Ph.D. Position in Personalized Visual Analytics: Human Preference Elicitation for Ranking-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Support -100%
Universität Zürich
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Departement of Informatics
Ph.D. Position in Personalized Visual Analytics: Human Preference Elicitation for Ranking-Based Multi-Criteria
Decision Support 100 %
Start of employment 01.11.2024, temporary
The Interactive Visual Data Analysis (IVDA) Group at the University of Zurich is seeking a talented Ph.D. (m/f/d) at
the intersection of visual analytics, interactive machine learning, and human-centered AI. Together, we will develop
novel approaches for the characterization, design, and evaluation of interactive visual data analysis solutions that
combine the strengths of both humans and algorithms. This position is particularly suitable for candidates with
interests/experience in human preference elicitation and multi-criteria decision support, which we will study for the
case of item ranking challenges.
Your responsibilities
Multi-criteria decision support through item ranking is an understudied research direction. Current solutions exhibit
considerable limitations, primarily due to their inability to meet the multi-faceted nature of human decision-making.
Choosing between thousands of relevant items is a common task, where people are left alone with the need to express and
balance multiple desirable preferences at once. Item rankings are a popular and universal approach to structuring
unorganized item collections by multiple criteria at the same time. In interactive solutions, people can express
multiple preferences, used by algorithms to compute human-centered and personal rankings. Visual Analytics (VA) is a
field of research that supports complex human decision-making tasks by bringing together human intellectuality with the
computational power of algorithms in effective human-in-the-loop approaches.
In this project, we will demonstrate how cutting-edge VA principles can be transferred to item ranking, to overcome
remaining challenges, demonstrate effective and efficient interactive ranking creation solutions, and empower broad
audiences. Limitations of ranking systems mainly include their incompatibility for the elicitation of item- and
attribute-based preferences, insufficient handling of user-introduced uncertainty, inadequate guidance for engaging
with large item sets, lacking interaction histories, inefficient human-centric feedback loops, or a lack of
explanations and transparency of ranking algorithms, thus creating a disconnect between the technology and nuanced user
needs. Finally, interactive ranking creation does not yet make use of interfaces for eliciting implicit user
preferences, e.g., in textual form using large language models.
Your profile
Requirements
- Master degree in computer science or a comparable subject from a recognized university
- Knowledge or interest in several of the following: visual analytics, information visualization, data science,
information retrieval, data mining, machine/deep learning, AI, natural language processing, explainable AI,
human-centered AI, responsible AI, algorithmic fairness, biases, transparency, HCI, applied research methods, or types
of empirical research
- Profound skills in programming in Python
- Interest to work on applied research questions in a collaborative research environment
Desired Qualification and Skills
- Knowledge of user-centered design, design study methods, and evaluation methods
- Expertise with methods such as classification, regression, clustering, dimensionality reduction, similarity search,
learn-to-rank, or recommender systems
- Experience in supervising students
- Ability and willingness to work effectively with students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds
We offer:
- Possibility to achieve a PhD degree in computer science at UZH
- Hands-on supervision/mentorship for further career development
Support in conducting excellent research and in publishing results in top international journals and conferences
- Creative working atmosphere in a motivated, cooperative, and technically very well-equipped environment
- Possibility to work with several Ph.D. students in the lab in topics around IVDA, particularly on personalized VA
for item ranking
- Excellent professional and personal development possibilities and hence, excellent basis for a future career in
interactive visual data analysis in an industrial context
- Specific benefits like flexible working hours, young scientist promotion opportunities, parental leave benefits,
nursery services, and care for dependents and much more
- Very good salary, according to local university regulations and standards in Switzerland
Information on your application
Applications must include a detailed CV, information on their educational background, professional references, a brief
description of practical work and research experience, a clear exposition of prior data visualization experience, and a
statement of motivation/expectation. Candidates are encouraged to visit the IVDA website.
