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The Security, Privacy and Society Group is an interdisciplinary research group in the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (D-GESS) at ETH Zürich.
We are looking for a doctoral student to support us in a joint 3-year project with armasuisse Science and Technology. The project aim is to develop a realistic training simulation for crisis situations such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, or physical attacks in Switzerland. To allow for a high degree of realism, the simulation will include AI-based agents that are supposed to represent the Swiss popoulation. The task of the doctoral candidate will be to inform the AI-based agents, e.g., with regards to the distribution of user characteristics and exploring realistic human behavior in different crisis situations. An additional focus will be on ensuring privacy aspects, i.e., while the agents should closely represent the Swiss public, no individuals should be identifiable.
Please note that the focus of this position is specifically on the human factors, e.g., related to understanding human behavior, rather than the technical modelling of the agents.
The project will take place in close collaboration with a doctoral candidate at the IVIA lab who will focus on the technical aspects of the modelling and implementation of the AI-based agents.
The Security, Privacy and Society Group performs research at the intersection of humans and technology, especially focusing on human-computer interaction and the human aspects of IT security, privacy, and safety. Exemplary research projects include phishing detection support for users, designing expert-AI collaboration for cybersecurity tasks, analysing inferential privacy, and exploring interrelations between safety and cybersecurity in critical infrastructures.
As a member of the group, you will contribute to the group's research activities, i.e., with a specifc focus on the project described above, and gradually build your research profile according to your interests and talents. You will work towards a doctoral degree and participate in the group's teaching and other activities.
We welcome highly motivated and curious applicants with a completed Master's degree in disciplines related to human-technology interaction. Relevant disciplines include Psychology or related Humanities/Social Sciences as well as technical disciplines such as Computer Science, IT Security, Data Science or related fields.
We offer full-time doctoral positions initially for 18 months but with the option to extend the contract for the full duration of your doctoral studies. The Security, Privacy and Society group offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment within which you can shape your research profile and extend your skill set through insights into related disciplines. Together, we tackle up-to-date security and privacy challenges impacting humans and society.
ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions and competitive salaries. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.
We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents until 14 February 2025:
Please note that we exclusively accept complete applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
The position is available now with a start date to be mutually agreed upon by both parties.
Questions regarding the position should be directed to verena.zimmermann@gess.ethz.ch (no applications). Further information about the group can be found on our website.
ETH Zürich is well known for its excellent education, ground-breaking fundamental research and for implementing its results directly into practice.
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