Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Computer Science programme. The position is available from 1 August 2021 or later.

Title:
Programming language design, analysis and verification

Research area and project description:
The Programming Languages group at the Department of Computer Science is looking for talented PhD students to conduct research in the area of programming language design, analysis and verification. The group develops languages, theory and tools that increase software quality and programmer productivity. Research topics include static and dynamic analysis, analysis of web and mobile applications, declarative logic programming, type systems, algorithmic and quantitative verification, foundational problems in model checking and concurrency.

The PhD positions include full tuition and a very competitive scholarship.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applications are welcomed from students with either a BSc or an MSc degree. A strong background in programming languages or software engineering is required.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University, Aabogade 34, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

For scientific questions, please contact Anders Møller (amoeller@cs.au.dk), Andreas Pavlogiannis (pavlogiannis@cs.au.dk), or Magnus Madsen (magnusm@cs.au.dk).

For other questions, please contact Henriette Gammelgaard Farup (henriettefarup@cs.au.dk).

Application procedures

Before you apply

Information and attachments:
Please be aware that you must have all relevant appendices, attachments, addresses for referees, etc. ready when you apply, as the entire application must be uploaded to the system in one go.

Documentation of language skills:
The English language requirement at the graduate school is comparable to an “English B level” in the Danish upper secondary school (“gymnasium”).

English language qualifications comparable to an “English B level” are documented by one of the following tests:

• TOEFL test (internet-based), minimum score: 83. The graduate school does not accept the paper-based test, nor the TOEFL ITP test. Remember to ask the test center to send your test results to Aarhus University in order to enable verification of your test results. Aarhus University’s TOEFL code is 8935.
  Currently, the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test (available in selected areas) will also be accepted.
• IELTS (academic) test, minimum average score: 6.5 points
• Cambridge English Language Assessment:
  Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency (CPE)
  Cambridge English: Certificate of Advanced English with grade A,B or C (CAE)
  Cambridge English: First Certificate with grade A (FCE)

When to take the test and how to upload the documentation:
The test result must not be more than two years old at the time of application.

The English language test should be taken before applying for admission and uploaded under “language skills documentation” in the online application form.

It is possible to apply for admission before you have taken the test. In this case documentation stating that you have signed up for a test (please state expected submission date) must be uploaded. If the test result is not part of the original application the test result is to be sent to gsns@psys.au.dk no later than one month after the application deadline.

The following applicants are exempted from documenting their English qualifications/taking a test:

• Applicants with citizenship from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, or one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden).
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme completed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States. In this case, please upload your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma under the section ”Language skills documentation”.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme completed at a Danish university for which the requirement was English B level at the time of admission. In this case, please upload your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma under the section ”Language skills documentation”.

The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.

How to apply:

1)      Find the application form:
Go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ - Note, the online application system opens on 1 March 2021.
Choose May 2021 Call with deadline 1 May 2021 at noon (11.59 AM CEST).
You will be directed to the call, and must choose the programme “Computer Science”.

2)      Fill in the following information:

• Personal information
• Academic background
• Admission
• Financing (if any)
• Study: In the dropdown menu you must choose the project: “Programming language design, analysis and verification”
• Source (how you found out about the call)

Next to some of the information fields you will find a number. Click on the number to get further directions on how to fill in the information field/what information is needed.

3)      Application attachments:
Please be aware that you cannot submit the application if one or several of these documents have not been uploaded.

If you wish to upload more than one document under each section, you must scan/merge all documents into one large PDF file and upload this. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like. Instead you can indicate a URL where the information is available.

All information in the application must be in English or Danish, preferably English. A certified English translation is required for documents written in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian languages (i.e. Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) languages.

As a minimum all applications must include (pdf-files only, max. 20 MB, no zip):

• One reference (template for references)
• Curriculum vitae,
• Motivation (max. 1 page)
• Transcripts, grade point averages (weighted and unweighted), and diploma(s) for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. If the original documents are not in English or one of the Scandinavian languages (i.e. Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) then copies of the original documents as well as a certified English translation must be attached.
• Project description (½-4 pages). This document should describe your ideas and research plans for this specific project. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like.
• Documentation of language skills if required.

After submission of the application, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with an application ID, you should use for reference if needed.

The graduate school reserves the right to verify the authenticity of your educational diploma and transcripts:

• Request additional information to verify an application.
• Reject the application if it is proven, or if the University has reasonable belief, that the information provided is false or if the applicant refuses to provide the requested information, whether or not an offer has already been made. 
• For further information on applying, assessment procedures, etc. please see the GSNS Application Guide.

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.