Job positions

From Kolflow Project

Ph.D. Lina/University Of Nantes (open until end of Spring 2011)

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 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.

Application are open until end of Spring 2011.

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 (open until end of Spring 2011)

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 (open until end of Spring 2011)

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

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

Applications are open until the end of Spring 2011

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