PhD position - My AI Co-worker

About the position

At the Faculty of Computer Science, Engineering and Economics, Department of Computer Science and Communication, there is a full time (100 %) fixed term position of Doctoral Research Fellow available for three (3) years. The position is affiliated with the academic environment of Interaction Design and Computer Supported Collaborative Work. The position is part of the research initiative “The Digital Society" at Østfold University College. The main place of work will be at our campus in Halden, but some presence at our campus in Fredrikstad may be expected.

Within the project, the PhD candidate will work mainly in the following areas:

• Participatory Design (PD) will be used as the methodology to address research questions. PD is the democratic approach to designing technological capabilities by involving in the design and giving a say in the design process to people who will be influenced by it. Hence, this research will involve people who work in organizations and are experiencing or will experience AI as a co-worker, organizations management as the strategists, and the ones that see AI from an efficiency and cost perspective differently from workers and finally, ICT service providers within organizations that can usually be string advocates pro and against AI in different situations.
• The PhD candidate will address several sub-questions. For each sub-question, specific data collection methods have been identified, encompassing four main approaches: case studies of AI solutions utilized as co-workers in organizations, interviews with employees or experts, observations, and Participatory Design workshops that involve relevant stakeholders in creative design activities. These methods aim to explore and answer the sub-research questions comprehensively.
• The CSCW and Participatory Design research can contribute to and learn from new fields that strive to establish trust between humans and AI. Areas such as Explainable AI (XAI), Human-in-the-Loop AI, and Human-AI co-evolution are particularly relevant.

 

The successful candidate will be a member of an active research group at Østfold University College and is expected to do research, develop prototype implementations, and write research papers on the topic of the project. Research visits to different relevant research groups in European countries will also be possible on availability of funds and opportunity.

Project description 

Project title: My AI Co-worker: Exploring AI for Computer Supported Collaborative Work

Project description:

With the rise of AI, we are entering a groundbreaking era where data and information are transforming our societies, with AI serving as the key tool for refining this data into actionable insights. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, exploring the dynamics between humans and their AI counterparts is crucial. In the literature, two narratives of the human-AI relationship are discussed. On the one hand, AI is viewed as a tool that enhances individual cognitive abilities in decision-making tasks, while on the other hand, it is seen as an autonomous agent that can take over tedious, repetitive, critical, dangerous, and error-prone tasks. These narratives represent the extremes of a wide range of possible configurations. 

The PhD candidate will investigate how humans engage with AI and identify the key elements that support AI agents as team members. The goal is to develop a framework and guidelines to facilitate the design and development of AI solutions that human co-workers can trust. The aim is to explore the main research question: How to design future AI co-workers?

This research will be situated and contribute to the field of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). CSCW focuses on designing technologies that support cooperation across various settings, from group work to multinational organizations. While CSCW has extensively studied how humans cooperate with each other through technology, the introduction of AI presents new dimensions that have yet to be fully explored, presenting both potential and challenges. CSCW studies are usually supplemented with studies from social and organizational sciences.

About Research fellowship  

The Doctoral Research Fellowship is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years funded by Østfold University College. 

The candidate will be employed at Østfold University College. The candidate is expected to apply and be accepted in our Doctoral Programme “Digitalisation and Society". Read more on our website: Digitalisation and Society (https://www.hiof.no/english/research/phd-programme/)

Estimated starting date: 1st of September 2024

The candidate is expected to:

• actively take part in inter- and multi-disciplinary research activities relevant to AI Hub hosted by Østfold University College.
• disseminate research results on the project through high-quality scientific publications.

Video: https://youtu.be/UDMirdRpu4w

Qualification requirements 

The successful candidate is required to have 

• completed a master's degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions) within the field of Computer Science, Interaction Design or a closely related field. Candidates who will complete their master's degree in the near future will also be considered. Documentation must be submitted as soon as it is available. Any potential job offer will not be made until the documentation is provided and the master's degree meets the requirements.
• been awarded the grade B or better for the Master thesis - in terms of the Norwegian grading scale. If the research summary is of excellent quality, grade C candidates can be considered.
• hands-on experience with Participatory Design or Social Research Methods such as interviews or observations
• fluent oral and written communication skills in English. For international candidates(outside of EU/EEA area), approved TOEFL English proficiency test with min. score 90 or IELTS test with min. score 7.5.
• Documented Norwegian language proficiency at a minimum of level A2 is a requirement for employment as a research fellow. Danish and Swedish are considered equivalent to Norwegian. If the candidate cannot document this requirement, the university offers Norwegian language training equivalent to at least 15 ECTS credits, which the employee must complete by the end of the term of appointment.

