项目介绍

2026年4月9日

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in mathematics within the field of application of geometry to machine learning at the Department of Mathematics. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with career-promoting work (e.g., teaching at the Department). The position is subject to financing by the University of Bergen.

About the project/work tasks

Geometric Deep Learning (GDL) is a branch of machine learning that develops neural network models by explicitly incorporating the symmetries and geometric structure underlying the data. This framework allows one to work effectively with data defined on domains that possess intrinsic shape or symmetry, such as articulated hand and body configurations, surfaces, graphs and in permutations of inputs. Prominent architectures – including Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) – can be viewed as special cases within the broader GDL paradigm.
Research in GDL relies on a strong theoretical foundation, drawing on group theory, differential geometry, and representation theory. The performance gains arising from geometric principles cannot be replicated simply by scaling up data or computational resources. The PhD project will address both the mathematical foundations and the practical implementation of equivariant
neural networks. Core motivating problems include:

• learning models governed by partial differential equations (PDEs) on nonlinear spaces,
• transfer learning between domains with different geometric structures, and
• score-based methods inspired by geometric statistics and stochastic processes on manifolds.

The successful candidate will, under supervision, be expected to:

• Conduct fundamental research on neural networks for signals defined on domains equipped with symmetry groups.
• Identify and design effective network architectures and layer structures.
• Implement equivariant architectures, perform experiments, and evaluate and compare their performance.

Qualifications and personal qualities

• Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent education in mathematics or in computer science with a mathematical background. Master students can apply provided they complete their final master exam before 31.08.2026. It is a condition of
  employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
• Experience with setting up, training, and applying machine learning models is a requirement.
• It is a requirement to be familiar with the basics of abstract algebra, in particular group
  theory.
• Knowledge of manifolds, representation theory and/or differential geometry is an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills.
• The applicant should be able to both work with researchers at the departments of Mathematics and Informatics.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, ambitions andpotential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

The following applies to the PhD position

About the PhD position: The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the Head of Department upon appointment. If a 4th year is granted, one year of career-promoting work associated with teaching, dissemination or research infrastructure/services, will be distributed over the full employment period and thus corresponding to 25 per cent of the time each year.
The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g., research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training: As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Science and Technology is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

We can offer

• Exciting development opportunities as part of your role in a strong professional environment
• Salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross
  annual salary of NOK 568 700. Further salary increases are made according to the length of service in the position. 
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include

• a brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• a detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, explaining how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the “advantages” mentioned above, as these will be taken into account when ranking the candidates.
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master’s thesis or equivalent thesis
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. If you have not yet completed your master’s degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master’s degree. Your master’s degree must be documented with transcripts and/or diploma before starting in the position.
• relevant certificates/references
• approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission)
• a list of any works of a scientific nature if relevant.

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge