PhD position in HCI - CSCW University of Bergen (UiB), Department of Information Science and Media Studies

There is a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies within the field human computer interaction (HCI). The position is financed by the Norwegian Research Council as part of a User-driven Research based Innovation (BIA) project “Better Video workflows via Real-Time Collaboration and AI-Techniques in TV and New Media”, a collaboration between Vizrt and UiB. The terms and conditions of employment will be governed by the University of Bergen.

 

 

About Vizrt: 

 

Vizrt provides real-time 3D graphics, video playout, studio automation, sports analysis, and asset management tools for the media and entertainment industry including CNN, Fox, BBC, Sky Sports, Al Jazeera and many more. Vizrt is also developing a product called Viz Story which is central to this PhD position. The PhD will work closely with Vizrt R&D department.

 

Project Aims: 

 

The research will be situated at the crossroads of the fields Human Computer Interaction and computer supported cooperative work and will focus on the area of collaborative editing of video stories enabled by Vizrt’s web-based client Viz Story to manipulate video story projects in the cloud (including ingest, sharing assets, audio and video editing, reviewing, subtitling and publishing). The PhD candidate will work closely with Vizrt’s R&D, and will be in a position to do design research, including design and development of functional prototypes and evaluation studies of Viz Story in different contexts of use as part of their PhD.

 

Project proposal:

 

A research proposal of 3-5 pages must accompany your application. The proposal should state clearly how your education, experience and training is relevant for the position, and outline how the research could be conducted in answering the question “How can we create better workflows for video production by having users collaborate through a web browser on the same content?” in line with the aims of the project as stated above. The proposal should briefly present some research problem(s) and a choice of theory and methods.

 

Required Qualifications and personal qualities:

• You hold a master's degree in information science, informatics, or computer science. The applicant must have completed their degree or submitted their Master’s thesis for assessment prior to the closing date for the application. It is a condition of employment that their Master’s degree has been awarded.
• You have received a B grade or better on your Master’s degree, including your master thesis.
• You have experience with developing software.
• You are able to work independently and have the ability to cooperate with others.
• You are self-motivated and have the ability to focus on specific topics in order to deliver results in challenging topics.
• You are proficient in both written and spoken English.
• You have the ability to work in a team environment developing software in a professional setting,
• You exhibit the motivation to complete all the work tasks associated with the  project, both research-wise and development-wise.

 

Additional considerations for the position:

 

•     Preference will be given to students with a background in human-computer interaction or computer supported cooperative work

•     Additional experience in interaction design, prototyping and related areas will be an advantage.

•     The candidate should provide strong evidence of existing research skills and/or knowledge to match the project topic, e.g., via Masters thesis, and/or via prior research/publications and/or work experience.

 

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

 

About the research training:

 

As a PhD research fellow you will take part in the doctoral educational programme at UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the submission of a PhD dissertation. To be eligible for admission you must have completed a Master’s degree. The educational background must be equivalent to a five-year Master’s education, including a two-year Master’s degree and a Master thesis. It is expected that the topic of the Master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.

 

We can offer:

• Salary at pay grade 50 upon appointment (Code 1017) on the government salary scale (equivalent to NOK 435 500,- per year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position
• A good and professionally challenging working environment
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• A position in an Inclusive Workplace (IW enterprise)
• Good welfare benefits

 

Your application must include:

 

• A cover letter including a brief account of your research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• The names and contact information for two reference people. One of them must be the main advisor for the master thesis or equivalent thesis
• Project proposal
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of relevant bachelor's and master's degrees.
• Relevant certificates/references
• A list of academic publications if any
• Academic publications that you want to submit for assessment (including your master’s thesis or equivalent)

 

If you have a master's degree from an institution outside of the Nordic countries, or a 2-year discipline- based master's degree in a subject area other than the one associated with the application, you may later in the application process be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the degree you have completed

 

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded to Jobbnorge. You can do this by following the link on this page marked “Apply for this job”.

 

The application has to be marked: 17/7040

 

Closing date for applications: August 7, 2017

 

Applications submitted without a project proposal or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.

 

General information:     

      

Additional information about the position is obtainable by contacting Associate Professor Frode Guribye, e-mail frode.guribye@uib.no, phone +4755584184.

 

Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to senior officer Bodil Hægland, phone +47 55 58 90 53, e-mail: bodil.hagland@uib.no.

 

Appointed research fellows will be admitted to the doctoral education programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Further information about the program is available on the webpage http://www.uib.no/en/svf/37940/doctoral-education. Questions about the programme may be directed to senior officer Hanne Gravermoen, e-mail: hanne.gravermoen@uib.no, phone: +47 55 58 89 80.

 

The teaching language will usually be Norwegian.

 

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. Age and gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. It is also a goal to recruit people with immigrant backgrounds. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

 

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

 

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

 

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.