Desired qualifications

The candidate should have:

• an average grade point for courses included in the Master's degree of B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale
• sound knowledge in Computer-Supported Collaborate Work
• knowledge of Generative AI tools
• prior publications in Journals /conferences on Computer-Supported Collaborative Work, Human-Computer Interactionor Interaction Design in general
• relevant work and/or academic experience

Personal qualifications

The successful candidate:

• has motivation and potential in the field of research
• has good communication and collaboration skills and the ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities
• has the ability to work in an international project team based in Norway and the ability take responsibility for own research goals
• is an organized and self-motivated individual, eager to work with industry partners and colleagues on research problems

Emphasis will be placed on the following

In the evaluation of the applicants, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following:

• prior academic and/or research performance 
• prior relevant work experience (if applicable)
• the applicant's own ideas of research themes and research design that would be relevant for the project proposal.

We offer

• a gross annual salary of minimum NOK 532 200,- and automatically development with a 3 % annual increase during the period. In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. 
• an exciting job opportunity at Østfold University College 
• participation in a new interdisciplinary doctoral programme and a research group where the project is located 
• beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund
• good employee welfare arrangements.
• working locations at Østfold University College, Halden (Norway)
• a vibrant AI community, see https://www.hiof.no/english/research/ai-hub/ (https://www.hiof.no/english/research/ai-hub/)

Submitting an application  

Please submit your application electronically via our recruitment system Jobbnorge.no. All attached documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or in English.

Application must include the following: 

• A short cover letter (maximum 2 pages) describing your qualifications, skills, and motivation for the position.The cover letter must also state your reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work.
• A Curriculum Vitae (including an overview of education, employment, teaching experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activities, as well as published and unpublished works).
• A publication list (if applicable). Include a brief description of your contributions if you have publications with multiple authors.
• A manuscript (article) derived from your master's thesis or your actual master's thesis if you have not yet published. If this is missing, a document explaining the reason must be included.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). Copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records. Higher education taken outside the Nordic countries must be documented by the submission of a dated and signed diploma/certificate and a transcript of grades in the original language. If the original language is not English or a Nordic language, you must also enclose an official translation. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university's grading system.

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. Other documentation may be claimed at a later stage, e.g., proof of claimed English proficiency.

Documents to be sent as hard copies by post

Applicants with degrees from: Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA must send their transcripts and diploma of master's and bachelor's education as hard copies directly from the relevant college/university, in addition to uploading them online. The hard copies must be received by us within 4 weeks after the application deadline. 

To send hard copies to HiØ, please use the following address:

Høgskolen i Østfold
HR-section
Postboks 700
1757 HALDEN

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Admission and appointment 

Admission to the doctoral programme Digitalisation and Society is a condition for appointment as a research fellow. The final plan for research training shall be approved and regulated by contract at the latest three months after the appointment is taken up.

The successful candidate will receive assistance in the application process to the PhD programme Digitalisation and Society at Østfold University College when starting in the position.  

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a PhD student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistant. 

Contact persons 

You are strongly encouraged to contact the main supervisor for a discussion about the position, relevant references and the project. For other information, please contact the Vice-Dean or the advisors:

• Main supervisor: Associate Professor Dr. Klaudia Carcani, Department of Computer Science & Communication, Klaudia.carcani@hiof.no
• Vice-Dean of Research: Tore Gimse, tore.gimse@hiof.no
• Advisor for the PhD programme: Liv Simensen, e-mail: liv.simensen@hiof.no  
• HR Senior Advisor: Hilde Gunn Avløyp, e-mail: hildegav@hiof.no 

Other information

The university college is committed to fostering a diverse and gender-balanced workforce. We seek employees with diverse skills, academic backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CVs, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview.

In accordance with the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25, paragraph 2, information about the applicant may be disclosed even if the applicant has requested not to be included on the list of applicants.

If you disclose that you have an immigrant background, disability, or gaps in your CV, this information, in anonymized form, may be used for statistical purposes.