PhD student in Application of Machine Learning to Advance Bathymetric Seafloor Mapping and Data Compilation

at the Department of Geological Science. Closing date: 15 June 2024.

Stockholm University is a leading European university in one of the world’s most dynamic capitals. The University has more than 33,000 students, 1,600 doctoral students and 5,500 staff members active within the natural sciences and humanities.

The Department of Geological Sciences is a department within the Faculty of Science with courses at master's, bachelor's and orientation levels. The department supports a broad range of basic research within marine geology and geophysics, geochemistry and classical geology.

Project description
As our dependence on the oceans grows and the health of the oceans becomes threatened, knowledge of the depth of the seafloor (bathymetry) is essential for understanding climate dynamics, marine ecosystems, resource management, risk managements and much more.

Recognizing the critical importance of seafloor mapping, the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project was launched in 2017 with the goal of inspiring ocean mapping and delivering a complete map of the world's ocean floor by the year 2030 for the benefit of humankind. While the available high-resolution seafloor mapping data has increased, covering about 6% of the world's oceans in 2017 and almost 25 % in 2024, new technologies and approaches will be needed to help fill the remaining 75% of the seafloor that has not yet been directly mapped.

This PhD position at Stockholm University focuses on leveraging machine learning (ML) to identify errors in large bathymetric datasets and applying ML techniques like "super-resolution" to enhance acquired bathymetry data.

The PhD position is for four years. It is hosted at the Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, and co-supervised from the Physics Department. The project includes key collaborators at the University of New Hampshire (USA), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (USA), and JAMSTEC (Japan) as well as at all partner institutes involved in the Seabed 2030 project. The position is partly funded by The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and partly by Stockholm University.

Qualification requirements
In order to meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

In order to meet the entry requirements, the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of Marine Geology stipulates that applicants must normally have:

• At least 90 credits in geosciences
• At least 30 credits in mathematics, physics, chemistry and/or biology depending on the chosen subject area in marine geology.
• In addition, at least 60 credits at the advanced level, including 30 credits of independent work in geosciences.

Some exceptions can be made to the above listed requirements depending on the PhD subject. The qualification requirements must be met before admission to the research education.

Selection
The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity: the candidates’ documented knowledge in a relevant field of research, written and oral proficiency in English, the capacity for analytical thinking, the ability to collaborate, as well as creativity, initiative, and independence.

The assessment will be based on previous experience and grades, the quality of the degree project, references, relevant experience, interviews, and the candidate’s written motivation for seeking the position. In addition, previous experience working with bathymetric data, seafloor mapping, machine learning and programming can be advantageous.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University are available at: https://www.su.se/admission-regulations.

Terms of employment 
Only a person who will be or has already been admitted to a third-cycle programme may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.

The term of the initial contract may not exceed one year. The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study.

Doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their own education, but may engage in teaching, research, and administration corresponding to a maximum of 20 % of a full-time position.

Please note that admission decisions cannot be appealed.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
For more information, please contact Professor Martin Jakobsson, martin.jakobsson@geo.su.se.

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, saco@saco.su.se, Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/Lärarförbundet), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, alejandra@st.su.se, and seko@seko.su.se (SEKO), and PhD representative, studentombud@sus.se.

Application
Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2-3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter (maximum 2 pages) where you specify why you are interested in the research area and advertised project, what makes you a suitable candidate for this project including relevant experience
• CV - degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
• Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
• Degree projects/theses (minimum 1 file but no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.

You are welcome to apply!

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