PhD position: AI Methods to Enrich and Interact with Heritage Objects

About Ghent University

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programs  grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Your job

Context

Are you passionate about Machine Learning, AI, Computer Vision, and FAIR data management? Do you aspire to make a meaningful impact in Belgian and European heritage enrichment? Join our team AI4Heritage at IDLab Ghent University, and embark on an exciting journey to transform historical data into valuable insights and innovative AI apps with societal impact!

We are seeking a motivated candidate for a fully-funded PhD researcher position (1 year + 3 additional years after a positive evaluation) focused on applying advanced AI techniques (incl. LLMs, vision transformers,  multimodal AI, etc.) to enrich and interact with data from the heritage domain. 

Team

The research group led by Prof. Steven Verstockt and Prof. Dieter De Witte, focuses on Applied AI projects in heritage, (mental) healthcare, media, and sports. Recent projects include the enrichment of historical maps, enhancement of plant herbarium collections, use of LLMs to interact with mental health patients, application of multimodal AI for image retrieval, and development of AI-supported annotation interfaces for museums.

Your mission

As a PhD researcher, you will:

• Stay informed about the latest advancements in AI, computer vision, and FAIR data practices
• Apply cutting-edge technology to enrich and interact with digital collections
• Attend and speak at international conferences

Job profile

• You hold a Master’s degree (preferably) in Master of Science in Computer Science Engineering, Master of Science in Mathematics, Master of Science in Informatics, Master of Science in Computer Science, or similar

Requirements

• A master's degree with a strong focus on ICT (Computer Science, Informatics, or similar)
• Experience with Python
• Fluent in English 
• Researchers who received a PhD scholarship earlier will be excluded

Recommended Skills

• Experience with Web development (JavaScript, React)
• Experience with Deep learning and AI (Computer vision, LLMs, Pytorch, HuggingFace)
• Familiarity with Semantic Web technologies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice-to-Haves

• Proficiency in Dutch or French
• Outstanding result for your master's thesis.
• Knowledge of cloud-based AI services.
• Experience writing scientific publications or presentations.
• Experience with topics currently researched by our team: GANs, pose estimation, IIIF, interactive learning, multimodal AI, reasoning

Typical transferable skills for a PhD student

• Self-driven, able to manage long-term projects and report proactively.
• You are good at communicating with students (teaching, projects) 
• Excellent presentation skills
• Research-oriented: independent, up-to-date with research literature, and driven by curiosity.
• Proficient in English reading/writing/speaking, with a willingness to improve if needed.

What we can offer you

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• A flexible work-life balance (working from home and the office)
• Opportunity to build a social network locally and internationally through scientific conferences.
• Your contract will start on September 1, 2024 at the earliest (vacancy is open until filled).
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

How to apply

Send your CV, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to to dieter.dewitte@ugent.be