Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam has a vacancy for a 3-year postdoc position in the Human Centered Data Analytics research group on the subject of Bias and Fairness in Linked Open Data.

Job description
Are you inspired by the idea of an inclusive Semantic Web? We are looking for a talented postdoctoral researcher to study various types of bias in knowledge graphs, Linked Open Data and/or metadata.

The position is part of the HAICu project. HAICu (digital Humanities - Artificial Intelligence - Cultural heritage) is a large-scale Dutch research project in which AI researchers and Digital Humanities scholars collaborate with cultural-heritage institutions such as libraries, archives and museums. Linked Open Data is widely used in this sector for metadata about collection objects, for data enrichment, and for cross-collection links.

Inclusivity is a key value in the cultural heritage domain, with organizations employing a range of strategies to deal with unwanted bias in their (often historic) collections. Inspired by these efforts, for this position we focus on bias and fairness on the Semantic Web. Bias in this context may come in various forms. For example, groups of people may be over or under-represented among the entities in Linked Open Data. Or, the labels and descriptions used to represent people or their cultures may reinforce negative stereotypes, e.g., when outdated, colonial terminology is used. We will investigate one or more of the following topics:

• To what extent and in what way is social bias reflected in LOD?
• What are the strategies employed by the LOD community to reduce bias and promote inclusivity?
• What is the impact of bias in LOD on applications (e.g. generative AI) and users?

Within the HAICu team, the postdoc researcher will participate in Work Package 5, titled “Construction of polyvocal, multimodal narratives.” In this Work Package, CWI will collaborate with UvA and VU and with the National Museum of World Cultures.

The researcher will be based at CWI in a dynamic research group called Human-Centered Data Analytics (HCDA). HCDA investigates human-centered, responsible AI in the culture and media sectors. How can we ensure that digital systems are inclusive, promote diversity, and can be used to combat misinformation? The HCDA group addresses these important questions. Our work includes a wide range of techniques, such as statistical AI (machine learning), symbolic AI (knowledge graphs, reasoning), and human computation (crowdsourcing). By analyzing empirical evidence of human interactions with data and systems, we derive insights into the impact of design and implementation choices on users. We maintain close collaborations with professionals from the culture and media sectors, as well as social scientists and humanities scholars, through the Cultural AI Lab and the AI, Media and Democracy Lab. These interdisciplinary labs provide us with opportunities to work with real data and real-world use cases.

Candidates are required to have a PhD degree in Artificial Intelligence or related fields, such as Computer Science, Data Science, Information Science or Digital Humanities. Desired qualifications for candidates include:

• Theoretical knowledge of and practical experience with Linked Open Data / Knowledge graphs / Semantic Web
• Knowledge of and experience with fairness/bias/inclusivity in data and systems
• Affinity with Cultural Heritage and the ability to collaborate within an interdisciplinary team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

Candidates who possess most but not all of these qualifications are welcome to apply.

Diversity code
CWI encourages a diverse workforce: we endeavour to develop talent and creativity by bringing people from different backgrounds and cultures together. We recruit and select based on capabilities and talent. We strongly encourage everyone with the appropriate qualifications to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, origin, sexual orientation or physical abilities.

The appointment will be for 3 years and the gross monthly salary for an employee on a full time basis, depending on relevant work experience, ranges from € 4.501 to € 5.486. Specifically, the terms of employment are in accordance with the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres ("CAO-onderzoeksinstellingen").
Employees at CWI/NWO-I are also entitled to a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. CWI offers attractive working conditions, including flexible scheduling

Please visit our websites for more information about our terms of employment:
https://www.cwi.nl/jobs/terms-of-employment and
https://www.nwo-i.nl/en/working-at-nwo-i/jobsatnwoi/

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the Dutch national research institute for mathematics and computer science and is part of the Institutes Organisation of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The mission of CWI is to conduct pioneering research in mathematics and computer science, generating new knowledge in these fields and conveying it to trade, industry, and society at large.

CWI is an internationally oriented institute, with 160 scientists from approximately 27 countries, an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We have an activity committee that organizes after-work activities and an informal women’s network.

CWI is located at Science Park Amsterdam, the home of AMS-IX, that is presently developing into a major location of research in the physical sciences in The Netherlands, housing the sciences of the University of Amsterdam as well as several other national research institutes next to CWI.

To find more information about the group, please visit the group page.

https://www.cwi.nl/en/groups/human-centered-data-analytics/