Phd Position: Nlp for Open Government - Tilburg, Nederland - Tilburg University

Tilburg University

Geverifieerd bedrijf

Tilburg, Nederland

4 weken geleden

Geplaatst door:

Daan Van den Berg

werver van beBee

Beschrijving

PhD position:
NLP for open government (0,8-1,0 FTE)

Project description:

As part of the open government movement, governments are increasingly making their documents available online. One specific category of documents being disclosed proactively by governments is the class of so-called 'single-case decisions', e.g. on licensing, subsidizing and sanctioning (see for example WooGLe ) - beschikkingen).

However, due to the huge volume and complexity of these legal texts in combination with the diversified structure of these documents, legal awareness is hard to achieve and understanding these legal texts tends to become "riddles wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma".

This project aim to transform the way open government documents, specifically single-case decisions of Dutch governments, are accessed and understood by legal professionals (public officials) and the general public.

To this end, we will focus on extracting information and recognizing patterns of decision-making across various subsets of these documents using advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques.

The three challenges that will be addressed in this project are:

How to extract concise, clear, and expressive insight (e.g. representation, entity) from single-case decisions as a particular type of government documents.
How to identify homogeneous clusters of governments decisions made by and represent them in an efficient, explainable, and transparent fashion.
How to address the ethical concerns of current decision making process using XAImethods and fairness measures to promote a fair and responsible approach.

Requirements:

Strong interest in Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Explainable AI.
Strong programming skills (e.g. Python, PyTorch, Tensorflow)
The ability to work individually as well as effectively in an interdisciplinary team;
Excellent knowledge of English and good academic writing skills.
Fluency in Dutch is a plus, because of the language of the official documents of Dutch governments

What we offer

A fulltime position.
A minimum gross salary of € 2.770;

- per month up to a maximum of € 3.539;
- in the fourth year.

A holiday allowance of 8% and an endofyear bonus of 8.3% (annually).
Assistance in finding accommodation.
Benefits such as an options model for terms and conditions of employment and reimbursement of moving expenses, also including excellent technical infrastructure, savings schemes and excellent sport facilities.

The collective labor agreement of the Dutch Universities applies.

To apply, please submit:
- a motivation letter in which you describe why you want to do this research, and why you are the right person to do it;
- a full curriculum vitae, demonstrating academic excellence, including publications (if applicable);
- academic transcripts of your Bachelor and Master's degrees;
- a sample of writing, such as your Master's thesis or a relevant paper;

The departments and schools:

The CSAI department emphasizes innovative research spanning a wide array of fields, including computational linguistics and language technology, data science, human-robot interaction, virtual reality and serious games.

Tilburg University and the CSAI department offer a vibrant international environment, with current CSAI staff originating from more than 17 countries.

Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe. Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society.

The Department of Public Law & Governance (PLG) is a unique collaboration of researchers in the fields of International Law, European law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Public Administration, Legal Philosophy, Political Science, Legal History, and Jurisprudence.

Collaboration within the Department is very much inspired by joint research interests.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences

Research and education at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) has a unique focus on humans in the context of the globalizing digital society, on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, on their impact on communication, culture and society, and on moral and existential challenges that arise.

The School of Humanities and Digital Sciences consists of four departments:

Communication and Cognition, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Culture Studies and Philosophy; several research institutes and a faculty office.

Also the University College Tilburg is part of the School. Each year around 275 students commence a Bachelor or (Pre) Master Program. The School has approximately 2000 students and 250 employees.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences

Recruitment code
Tilburg University applies the recruitmentco