PhD student in visualization with a focus on collaborative design

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We are looking for a PhD student in visualization with a focus on collaborative visualization design.

Your work assignments

The focus of this advertised PhD position and the corresponding research project will be on designing and deploying new visual analysis tools in collaboration with domain experts. The project will follow visualization design study methodology and emphasize co-design and participatory methods. There are a range of opportunities for new visualization directions, including novel approaches to visualizing uncertainty, new techniques for incorporating domain knowledge into visualizations, making complex simulations transparent and interpretable, and engaging the public in social science research through visualization. The visualization research will be informed by critical, feminist, and design-oriented perspectives.  The work will include: the development of visual analysis tools for making sense of complex simulations; collaborations with social scientists; and theoretical engagement with visualization topics.

The PhD student is expected to produce research outputs relevant to the field of visualization. These outputs should include publications at international conferences, workshops, and journals. As this research is inherently collaborative, the PhD student should thrive within, and be passionate about contributing to a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment.

As a doctoral student, you devote most of your time to doctoral studies and the research projects of which you are part. Your work may also include teaching or other departmental duties, up to a maximum of 20% of full-time. If you have a strong software engineering background, you will have the opportunity to fill this 20% effort with additional research engineering work for the segregation project.

Your qualifications

The position requires you to have a Master’s degree or completed courses corresponding to a total of 4 years of full-time university studies, at least 1 year of which must be in advanced courses in the fields of computer science, data science, information science, design, or related fields. Alternatively, you have gained corresponding knowledge in another way.

Experience working with data and developing interactive technologies is a requirement, with experience designing and developing visualizations considered highly desirable. It is desirable for candidates to have knowledge of at least one of the following relevant fields: feminist epistemologies and perspectives from critical data studies; social science fields and methods; or statistical methods, especially as related to computational simulations. The research will require competence in developing interactive visualization tools: interested candidates should have this skill, or express a willingness to acquire it. The research will also involve qualitative research such as ethnography, participatory design, and reflective practices; knowledge of qualitative methods is desirable. A demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate and communicate is required. 

As the communication of research results mainly takes place in English, this employment requires fluency in English, both spoken and written. Given the research potential for outreach to the public it is an advantage if you also have advanced skills in Swedish.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities and suitability.

Your workplace

The PhD position will be based in the Media and Information Technology (MIT) division, belonging to the Department of Science and Technology (ITN) at Linköping university’s Norrköping Campus. MIT is an international leader in interdisciplinary, applied research with expertise in visualization, design, computer graphics, and learning science. The research nexus for the division is the Visualization Center C, a unique science center in Norrköping that engages the public through data-driven installations and 3D fulldome experiences. Read more at http://visualiseringscenter.se

The PhD student will be part of the newly established Visualization Collective (https://viscollective.github.io/) led by Prof. Miriah Meyer (https://miriah.github.io/).

The position is part of a larger project led by researchers at the Institute of Analytic Sociology. The goals of the project are to develop new models for, and understandings of how neighborhoods and schools become segregated to inform future policies and improve chances for children in disadvantaged areas. The PhD student will collaborate closely with social science researchers to develop new visual analysis tools to support their research in this area. You can read more about the project here: https://liu.se/en/news-item/new-research-to-improve-chances-for-children-from-disadvantaged-areas.

The employment

When taking up the post, you will be admitted to the program for doctoral studies. More information about the doctoral studies at each faculty is available at Doctoral studies at Linköping University

The employment has a duration of four years’ full-time equivalent. You will initially be employed for a period of one year. The employment will subsequently be renewed for periods of maximum duration two years, depending on your progress through the study plan. The employment may be extended up to a maximum of five years, based on the amount of teaching and departmental duties you have carried out. Further extensions can be granted in special circumstances.

Starting date by agreement. 

Salary and employment benefits

The salary of PhD students is determined according to a locally negotiated salary progression.

More information about employment benefits at Linköping University is available here.

Union representatives

Information about union representatives, see Help for applicants.

Application procedure

Apply for the position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must reach Linköping University no later than May 17, 2024.

Applications and documents received after the date above will not be considered.

Applications should include:
- A cover letter or research statement motivating why you are interested in the position, why you are qualified for the position, and how you envision that your background will contribute to the research goals of the project.
- A CV including contact details, the dates of prior degrees and universities at which they were obtained, a list of peer-reviewed publications or other research artifacts, and a list of any public outreach efforts.
- A technical writing sample, such as a relevant published article or master’s thesis.
- Certificates of degrees and transcripts with records of grades.

We welcome applicants with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives - diversity enriches our work and helps us grow. Preserving everybody's equal value, rights and opportunities is a natural part of who we are. Read more about our work with: Equal opportunities.




We look forward to receiving your application!





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