PhD position in Representations for Neural Information Retrieval

At the University of Amsterdam we are looking for a PhD student who is interested in improving the robustness of neural search algorithms. This research, at the intersection of information retrieval, natural language processing, and deep learning, will explore how fine-grained supervision signals and a new construction paradigm can improve the faithfulness and interpretability of dense and learned sparse representations of queries and documents.

What are you going to do?

• create and evaluate algorithms for fine-grained supervision of dense and learned sparse vector representations for search;
• evaluate and improve algorithms for creating robust and interpretable dense vector representations for search;
• explore, evaluate, and improve algorithms for analyzing the content of dense representations;
• present research results at national and international conferences, workshops and journals;
• become an active member of larger research community; collaborate with other researchers, both within and outside the consortium and Informatics Institute;
• assist in teaching activities, such as teaching labs and tutorials or supervising bachelor and master students.

What do you have to offer?

Your experience and profile:

• a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a closely related field;
• a thorough understanding of both information retrieval and deep learning;
• solid programming skills with experience using Python and machine learning frameworks;
• a strong academic record and eagerness to tackle complex scientific problems;
• an ability to work in multidisciplinary teams; and
• a good knowledge of written and spoken English.

Our offer

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is October 2024. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 2,770 in the first year to € 3,539 in the last year (scale P). UvA additionally offers an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. The UFO profile PhD Candidate is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park, we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• Multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• A complete educational program for PhD students;
• Multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• Multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• Partly paid parental leave;
• The possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• A pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• The possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• Help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

About us

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 42,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Science (FNWI) has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 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 mission of the Informatics Institute (IvI) is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.