PhD positions in Knowledge Graphs, Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

The Knowledge Representation and Reasoning group (krr.cs.vu.nl) and the Computational Lexicology & Terminology Lab (www.cltl.nl) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have 4 vacancies for PhD students or post-docs with expertise on any of the following areas (IMPORTANT: Suitability of the applicants will decide how the positions will be divided. See also ad for postdoc positions):

• Knowledge Representation. We are interested in using knowledge graph for text understanding, to support question-answering, and to provide explainable results of AI algorithms
• Natural Language Processing. We are interested in text classification (e.g. detecting hate speech and other toxic content), in event and relation extraction, and in  multi-lingual text processing
• Machine Learning. We are interested in multi-modal machine learning, combining language, visual data and knowledge graphs to provide explainable machine learning solutions for data classification, information extraction and question answering
• A subproject on Knowledge-based Text Classification with Explanation  aims to use state-of-the-art Knowledge Representation (KR) and Machine Learning (ML) approaches to classify text content, particularly biased and contextualised content, in different languages, including the challenge of explainability. A subproject on Multilingual Single Model Information Extraction and Knowledge Reasoning will  develop a multilingual information extraction tool to create high quality knowledge graphs. In both subprojects, we will target content in 5 different languages with the ambition to expand this to all European languages

We are looking for PhD candidates with a MSc in Computer Science, AI, Computational Linguistics or other related topics with a proven interest in any of the above areas or their overlap.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,395 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,061 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for 1 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a duration of 4 years in total.
Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavour – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,000 students. We employ over 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

The Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 6,000 students.
About the department, institute, project
The VU Department of Computer Science has approximately 170 staff members, including 35 tenured staff and 40-50 PhD students. Lecturers form a critical and essential basis for the functioning of the department, providing foundational education that helps determine the future of our students.

Our research and our students are diverse, covering disciplines such as Social sciences, Humanities, Economics, and Bioinformatics. Currently, we offer programs in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Information Sciences (BSc and MSc), and Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (MSc), with a total of around 1000 new students each year.