*** apologies for cross-posting *** *JOINT PhD POSITION: University of Groningen (NL) & University of Macquarie (AU)*
*Application deadline: 28/02/2025* *Detecting, Verifying, and Countering Vaccine Hesitancy with AI**.* Recent advancements in AI offer solutions to address vaccine misinformation and rebuild public trust in vaccination efforts. Vaccine hesitancy, described by the WHO as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite available services,” is influenced by complacency, convenience, and confidence. This project focuses on the confidence dimension, targeting misinformation and reinforcing trust in vaccines through accurate, accessible information. The project will leverage AI to tackle three core challenges: (1) detecting vaccine-related misinformation, (2) verifying misinformation using trusted knowledge sources via Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and (3) crafting persuasive, evidence-based counter-narratives to combat hesitancy. *What we offer: *Enrol at two universities for a truly global PhD. You will be jointly supervised by staff at both universities, spend time (18 months) at each campus and upon successful completion of the program, will graduate from both universities with a PhD. Macquarie University will fund a living allowance scholarship per position at an annual rate of AUD 38,500 (tax exempt), paid pro-rata, while the student is in Australia and a Macquarie tuition fee scholarship will be granted for the period of joint enrolment up to 36 months. Macquarie will also provide an airfare allowance for flights between The Netherlands and Australia up to a maximum of $4,000 AUD. During time on campus in Groningen the PhD candidate will be employed according to the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (here <https://www.universiteitenvannederland.nl/en/collective-labour-agreement-of-dutch-universities> ). A salary of € 2.872 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3.670 gross per month in the final year, based on a full-time position (NOTE: the precise amount can vary according to which year(s) of the PhD the candidate spends in Groningen *Eligibility**:* Admission and scholarship criteria of both universities must be met. For University of Groningen: *GSH Admission requirements.* <https://www.rug.nl/research/gradschool-humanities/phd-programme/phd-admission/> For Macquarie University: PhD entry and English language requirements <https://www.mq.edu.au/research/phd-and-research-degrees/explore-research-degrees/doctor-of-philosophy>, and graduate research scholarship eligibility criteria <https://www.mq.edu.au/research/phd-and-research-degrees/how-to-apply/scholarship-opportunities> . *Mode of study**: *Full time *Year of entry**: *2025 *Duration:* 3 years Students will enrol at both institutions from the outset on *01 October 2025*.* The location the student commences the program in can be determined in consultation with their supervisors.* *Additional criteria**: *Applicants must not already (i) hold a doctoral degree; or (ii) be matriculated for a doctoral degree at the University of Groningen, Macquarie University, or another institution. *Expression of Interest (EOI)*: Students are to submit their EOIs to the MQ supervisor, Dr. Usman Naseem([email protected]) and the University of Groningen’s supervisor, Dr Tommaso Caselli ([email protected]) and cc [email protected] including the following documents: - CV including information about publications. - Transcripts of most relevant/recent degrees. - Information about thesis components (thesis mark, word count, weight/length in comparison to the degree overall). - To apply, applicants must submit an EOI detailing their suitability for the project by addressing the required skills and key responsibilities in under 800 words. The Global Office at University of Groningen will work with the Graduate Research Academy at Macquarie to arrange official notification of scholarship awards, invite scholarship awardees to formally apply for admission to both universities by mid-March 2025, and conclude contractual arrangements which must be in place prior to the start of the degree. Students who are nominated for the award will be asked to formally apply for candidature through the MQ application portal: https://www.mq.edu.au/research/phd-and-research-degrees/how-to-apply -- Tommaso Caselli, Ph.D. Senior Assistant Professor in Computational Semantics Faculty of Arts, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen The Netherlands ---------------------------- https://xs4all.academia.edu/TommasoCaselli https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tommaso_Caselli Twitter: @tommaso_caselli
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