What we offer
Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More
What we offer
Work-Life Balance
- Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
- Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH
More Learning and Development
- Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
- Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich
More Food
- Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
- Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution
More Healthcare
- Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
- Free seasonal flu vaccinations
- Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower
More Discounts
- Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
- Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
- Special conditions on hotel reservations
More Conditions of Employment
- Policies of the UZH
- Most UZH staff are employed according to public law
More International Services
- Support for people from outside Switzerland
More Campuses
- Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
- Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg
More
Location
Departement of Informatics
Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
Further information
Questions about the job
Prof. Jürgen Bernhard Contact Form
Contact question to: Prof. Jürgen Bernhard
Your Name *Your Mail Address *Your question *I accept the privacy policySend Thank you for your message. We will get
back to you shortly. Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More
Ph.D. Position in Personalized Visual Analytics: Human Preference Elicitation for Ranking-Based Multi-Criteria
Decision Support 100 %
Start of employment 01.11.2024, temporary
The Interactive Visual Data Analysis (IVDA) Group at the University of Zurich is seeking a talented Ph.D. (m/f/d) at
the intersection of visual analytics, interactive machine learning, and human-centered AI. Together, we will develop
novel approaches for the characterization, design, and evaluation of interactive visual data analysis solutions that
combine the strengths of both humans and algorithms. This position is particularly suitable for candidates with
interests/experience in human preference elicitation and multi-criteria decision support, which we will study for the
case of item ranking challenges.
Your responsibilities
Multi-criteria decision support through item ranking is an understudied research direction. Current solutions exhibit
considerable limitations, primarily due to their inability to meet the multi-faceted nature of human decision-making.
Choosing between thousands of relevant items is a common task, where people are left alone with the need to express and
balance multiple desirable preferences at once. Item rankings are a popular and universal approach to structuring
unorganized item collections by multiple criteria at the same time. In interactive solutions, people can express
multiple preferences, used by algorithms to compute human-centered and personal rankings. Visual Analytics (VA) is a
field of research that supports complex human decision-making tasks by bringing together human intellectuality with the
computational power of algorithms in effective human-in-the-loop approaches.
In this project, we will demonstrate how cutting-edge VA principles can be transferred to item ranking, to overcome
remaining challenges, demonstrate effective and efficient interactive ranking creation solutions, and empower broad
audiences. Limitations of ranking systems mainly include their incompatibility for the elicitation of item- and
attribute-based preferences, insufficient handling of user-introduced uncertainty, inadequate guidance for engaging
with large item sets, lacking interaction histories, inefficient human-centric feedback loops, or a lack of
explanations and transparency of ranking algorithms, thus creating a disconnect between the technology and nuanced user
needs. Finally, interactive ranking creation does not yet make use of interfaces for eliciting implicit user
preferences, e.g., in textual form using large language models.
Your profile
Requirements
- Master degree in computer science or a comparable subject from a recognized university
- Knowledge or interest in several of the following: visual analytics, information visualization, data science,
information retrieval, data mining, machine/deep learning, AI, natural language processing, explainable AI,
human-centered AI, responsible AI, algorithmic fairness, biases, transparency, HCI, applied research methods, or types
of empirical research
- Profound skills in programming in Python
- Interest to work on applied research questions in a collaborative research environment
Desired Qualification and Skills
- Knowledge of user-centered design, design study methods, and evaluation methods
- Expertise with methods such as classification, regression, clustering, dimensionality reduction, similarity search,
learn-to-rank, or recommender systems
- Experience in supervising students
- Ability and willingness to work effectively with students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds
We offer:
- Possibility to achieve a PhD degree in computer science at UZH
- Hands-on supervision/mentorship for further career development
Support in conducting excellent research and in publishing results in top international journals and conferences
- Creative working atmosphere in a motivated, cooperative, and technically very well-equipped environment
- Possibility to work with several Ph.D. students in the lab in topics around IVDA, particularly on personalized VA
for item ranking
- Excellent professional and personal development possibilities and hence, excellent basis for a future career in
interactive visual data analysis in an industrial context
- Specific benefits like flexible working hours, young scientist promotion opportunities, parental leave benefits,
nursery services, and care for dependents and much more
- Very good salary, according to local university regulations and standards in Switzerland
Information on your application
Applications must include a detailed CV, information on their educational background, professional references, a brief
description of practical work and research experience, a clear exposition of prior data visualization experience, and a
statement of motivation/expectation. Candidates are encouraged to visit the IVDA website.
What we offer
Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More
What we offer
Work-Life Balance
- Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
- Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH
More Learning and Development
- Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
- Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich
More Food
- Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
- Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution
More Healthcare
- Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
- Free seasonal flu vaccinations
- Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower
More Discounts
- Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
- Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
- Special conditions on hotel reservations
More Conditions of Employment
- Policies of the UZH
- Most UZH staff are employed according to public law
More International Services
- Support for people from outside Switzerland
More Campuses
- Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
- Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg
More
Location
Departement of Informatics
Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
Further information
Questions about the job
Prof. Jürgen Bernhard Contact Form
Contact question to: Prof. Jürgen Bernhard
Your Name *Your Mail Address *Your question *I accept the privacy policySend Thank you for your message. We will get
back to you shortly. Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More