PhD position in Computational Social Choice

Are you looking for a PhD position where you can use your mathematical skills to improve how we make decisions, arrive at compromises, and aggregate information in a group? Are you excited about doing this kind of research in an interdisciplinary environment, in a team with smart and friendly colleagues? And are you interested in an academic career in Artificial Intelligence?

Then you may want to join us. We are looking for a PhD candidate in the field of computational social choice to join us in the COMSOC Group at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) in Amsterdam.

The research agenda of our group is dedicated to the design and analysis of methods for collective decision making. The research we do is both mathematical and conceptual in nature. We regularly publish in the leading conference proceedings and journals in AI, but also emphasise interdisciplinarity and often reach out to other fields, notably Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy. Relevant keywords include decision theory, game theory, social choice theory, AI, multiagent systems, and knowledge representation.

This fully funded PhD position is part of the Collective Information Project, which will eventually employ a total of five junior researchers. It is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under the VICI scheme.

What are you going to do?

You will be expected to contribute to the broad research agenda of the COMSOC Group. Specific tasks include:

• to complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• to regularly present research results at international workshops and conferences, and to publish them in conference proceedings and journals;
• to participate in and to contribute to the organisation of research activities and events at the Institute, such as workshops and colloquia.

You also will be expected to make a small contribution to the ILLC’s educational mission, by working as a teaching assistant for courses in your area of expertise and by assisting with the supervision of student research projects.

What do we require?

You should hold, or expect to obtain before the start of your appointment, a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, such as Computer Science, AI, Mathematics, Logic, or Economics. You also should possess:

• an excellent academic track record;
• a serious interest in pursuing fundamental research of an interdisciplinary nature;
• good writing and presentation skills;
• good social and organisational skills;
• full professional proficiency in spoken and written English.

Prior exposure to relevant topics at the interface of Economics and Computer Science, particularly computational social choice and algorithmic game theory, is an advantage, but certainly not a requirement. The same holds for relevant topics in AI, particularly multiagent systems and knowledge representation.

Please note that knowledge of the Dutch language is not required for this position, nor is it required for being able to live in Amsterdam. However, PhD candidates at the ILLC have the opportunity to attend Dutch language classes if they wish.

Our offer

You will be employed by the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam on a fixed-term full-time position (38 hours per week).

The appointment is intended to be for a period of four years. The initial employment contract will be for 18 months. This will be extended with a further 30 months after a positive assessment.

The gross monthly salary amounts to €2,325 during the first year, rising to €2,972 during the fourth year, and will be supplemented with an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the `30% ruling’, may apply to applicants who are not Dutch nationals. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities applies.

This PhD position will be embedded into the ILLC’s PhD Programme, which offers training in a range of transferable skills that are relevant for a successful research career.

You must be able to start by 1 April 2020 (starting earlier is possible).

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

Questions?

Do you have any questions you would like to ask before you apply? You are welcome to get in touch with:

• Ulle Endriss
  View profile page

About the Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) is an interdisciplinary research institute, shared between the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities, where logicians, mathematicians, computer scientists, cognitive scientists, and philosophers collaborate. It offers an international research environment with world-class faculty in all of its areas of specialisation, including several areas of specialisation within AI.

We are based in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, renowned for its historic system of canals, its laid-back cosmopolitan atmosphere, and its excellent connections to the rest of Europe and the world.

Job application

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

At the ILLC we strive for a better gender balance amongst our staff. We therefore strongly encourage women to apply for this position.

Interested? Then we would like to hear from you. Please apply by submitting the following information in the form of one single PDF no later than 28 October 2019 via the link below:

• a cover letter, including a description of your research interests and an explanation for why you are applying for this position (at most two pages);
• a detailed curriculum vitae (CV);
• a list of all Master-level modules you have taken, with an official transcript of grades;
• a link to a writing sample (you have made) available online, such as a Master’s thesis, a term paper, or a publication (in case of joint authorship, please clearly indicate your own contribution);
• the names, affiliations, and email addresses of two or (at most) three people we can contact for letters of reference for you.

Please use the mandatory CV field to upload the PDF file specified above. Only applications that conform to these instructions are ensured full consideration by the search committee. In particular, please do not submit more than one file.

#LI-DNP