PhD Position Improving Symbolic AI through Learning and Reasoning

TU Delft; Delft; Remote; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

8% holiday allowance

End-of-year bonus 8.3%

Job summary

TU Delft invites applications for a PhD position focused on improving symbolic AI through learning and reasoning. You will explore learning from limited data, guiding AI to think like a scientist by combining program synthesis with automated reasoning for scientific discovery and robotics.

You will join the Algorithmics Group in EEMCS and collaborate with PhD students and postdocs, with opportunities to co-supervise.

Qualifications

• MSc degree in Computer Science and/or Artificial Intelligence (essential).
• Prior experience in automated reasoning (essential).
• Prior experience with symbolic machine learning approaches (essential).
• Desirable: applying automated reasoning or ML in biology, chemistry or other natural sciences.
• Good communication, organisation and writing skills.
• Good programming skills and desire to produce usable open-source software.

Responsibilities

• Investigate how to teach machines to learn from tiny data by thinking like a scientist.
• Combine program synthesis and automated reasoning to solve problems in scientific discovery and robotics.
• Collaborate with PhD students and postdocs, with opportunities to co-supervise.
• Be supervised by Prof. Sebastijan Dumancic.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Writing skills

Programming skills

Education

MSc in Computer Science and/or AI

Job description

PhD Position Improving Symbolic AI through Learning and Reasoning

Join TU Delft in developing AI that thinks like a scientist

While all the headlines are full of AI learning from massivve datasets, in this position you will investigate how can we teach machines to learn from tiny amounts of data. You will investigate how how can we achieve this goal by making AI think like a scientist -- reason about which models and plausible and should be explored. We will build this new approach upon the combination of program synthesis and automated reasoning, and apply it to actual problems from scientific discovery and robotics. You will join the Algorithmics Group in the Department of Software Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS). You will collaborate with PhD students and postdocs working on program synthesis and automated reasoning, and will have opportunities to co-supervise students. You will be supervised by Prof. Sebastijan Dumancic.

Job requirements

The ideal candidate will be an ambitious, proactive, reflective, and results-driven researcher. We are looking for the following:

• MSc degree in Computer Science and/or Artificial Intelligence (essential)
• prior experience in automated reasoning (essential)
• prior experinece with symbolic machine learning approaches (essential)
• prior experience in applying automated reasoning or machine learning in biology, chemistry, or other naturla sciences (desirable)
• good communication, organisation, and writing skills
• good programming skills and desire to produce usable open-source software

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from€3204 - €4051 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service , offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Additional information

If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Sebastijan Dumancic, via [e-mail] .

Please note:

• To protect your personal data, we only accept applications submitted via the ‘Apply’ button advertised under the vacancies on our website. Applications and additional information sent by email or through other channels, including unsolicited applications, will not be considered or responded to. This also applies to open applications.
• As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest.You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.