that includes attendance of courses, summer and/or winter schools, and national and international meetings will be drafted for the PhD candidate. We also expect the PhD candidate to assist in teaching of undergraduate students.

The salary is in accordance with the university regulations for academic personnel. The salary will range from €2,222 (first year) up to a maximum of €2,840 (last year) before tax per month (scale P) based on a full-time appointment. There are also secondary benefits, such as 8% holiday allowance per year and the end of year allowance of 8,3%. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable.

Among other things, we offer:

• competitive pay and good benefits;
• top-50 University worldwide;
• one of the best deep learning ecosystems in the world;
• interactive, open-minded and a very international city;
• excellent computing facilities.

English is the working language in the Informatics Institute. As in Amsterdam almost everybody speaks and understands English, candidates need not be afraid of the language barrier.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

http://www.uva.nl/en/home

Informatics Institute

The System and Network Engineering Lab is one of the three largest research labs at the Informatics Institute. The SNE Lab conducts research on leading-edge computer systems of all scales, ranging from global-scale systems and networks to embedded devices. Across these multiple scales our particular interest is on extra-functional properties of computer systems, such as performance, energy consumption, reliability, programmability, productivity, trustability, and security.

http://ivi.uva.nl/