Job positions

From Kolflow Project

Latest revision as of 12:26, 4 July 2011

Ph.D. Lina/University Of Nantes (Closed)

Ph.D. position : Man-machine collaboration processes for continuous knowledge extraction using distributed semantic wikis. LINA/University of Nantes Original URL

This Ph.D. is part of Kolflow, a research project funded by the French national research agency, starting in 2011 and ending in July 2014.

Kolflow aims at building a social semantic space where humans collaborate with smart agents in order to produce knowledge understandable by humans and machines. Humans are able to understand the actions of smart agents. Smart agents are able to understand actions of humans. Kolflow targets the co-evolution of content and knowledge as the result of interactions of humans and machines. If human-machine collaboration can be the key to ensure co-evolution of content and knowledge, such collaboration can fail if not managed.

This PhD subject focuses on two aspects of distributed semantic social spaces:

1. on the representation and enactment of knowledge extraction processes in the context of man-machine collaboration in a social semantic space. The PhD will investigate how to extend a distributed semantic wiki in order to support declarative collaborative processes. These processes will handle the continuous integration of contributions of knowledge extraction by smart agents and humans. These processes have to ensure the non regression of the system and consequently, makes the man-machine collaboration stable and sustainable.
2. on the management of consistency of distributed semantic spaces relying on Commutative Replicated Data Types (CRDTs). The PhD will investigate the development of specific CRDTs for replicating semantic data across an network of semantic peers. This data type must be evaluated on real semantic web data in order to measure the overhead of this new datatype.

The candidate should have a background in semantic web and distributed systems.

Contacts : Pascal.Molli@univ-nantes.fr, http://member.acm.org/~pascal.molli, Full Professor, University Of Nantes, Head of GDD Team, Hala.Skaf@univ-nantes.fr , Associate Professor, University of Nantes

Ph.D. INRIA/Sophia Antipolis (Closed)

Ph.D. Position: Solving problems upstream and downstream of a distributed query on the semantic web, original URL

This Ph.D. is part of Kolflow, a research project funded by the French national research agency and starting in 2011. Its goal is to reduce the overhead of communities in the process of continuously building knowledge by extending collective intelligence with smart agents relying on automated reasoning. It intends to do so by building a social semantic space based on distributed semantic wikis where humans collaborate with smart agents in order to produce knowledge understandable by humans and machines.

In this context this Ph.D. subject will look at two aspects of query solving over distributed semantic web data: Opening query-solving mechanisms to users: explaining query-searching process and inferences, and the errors encountered. Suggesting changes to queries, suggesting alternative queries. Explaining performances. Help in formulating queries and understanding of results and resolution process. Handling and explaining the distribution of a query over several sources: Decomposing and routing sub-queries. Following the process. Using this approach to detect conflicts between different contributors. The successful candidate should have a background in semantic Web technologies and linked-data.

Applications are open until the end of Spring 2011

Contact: Fabien.Gandon@inria.fr and http://fabien.info

Ph.D. LORIA/University of Nancy 1 or LIRIS/University of Lyon 1 (Closed)

Ph.D. position : Inferences and interactions for dealing with semantic inconsistencies. LORIA/University of Nancy 1 or LIRIS/University of Lyon 1

Keywords: minimal change theory, ontology merging, dealing with inconsistencies

This Ph.D. is part of Kolflow, a research project funded by the French national research agency, starting in 2011 and ending in July 2014.

Kolflow aims at building a social semantic space where humans collaborate with smart agents in order to produce knowledge understandable by humans and machines.

In this social semantic space, the agents produce knowledge that may raise inconsistencies. The goal of this PhD is to study how to deal with such inconsistencies. More precisely, the objective is to study:

(a) Algorithms for dealing with ontology inconsistencies (mainly merging algorithms);

(b) Human-computer interactions for managing consistency;

(c) Combination of (a) and (b).

This PhD will be co-advised by Amélie Cordier (LIRIS, SILEX team) and Jean Lieber (LORIA, Orpailleur team).

Applications are open until the end of Spring 2011

Contact: Jean.Lieber@loria.fr and Amelie.Cordier@liris.cnrs.fr

PostDoc LIRIS/University of Lyon (Closed)

PostDoc position : Experience-based assistance in Distributed Semantic Wikis. LIRIS/University of Lyon

Duration : 2 years. This Post-doc is part of Kolflow, a research project funded by the French national research agency, starting in 2011 and ending in July 2014.

Kolflow aims at building a social semantic space where humans collaborate with smart agents in order to produce knowledge understandable by humans and machines. Humans are able to understand the actions of smart agents. Smart agents are able to understand actions of humans. Kolflow targets the co-evolution of content and knowledge as the result of interaction of humans and machines. If human-machine collaboration can be the key to ensure co-evolution of content and knowledge, such collaboration can fail if not managed.

In order to support human-machine collaboration, a distributed semantic wiki will be used as a blackboard shared between humans and smarts agents. The distributed semantic wiki will enable the constitution of a social semantic space. In order to help human user to better use this tool, we intend to design experience-based “alter-ego” assistants. These assistants will have two main roles: helping users to better understand the tool and enabling different users to share their experiences.

The Post-doc will be in charge of the design and implementation of the alter-ego assistant prototype. This includes its integration with the distributed semantic wiki, and its evolution towards a distributed alter-ego assistant prototype. The assistant prototype will rest upon an existing trace-based management system. The main challenge in this project is to define reasoning mechanisms that will enable the assistant to exploit stored traces in order to provide contextualized help to users.

Required skills: experience in Semantic Web technologies and/or Trace-Based Reasoning will be appreciated.

Application are open until end of July 2011.

Contacts : amelie.cordier@liris.cnrs.fr, http://liris.cnrs.fr/amelie.cordier, Associate Professor, University of Lyon 1