[oor-forum] PhD on Question Answering using Web Data (3 positions in Bonn, Germany)

[Christoph LANGE]

This is not just about _data_, but we also imagine _ontologies_ to play 
an important role in making data fit for question answering. –Christoph

The EIS research group <http://eis.iai.uni-bonn.de/About.html> at the
University of Bonn in Germany is pleased to announce

*Three full time PhD student positions in the field of question answering on
interlinked datasets*

The successful candidates will carry out research towards a PhD on one
of the following topics: (1) Effectively and efficiently supporting
dataset maintainers in semi-automatically cleaning and enriching
datasets to make them fit for question answering. (2) Discovering and
retrieving datasets of a high quality for QA with a high precision and
recall; automating dataset quality assessment. (3) Efficient and precise
translation of natural language questions into structured queries
against a federated knowledge base.

The successful candidates will work in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
International Training Network WDAqua (Answering Questions using Web
Data), undertaking advanced fundamental and applied research into
models, methods, and tools for data-driven question answering on the
Web, spanning a diverse range of areas and disciplines (data analytics,
social computing, Linked Data, and Web science). They will participate
in the network’s training schedule and perform internships with other
project partners. There will be no teaching obligation but teaching can
be arranged, if desired.

On top of a generous basic salary we offer a mobility allowance and, if
applicable, a family allowance. Initial appointment will be for one year
with a possible extension to 3 years. The position starts as soon as
possible. Initial appointment will be for one year with a possible
extension to 3 years.

*We offer:*

   * Two or more academic supervisors from the WDAqua network (the PhD
     student working on topic (1) will obtain a dual PhD degree with
     Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne, France)
   * A support grant to attend conferences, summer schools, and other
     events related to your research.
   * The possibility to obtain a discounted public transport ticket

*Requirements*

   * A Master degree in Computer Science or equivalent.
   * Not having resided/worked in Germany for more than 12 months in the
     3 years before starting the work (Marie Skłodowska-Curie mobility rule)
   * Proficiency in spoken and written English. Proficiency in German is
     a plus.
   * Proficiency in Programming languages like Java/Scala or JavaScript,
     and modern software engineering methodology.
   * Familiarity with Semantic Web, Natural Language Processing, Indexing
     and Data Analytics is an asset.

*How to apply*

To apply, please send the following documents in pdf to
eis-leaders at lists.iai.uni-bonn.de before 28th February 2015.

   * CV
   * Master certificate or university transcripts
   * A motivation letter including a short research plan targeted to one
     of the topics listed above,
   * Two letters of recommendation
   * English writing sample (e.g. prior publication or master thesis
     excerpt).

Please direct informal enquiries to the same address or see
http://www.iai.uni-bonn.de/~langec/wdaqua/.

The University of Bonn is an equal opportunities employer. Preference
will be given to suitably qualified women or persons with disabilities,
all other considerations being equal.

-- 
Christoph Lange, Enterprise Information Systems Department
Applied Computer Science @ University of Bonn; Fraunhofer IAIS
http://langec.wordpress.com/about, Skype duke4701

→ WDAqua (Answering Questions using Web Data) Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Intl. Training Network (ITN) seeking 15 highly skilled PhD candidates.
Apply by February: http://www.iai.uni-bonn.de/~langec/wdaqua/