PhD in Data Mining for (Cyber) Threat Intelligence

The Faculteit Militaire Wetenschappen (FMW) of the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA) in collaboration with Tilburg University (TiU) seeks to appoint a PhD candidate for the Data Science Center of Excellence, funded by a PhD research grant of the Chief Information Office (CIO-office) of the Department of Defense for the project ‘Data Mining for (Cyber) Threat Intelligence’. The candidate will be appointed as a PhD student at Tilburg University and will work within the Data Science Center of Excellence (DS CoE), closely with researchers of the FMW,  supervisory staff and other researchers at Tilburg University.

A successful PhD candidate should preferably have: 

• A master’s degree in mathematics, computer science or related fields. 
• A demonstrable affinity with the subject matter of the project. 
• Demonstrated programming skills with open toolboxes.
• An outstanding record of undergraduate and master's degree work. 
• Excellent command of Dutch and English, both spoken and written. 
• Strong writing and analytical skills. 
• Excellent communication skills.
• An ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary environment.

Candidates must pass the security screening that is required for working with the Ministry of Defense. 

• A full-time position at the department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, of the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, Tilburg University.
• The selected candidate will start with a contract for one year. Upon a positive outcome of the first-year evalu-ation, the candidate will be offered an employment contract for the remaining three years.
• 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 end-of-year bonus of 8.3% (annually).
• Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary (the 30% tax regulation). The University will apply for such an allowance on their behalf.
• Assistance in finding accommodation (for foreign employees).
• Benefits include an options model for terms and conditions of employment and reimbursement of moving ex-penses, including excellent technical infrastructure, savings schemes and excellent sport facilities. 
• The collective labor agreement of the Dutch Universities applies. 
• At least 75% of task assignments will be available for this research. The PhD student can be taking part in up to a maximum of 0.2fte in education. 
• Tilburg University offers excellent employment conditions. We think flexibility, professional and personal de-velopment, and good employee benefits are important. We make clear agreements about career paths and offer all kinds of facilities and schemes to maintain an optimal balance between work and private life. You can also follow numerous training courses, for example, in the areas of leadership skills, personal effectiveness, and career development.  
• Tilburg University values an open and inclusive culture. We embrace diversity and encourage the mutual inte-gration of groups of employees and students. We focus on creating equal opportunities for all our employees and students, so that everyone feels at home in our university community.
• Tilburg University has a lively campus in beautiful green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and challenge you to make an active contribution.

Please visit working at Tilburg University for more information on our terms of employment. 

The offer includes support facilities such as workplace facilities, travelling and courses i.a.w. NLDA/FMW-policy. More information about FMW can be found at: https://faculteitmilitairewetenschappen.nl/.

The Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence department (https://csai.nl/)  at Tilburg University is part of the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. The department emphasizes innovative research spanning a wide array of fields including computational linguistics and language technology, data-science, human-robot interaction, virtual reali-ty, and serious games. CSAI is a member of the Benelux Association for Artificial Intelligence, participates in the Special Interest Group for AI (SIG AI), and also participates in the Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Re-search in Europe (CLAIRE). Tilburg University and the CSAI department offer a vibrant international environment, with current CSAI staff originating from more than 10 countries.

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

Written applications should address each of the criteria mentioned under qualifications, and include the following documents: 

• Cover letter.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Copy of relevant diplomas and grades.
• Copy or link to a recent academic publication or a recent paper or thesis.
• Names and contact details of two referees.

The only way to apply is online. Note that incomplete applications cannot be included in the subsequent selection pro-cedure. Candidates who make the shortlist will be invited for an interview. The deadline for applications is March, 2024. Candidates will be interviewed on a rolling basis.