Python Job: PhD student data science-artificial intelligence

PhD student data science/artificial intelligence

Do you want to contribute to the protein transition in order to make food production and consumption more sustainable, healthier and safer? As a PhD candidate within the BIGFOOD project, you can develop innovative data-driven approaches and artificial intelligence for the analysis and integration of data on nutrition and food. You study the effects of the protein transition and identify and analyse promising measures in the field of public health, food safety and environmental impact. You do this together with a multidisciplinary team. An interesting PhD position for you?

For the project 'BIGFOOD: Farm-to-fork transitions and their impact - big data approaches”, the Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services (VPZ), part of the V&Z (Public Health and Care) knowledge domain of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), is looking for a PhD student.

Purpose of the function
Innovative data-driven approaches are essential for addressing urgent societal challenges such as a sustainable food production chain and a sustainable diet, i.e. healthy, safe and with a low(er) environmental impact. The protein transition, the transition to a diet and food production with more vegetable and fewer animal protein sources, is important in this regard. This is what we focus on in the BIGFOOD project.

As a PhD candidate within the BIGFOOD project you will work on various studies. By making available, combining and analysing data from various parts of the food chain, promising strategies can be identified and (potential) effects calculated. For example, you will work on an ontology and knowledge graphs for the application domain. You also develop and apply evolutionary algorithms, natural language processing, semantic technologies and machine learning techniques and apply them to link different databases.

Activities and tasks

• You participate in the BIGFOOD project, and work with data from the food chain to answer questions about the protein transition.
• Together with colleagues, you refine the research questions and make a research plan.
• You create and apply data science and artificial intelligence techniques, such as for semantic annotation, interoperability and interlinking, knowledge graphs construction and embedding, data enrichment, reasoning and decision making, and FAIR data management.
• You write scientific publications for international peer-reviewed journals and a dissertation that lead to a PhD.
• You create prototypes (in programming languages such as Python, Java or R) for data linking and analysis facilitating data reuse by other researchers.
• You present your research within RIVM, and at (inter)national conferences and other forums.

The PhD work is supervised by Prof Dr Anna Fensel of Wageningen University, Dr Ido Toxopeus, Dr Rob de Jonge and Dr Marga Ocké of the RIVM. The work is mainly performed at RIVM, and can take place part-time at Wageningen University. We are set up for hybrid working, so you can also carry out part of the work from home.

Unique to this job

• You have the opportunity to obtain an interdisciplinary PhD on a societal relevant and topical theme.
• You develop solid technical solutions within a rich data infrastructure with many different data sources.
• You work in a multidisciplinary team with colleagues from data science and artificial intelligence and from healthy, safe and sustainable diets.
• You work in an enthusiastic and collegial network of external partners within the BIGFOOD consortium.
• You take courses that contribute to your development as a researcher with a PhD.

Description of the team / work culture

The BIGFOOD project team consists of about fifteen colleagues from different RIVM departments. The Nutrition and Health department is your home base and has over thirty colleagues. The atmosphere in this department is cosy, relaxed, cooperative and helpful.

In addition to this vacancy, we have three other vacancies for PhD positions. Below are the links to these vacancies:

• #546 Promovendus beleid en voedingsgedrag
• #548 Promovendus burgerbetrokkenheid bij RIVM onderzoek
• #549 Promovendus simulatiemodellering mentale gezondheid

Who are you?
You are curious, investigative and dare to make mistakes in order to come to the right conclusion. You are enthusiastic and motivated to contribute to a sustainable diet.
You are flexible in your working method, which is reflected in a perseverance to achieve your results. You dare to enter into a conversation to get the goal sharp and you are a critical counter thinker.

You also take this with you:

• You have a completed Master degree in computer science, data science or another related field.
• You are enthusiastic, flexible and motivated to advance and contribute to the objectives of the BIGFOOD project.
• You can cooperate well with other disciplines and partners and you are willing to take initiative.
• You come up with new solutions, ideas and perspectives. You enjoy approaching complex issues from different angles.
• You are proficient in English both orally and in writing and you know how to write scientific publications in English. Speaking the Dutch language is an advantage and if you can't, you are willing to learn it.

RIVM Committed to health and sustainability
Would you like to work on your PhD at RIVM? Then apply via the application button.
Send your application to Marga Ocké.
We would like to receive a resume and motivation letter. In the motivation letter we would also like to read what your affinity with the subject of "sustainable, healthy and safe food is".

If you have any questions about this vacancy, you can contact Marga by telephone on 06-52096988 or by e-mail at [email protected]. In the period December 26 – January 6, Marga is only available on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon.
The selection interviews will take place on 16 and 23 January, so make a note of these in your agenda.

Naast het salaris ontvang je een Individueel Keuzebudget (IKB). Het IKB bestaat uit geld (16,37% van je bruto jaarsalaris) en tijd. Met het IKB maak jij de keuzes die bij jou passen en kun je een deel van je arbeidsvoorwaarden zelf samenstellen. Je kunt er bijvoorbeeld voor kiezen om een deel van je maandinkomen te laten uitbetalen wanneer jij dat wenst. Ook kun je dit budget omzetten in verlof en andersom of besteden aan fiscaal vriendelijke doelen. De Rijksoverheid hecht sterk aan persoonlijke groei en loopbaanontwikkeling en biedt daarvoor tal van mogelijkheden. Tot de secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden behoren onder meer verschillende studiefaciliteiten, bedrijfsfitness, volledige vergoeding van je OV-reiskosten woon-werkverkeer en gedeeltelijk betaald ouderschapsverlof.