PhD position in Homotopy Type Theory

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) at the University of Amsterdam is an interdisciplinary research institute 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. The institute is located 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.

The ILLC invites applications for a PhD position in Homotopy Type Theory, under supervison of Dr Benno van den Berg.

Project description

The position is part of a research project, The Computational Content of Homotopy Type Theory. The project is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under the TOP2 scheme.

The aim of the project is to develop a computational understanding of Homotopy Type Theory by using concepts from category theory and realizability.

The successful applicant will be asked to perform the following tasks:

• to complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• to regularly present intermediate 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 ILLC, such as conferences, workshops, and colloquia.

All PhD candidates at the ILLC furthermore are expected to make a small contribution to the institute's educational mission, e.g., by working as teaching assistants for courses in their area of expertise and by assisting with the supervision of student research projects.

The 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.

Requirements

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain by the end of the academic year 2016/17, a Master's degree in a relevant discipline, such as Computer Science, Mathematics, or Logic.

Applicants furthermore 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 such as Category Theory or Type Theory will be considered an advantage.            

Further information

For further information about this position, please feel free to contact:

• Benno van den Berg

Appointment

The successful candidate will be employed by the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam on a fixed-term full-time contract (38 hours per week).

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

The gross monthly salary amounts to €2,191 during the first year, rising to €2,801 during the fourth year, excl. 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% annual allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable.

The preferred starting date is 1 September 2017 (some deviation from this date is possible, subject to mutual agreement). 

Job application

Your application should include the following information (in one single PDF file, using your surname as the file name):

• a cover letter, including a statement of your research interests and a motivation for why you are applying for this position (at most 2 pages);
• a detailed curriculum vitae;
• a list of a all Master-level modules you have taken, with an official transcript of grades;
• a link to a writing sample available online, such as a Master's thesis, a term paper, or a publication;
• the names, affiliations, and email addresses of two or (at most) three people we can contact for letters of reference for you.

Applications must be submitted no later than 15 March 2017 to application-science@uva.nl. Please state both your name and  vacancy number 17-058 in the subject field.