项目介绍

2025年2月2日

Come work at the largest university of the Netherlands

Do you want to explore the power and limits of algorithms for modern-day applications, contributing to a sound theoretical foundation to the machine-made decisions that have become central in practically all parts of our life and society?

A PhD position is available at the Theoretical Computer Science group at ILLC, University of Amsterdam. The position’s focus is on algorithms under uncertainty and encompasses topics e.g. from Algorithmic Game Theory, Social Choice, Online Algorithms, and Fair Allocation. We tackle a variety of central, modern-day applications by providing new algorithmic approaches and proving their performance guarantees, but also e.g. investigate algorithmic restrictions posed by specific settings, and how to best capture the quality of an algorithm.

What are you going to do?

Are you interested in developing foundational solutions to some of today’s central algorithmic problems, handling challenging settings with components of uncertainty or incomplete information? The position offers an opportunity to identify and work on challenging questions fueled by modern-day applications, with a focus on foundational research on algorithms and mathematically proven performance guarantees. Possible directions and goals include the following examples:

• Developing new algorithms for problems resource allocation problems like e.g. car sharing, kidney exchange, group building.
• Identifying good objectives in sensitive social or challenging mathematical contexts, like different notions of algorithmic fairness, or beyond-worst-case performance measures, and analyzing their properties.
• Overcoming challenges posed by faulty, incomplete or hidden data, e.g. considering robustness notions or online algorithms.
• Controlling the effects of selfish/adversarial participant behaviour, for example in ad auctions or job assignment, via truthful mechanisms and other techniques.
• Contributing to the field of modern algorithms in general, and the more widespread application of provably good ones in particular.

The final workplan and topics will be chosen together with the successful candidate.
You are expected to work with local and international researchers on above or related topics, attend meetings (local as well as international), and contribute actively to activities and events of the scientific community, e.g. by taking over organizational tasks. 
You will publish research results in international conferences and journals e.g. on Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Theoretical CS or Economics and Computation, and present your findings at the according venues. 

Your profile

Your experience and profile 

Do you have a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, AI, Economics or related, and are you

• equipped with a solid background in general/basic Mathematics, and a structured thinker
• familiar with basic concepts of Theoretical Computer Science, e.g. complexity classes like P/NP, or approximation algorithms
• motivated, able to work with a high degree of independence and eager to contribute your own ideas
• interested in problems with an economic background, like auctions, or a strong social component, like fair division
• fluent in English, both spoken and written
• persistent and willing to tackle challenging questions? Then this could be for you!

Our offer

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is between May and September 2025. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 2,901 to € 3,707 (scale P) .This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile name profile and level is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• Multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• A complete educational program for PhD students;
• Multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• Multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• Partly paid parental leave;
• The possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• A pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• The possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• Help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.