About the position

A Doctoral Research Fellowship in Machine Learning for Critical Healthcare is available at the Faculty of Computer Sciences, Engineering and Economics at Østfold University College (ØUC).

The research will be conducted within the Machine Learning Research Group at the Department of Computer Science and Communication, in collaboration with Østfold Hospital Trust, and will focus on developing novel computational models for trustworthy applications in critical care.

The doctoral position is part of the research initiative “The Digital Society” at ØUC.

Project description

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) generate vast amounts of short, irregular biomedical time-series data, including physiological signals, lab results, and interventions. These data hold great potential for supporting high-stakes, complex decision-making. However, traditional machine learning models face limitations in this domain due to several critical challenges. First, ICU data are high-dimensional and multimodal, with patient states evolving dynamically over time. Second, clinical conditions such as infection, sepsis, ventilation, and hemodynamic instability are often interconnected, necessitating a holistic modeling approach. Third, there is a critical need for improved yet explainable predictive accuracy to enable the early detection of life-threatening conditions.

This project aims to develop a multiway and multitask learning framework that serves as a domain-specific foundation model for several downstream clinical tasks relevant to complex ICU decision-making.

As an initial case study, the PhD project will be linked to an ongoing initiative at Østfold Hospital Trust focusing on the early prediction of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a severe ICU complication associated with increased mortality and healthcare costs. In addition to developing task-specific predictive models, VAP prediction will serve as a downstream use case to evaluate and benchmark the performance of the proposed model.

The project will address key, long-standing challenges in machine learning for short multivariate time-series analysis. By developing a multiway and multitask learning framework with built-in explainability, the project aims to deliver clinically interpretable and trustworthy AI models for ICU decision-making. Ultimately, the project aims to improve patient care while ensuring safety, fairness, and accountability, thereby contributing to the development of a responsible and sustainable digital society.

About Research fellowship

The Doctoral Research Fellowship is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years funded by Østfold University College.

The candidate will be employed at Østfold University College. The candidate is expected to apply and be accepted in our Doctoral Programme “Digitalisation and Society”. Read more on our website: Digitalisation and Society

Estimated starting date: 1st of January 2026.

The candidate will be a part of a research team, including scientists from computational and medical sciences working on the development of AI-driven solutions to support decision making in healthcare. The research will be conducted in collaboration with Østfold Hospital Trust.

The candidate is expected to:

• design, develop, implement and test novel computational models for intelligent analysis multi-variate time-series data during their PhD studies.
• actively take part in inter- and multi-disciplinary research activities relevant to AI Hub hosted by Østfold University College.
• disseminate research results on the project through high-quality scientific publications.

. Video: https://youtu.be/UDMirdRpu4w

Qualification requirements

The successful candidate is required to have

• Completed a master’s degree (or be close to completion by the time an offer is made), equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions, within the field of Computer Science or a similar discipline.
• Been awarded the grade B or better for the Master’s thesis, according to the Norwegian grading scale. Candidates with a grade C may be considered if the research summary is of excellent quality.
• Relevant work and/or academic experience.
• Documented knowledge of machine learning methods, tools, and platforms.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. For international candidates (outside the EU/EEA area), an approved TOEFL English proficiency test with a minimum score of 90 or IELTS test with a minimum score of 7.5 is required.

Desired qualifications

We would like you to have

• an average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree of B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale.
• Solid programming skills, preferably in Python.
• Hands-on experience in database programming.
• Experience in installing, training, and using large foundation/language models.

Personal qualifications

The successful candidate has

• motivation and potential in the field of research.
• the ability to work in a project team and take responsibility for own research goals.
• good communication and collaboration skills and the ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities.

Emphasis will be placed on the following

In the evaluation of the applicants, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following:

• quality of the research experience and publications
• prior academic output and/or research performance (Master thesis and papers in journals/conferences and citations)
• the applicant’s own ideas of research themes and research design that would be relevant for the project, and the quality and relevance of the project sketch

We offer

• a gross annual salary of minimum NOK 590  000,- and automatically development with a 3 % annual increase during the period. In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• an exciting job opportunity at Østfold University College.
• participation in a new interdisciplinary doctoral program and a research group where the project is located.
• beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund.
• good employee welfare arrangements.
• working locations at Østfold University College, Halden (Norway).
• a vibrant AI community, see https://www.hiof.no/english/research/ai-hub/

Submitting an application

Please submit your application electronically via our recruitment system Jobbnorge.no. All attached documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or in English.

Application must include the following:

• A short (1-2 page) cover letter describing your motivation, your suitability, relevant qualifications and research interests for this position. The cover letter must also state your reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work.
• A brief high-level project sketch/project description (maximum 2 pages) for a PhD project according to the project description above.
• A copy of your CV.
• A list of publications (if applicable). Include a short description of your contribution in multi-authored publications.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records. Higher education taken outside the Nordic countries must be documented by the submission of a dated and signed diploma/certificate and a transcript of grades in the original language. If the original language is not English or a Nordic language, you must also enclose an official translation. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
• A copy of your master thesis.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number).

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. Other documentation may be claimed at a later stage, e.g., proof of claimed English proficiency.

Documents to be sent as hard copies by post

Applicants with degrees from: Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA must send their transcripts and diploma of master’s and bachelor’s education as hard copies directly from the relevant college/university, in addition to uploading them online. The hard copies must be received by us within four - 4 - weeks after the application deadline expires.

To send hard copies to HiØ, please use the following address:

Høgskolen i Østfold
HR-section
Postboks 700
1757 HALDEN

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Admission and appointment

Admission to the doctoral programme Digitalisation and Society is a condition for appointment as a research fellow. The final plan for research training shall be approved and regulated by contract at the latest three months after the appointment is taken up.

The successful candidate will receive assistance in the application process to the PhD programme Digitalisation and Society at Østfold University College when starting in the position.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a PhD student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistant.

Contact persons

You are strongly encouraged to contact the main supervisor for a discussion about the position, relevant references and the project. For other information, please contact the Vice-Dean or the advisors:

• Main supervisor: Assistant Professor, Hasan Ogul, +47 462 15 195, e.-mail: [email protected]
• Co-supervisor: Dean, Susanne Koch Stigberg, e-mail: [email protected]
• Senior Advisor for the PhD programme: Liv Simensen, [email protected]
• HR Senior Advisor: Hilde Gunn Avløyp, e-mail: [email protected]

Other information

The university college is committed to fostering a diverse and gender-balanced workforce. We seek employees with diverse skills, academic backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CVs, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview.

In accordance with the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25, paragraph 2, information about the applicant may be disclosed even if the applicant has requested not to be included on the list of applicants.

If you disclose that you have an immigrant background, disability, or gaps in your CV, this information, in anonymized form, may be used for statistical purposes.