Postdoc: Probabilistic Graphical Models at the Donders Centre for Cognition

Are you interested in Bayesian networks, both in foundational topics as well as their application in clinical decision support systems? Do you want to work in an interdisciplinary environment and collaborate with mathematicians, cognitive scientists and medical specialists? Then this postdoctoral position may be something for you!

Our Personalised Care in Oncology (PersOn) consortium is looking for a postdoctoral researcher in Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGMs) to work on fundamental research in Bayesian networks as well as in their application in clinical decision support. Together with other postdocs and PhD candidates from various backgrounds, you will lay the foundations for the next generation of clinical decision support systems for treatment and follow-up care in oncology. You will work closely together with other PGM experts, as well as with researchers, health care practitioners, and stakeholders in explainable decision support. Your work will be foundational, advancing the state of the art in PGMs, as well as applied, focusing on explainability, traceability and justification in Bayesian networks to help advance shared decision making about personalised health care.

You will be embedded in the Probabilistic Graphical Models group within the Human-Centred Intelligent Systems department, where the core research lines are in foundations of stochastic computing and PGMs for clinical decision support. Ideally, your fundamental research both aligns with as well as complements the current expertise in the group. You will be expected to help define the group’s research focus and positioning at the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC) and in the international PGM community, and to help maintain a safe and inspiring research environment for our team members. This includes co-mentoring of PhD candidates and students and contributing to diversity, equity and inclusion in the group and the department. You will have the ability to develop your teaching skills, helping you further qualify for a career as independent academic researcher.

Profile

• You have a PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics or Artificial Intelligence with a focus on theory and/or applications of probabilistic graphical models.
• You have a track record of publications in PGM-focused conferences, such as UAI, ECSQARU, AIStats, or PGM, and/or a track record of publications in journals in the field.
• You have a strong desire to contribute to the foundational research of the PGM chair, including topics such as computational complexity, approximate inference algorithms, sum-product networks, credal networks, causal inference, structure learning, and sensitivity analysis.
• In addition you like to contribute to the Personalised Care in Oncology project by tailoring your work towards explainability, justification or traceability in Bayesian networks.
• You value diversity, equity and inclusion and want to contribute actively to a safe and inspiring research environment.

We are

The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and decision-making, 3. Development and lifelong plasticity, 4. Natural computing and neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as ‘excellent’ and recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.

You will be embedded in the Human-Centred Intelligent Systems department, hosting several research groups, of which the PGM research group is one. The department is participating in the AI educational programme and offers research and education on PGMs, cognitive robotics, human-computer interaction, and societal implications of AI. Radboud University’s PGM group is one of the leading research groups in Bayesian networks in Europe, hosting research on complexity, inference algorithms, explainability, automated learning, and the foundations of stochastic computing.

Radboud University

At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.

Faculty of Social Sciences

At the Faculty of Social Sciences, humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology, and the Radboud Centre Social Sciences as an institute for post-master education have been merged into the Social Sciences Education Institute. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.

We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of two years.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Additional employment conditions

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.