The University of Agder (UiA) is seeking a highly motivated Ph.D. Research Fellow to join the Faculty of Engineering and Science in Grimstad, Norway, for a full-time, fixed-term position in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This opportunity is ideal for candidates passionate about advancing trustworthy language models and artificial intelligence in sensitive domains such as public healthcare and public sector case handling. The successful candidate will be part of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, which hosts three active research groups and collaborates with leading organizations including the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), Norkart, Kristiansand Municipality, and the Norwegian Mapping Authority. The research will focus on developing state-of-the-art methods for benchmarking, evaluating, and improving large language models (LLMs) in high-stakes environments where precision, accountability, and trust are paramount. Key research areas include: Adapting and developing LLM-based solutions for public healthcare and case handling, ensuring compliance with domain-specific needs and regulatory requirements. Designing benchmarking pipelines and evaluation metrics for language models, emphasizing performance, reliability, precision, factual consistency, and faithfulness in complex scientific and public sector contexts. Deploying and testing LLM systems in real-world settings, collaborating with domain experts to refine tools and frameworks for trustworthy AI applications. Aligning language models with institutional policies and legal requirements to ensure responsible and compliant deployments. The position is associated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research at UiA, offering access to a vibrant research community, modern facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The candidate will benefit from intensive PhD supervision and collaboration with top scientists in the field. Eligibility highlights: Applicants must hold a master’s degree in ICT, Computer Science, or a related field, with strong academic credentials. Proficiency in Norwegian and English is required, and international candidates must provide TOEFL or IELTS scores if not exempt. Admission to the PhD Programme in Technology (ICT specialization) within three months of appointment is mandatory. Grade requirements include a minimum of C for bachelor’s courses, B for master’s courses, and B for the master’s thesis. Personal suitability, teamwork, inventiveness, and relevant practical experience are valued. Funding: The position offers a gross annual salary of NOK 550,800, with a compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The appointment is for three years, with a possible extension to four years. Application window: Applications must be submitted online by January 30, 2026. Required documentation includes educational certificates, grade transcripts, thesis summary, proof of English proficiency (if applicable), and a description of research interests. Original documents must be presented for verification upon arrival at UiA. For further information, contact Professor Morten Goodwin ([email protected]) or Head of Department Folke Haugland ([email protected]). For application process queries, contact HR-Advisor Linda Heskestad Kristiansen ([email protected]). Join UiA to contribute to cutting-edge research in trustworthy AI and language technologies, and help shape the future of public sector applications in Norway and beyond.

The University of Agder (UiA) invites applications for a PhD Research Fellow in ICT, focusing on Multimodal Agentic AI for a Virtual Coaching Assistant. This full-time position is based at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of Information and Communication Technology, and is affiliated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR). The role is for three years, or four years with 25% career-promoting work, and is located at Campus Grimstad, Norway, with substantial collaboration expected with project partners, especially Initial Force in Trondheim. This PhD position is part of the Research Council of Norway Innovation Project, 'Virtual Coaching Assistant: Towards a Sustainable Coaching Industry,' where UiA is a core research partner. The research will contribute to the development of personalized AI agents and their interactions, combining theoretical understanding, methodological development, and practical experimentation. The project is conducted in close collaboration with industry and research partners, including Initial Force AS and NTNU, and involves applied research in realistic, data-intensive environments. Key research activities include designing and implementing benchmarking pipelines for multimodal agentic AI systems, focusing on robustness, reliability, and trustworthiness; developing evaluation methodologies that combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert assessment; investigating model behavior, failure modes, and uncertainty in AI systems operating on complex, heterogeneous data; and contributing to open, reproducible research practices within CAIR. The research sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, multimodal data, and real-world deployment within sports and health science. Applicants must have a master's degree in Computer Science, ICT, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related field. Candidates in the final stages of their master's degree may also apply. Required skills include a solid background in AI and machine learning (including deep neural networks), programming proficiency in Python, and experience or strong interest in language models (SLMs/LLMs), agentic AI systems, deep learning architectures, multimodal AI (text, time-series, sensor data, video), explainable and trustworthy AI, and model deployment in real-world settings. Familiarity with collaborative software development, data and machine-learning frameworks, language model customization, agentic AI frameworks, and cloud platforms is expected. Written and spoken English proficiency is required; international candidates must document English proficiency via TOEFL (minimum 600 PBT or 92 iBT) or IELTS (minimum 6.5). Desired qualifications include hands-on experience with AI-based workflows and generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude Code), benchmarking and evaluation of complex AI systems, robustness and uncertainty estimation, deployment in high-stakes environments, and interest or background in sport science, movement analysis, coaching, biomechanics, or related applied domains. Prior research experience and familiarity with open, reproducible research practices are advantageous. Personal qualities sought include a research-oriented mindset, strong motivation, independence, analytical skills, communication skills, inventiveness, curiosity, and willingness to engage in an international research environment and industry collaboration. The position offers professional development in a large, exciting, and socially influential organization, a positive, inclusive, and diverse working environment, modern facilities, and comprehensive welfare offers. Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is included. The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.515, code 1017 PhD Research Fellow, with a gross annual salary of NOK 550,800. A compulsory pension contribution is deducted from the pay according to statutory provisions. UiA encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, age, cultural background, disability, or incomplete CV. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with current regulations, and organizational changes and changes in duties and responsibilities must be expected. Appointment is made by the University of Agder’s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions. Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview, and reference checks may be conducted with the applicant’s permission. Applications must be submitted electronically via the provided link. Required documentation includes certificates with grades, master's thesis, references, academic work and R&D projects, project description (including research questions, theory perspectives, material, progress plan, and methods), and any other relevant documentation. All documentation must be available in a Scandinavian language or English. The application deadline is 25 February 2026. For questions about the position, contact Professor Morten Goodwin ([email protected]), Daniel Groos ([email protected]), or Head of Department Folke Haugland ([email protected]). For questions about the application process, contact HR-advisor Linda H. Kristiansen ([email protected]). UiA is one of Southern Norway's largest workplaces, with more than 1,500 employees and almost 14,000 students. The university is located on two modern campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad, offering a vibrant research, teaching, and dissemination environment across diverse fields.

The University of Agder (UiA) invites applications for a PhD Research Fellow in ICT, focusing on Multimodal AI for Fast and Accurate Investigation and Response. This full-time position is based at Campus Grimstad and is affiliated with the Department of Information and Communication Technology within the Faculty of Engineering and Science. The role is directly linked to the Research Council of Norway Innovation Project, F AI R, where UiA is a core research partner. The successful candidate will join the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) and the Centre for Integrated Emergency Management (CIEM), contributing to advanced research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, investigation, and emergency management. The research will be conducted in realistic, data-intensive environments, addressing challenges related to robustness, reliability, evaluation, and trust in AI systems deployed in high-stakes police operational settings. The project involves close collaboration with industry and research partners, including DavidHorn, and emphasizes applied research in multimodal and temporally structured data. Key research themes include multimodal machine learning, representation learning, embedding-based methods for information extraction and similarity search, evaluation and benchmarking of complex AI systems, and trustworthy AI. The candidate will explore neural architectures for robust and aligned embeddings across text, audio, video, and time-series data, supporting retrieval, information integration, and decision support in evolving environments. Methodologies will focus on rigorous evaluation and benchmarking beyond conventional text-only benchmarks, including robustness, uncertainty, temporal consistency, and performance under distribution shift. Explainability and interpretability methods tailored to complex multimodal and embedding-based systems are central, ensuring transparency and inspectability for expert users. The research approach combines theory, methods, and empirical experimentation, validated through controlled experiments and realistic pilots in data-intensive environments. The candidate will contribute to high-quality scientific publications and reusable benchmarking frameworks, promoting open and reproducible research practices within CAIR and CIEM. Applicants must hold or be near completion of a Master’s degree in Computer Science, ICT, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related field. Essential qualifications include a solid foundation in AI, machine learning, or computer science, strong programming skills (especially Python), and proficiency in English. International candidates must meet English language requirements (TOEFL or IELTS). Desired qualifications include experience or strong interest in multimodal AI, large language models, embedding-based methods, explainable and trustworthy AI, and collaborative development workflows. Familiarity with evaluation and benchmarking of AI systems, robustness, uncertainty estimation, bias analysis, and failure-mode analysis is preferred. Prior research experience and interest in open and reproducible research practices are advantageous. Personal qualities such as motivation, independence, analytical skills, communication, teamwork, inventiveness, and willingness to engage in an international research environment are important. The position offers professional development in a large, socially influential organization, a positive and inclusive working environment, modern facilities, and membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The gross annual salary is NOK 550,800, with a compulsory pension contribution. UiA encourages qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply. The application deadline is 24 February 2026. For questions about the position, contact Professor Morten Goodwin, Professor Jaziar Radianti, or Head of Department Folke Haugland. For application process inquiries, contact HR-advisor Linda H. Kristiansen. Applications must be submitted electronically, including certificates, Master’s thesis, references, academic work, project description, and other relevant documentation. All documents should be in a Scandinavian language or English.