Doctoral student in computer science with a focus on programme analysis

Description of the workplace

The position is within the Software Development and Environments division, part of the Department of Computer Science.  The division is exploring novel tools, languages, and methods for supporting software development, and conducts research in a variety of topics that include compiler construction, declarative specification languages, distributed development environments, safety monitoring for autonomous systems, and code review analysis driven by eye tracking. The division has strong collaborations both locally within Lund University, internationally with other universities, and with industrial partners, such as ABB and Ericsson.  The division has members from ten different countries, and regularly organises group activities to foster a positive working environment.

The Software Development and Environments division is actively developing and evaluating several systems for program analysis, including the JastAdd compiler construction framework, the MetaDL framework for declarative program analysis in C and Java and the ExtendJ extensible Java compiler.

The position is funded by the Wallenberg Autonomous Systems and Software Programme (WASP), and part of the WASP NEST project `ShiftLeft: Securing the Software Supply Chain by Code-centric Analysis'.  It forms the Lund portion of a collaboration with PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior researchers at KTH, Chalmers, and Umeå University, and involves several industry partners, including companies in Lund and nearby Malmö.

• More about the Software Development and Environments group: (sde.cs.lth.se/)
• More about JastAdd (jastadd.cs.lth.se/web/)
• More about MetaDL (github.com/lu-cs-sde/metadl)
• More about ExtendJ (extendj.org)
• More about WASP:  (wasp-sweden.org/)
• More about the ShiftLeft project: (shiftleft.proj.kth.se/)

Work duties

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties will include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

Work duties include:

• Research on declarative approaches to program analysis applied to improving security in software supply chains. You will work towards the goal of developing effective techniques for building a declarative, code-centered platform that supports continuous security analysis.
• Development of declarative interfaces for various forms of program analysis, collaboration on integrating techniques developed at other project sites. Your work will contribute to building a collaborative platform for software security analysis.
• Artifact-oriented activity: You will develop software tools, algorithms, and other software components. These should be evaluated in realistic scenarios and integrated with, as well as shared within, the project team.
• Presentation and collaboration: You will present your research findings and discuss your work at regular meetings with academic project partners, including personal meetings at other locations in Sweden (approximately 2-4 times per year).
• Interaction with the industry: You will have opportunities to discuss your work and collaborate with industrial researchers, especially with our industrial project partners such as Cparta Cyber Defense, Debricked, Ericsson, Recorded Futures, and SEB.

As part of your doctoral education, you will also participate in the WASP Graduate School, which offers courses on a variety of technical topics, as well as opportunities for international travel and collaboration.

More about the WASP Graduate School: (https://wasp-sweden.org/graduate-school/)

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant: 

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Computer Science if the applicant has:

• at least 60 second-cycle credits at an advanced level with relevance for the research topic, or
• an MSc in Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Engineering Physics or Engineering Mathematics.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Substantial programming experience.

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following: 

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study. 
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience. 

Other assessment criteria:

• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Experience with Java programming.
• Experience with compiler construction, static program analysis, dynamic program analysis, systems programming, and software vulnerability analysis.
• Experience with functional or purely declarative programming (logic programming, reference attribute grammars etc.)

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. 
Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University, https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/work-lund-university

Terms of employment 

Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

Welcome to apply!