Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) is Sweden’s largest individual research program, and provides a platform for academic research and education, fostering interaction with Sweden’s leading companies. The program addresses research in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software as enabling technologies for development of systems acting in collaboration with humans, adapting to their environment through sensors, information and knowledge, and forming intelligent systems of systems. WASP strengthens, expands, and renews the national competence through new strategic recruitments, a challenging research program, a national graduate school, and collaboration with industry. The program is conducted in close cooperation between leading Swedish universities with an aim to promote the competence of Sweden as a nation within the area of AI, autonomous systems and software.
WASP is now offering funding for up to 25 academic doctoral student positions within WASP-AS, the Autonomous Systems and Software part of WASP. The students should follow the WASP-AS track of the WASP graduate school.
Proposals in all areas of WASP-AS are welcome. AI and Machine Learning proposal are accepted under the condition that the AI/ML is used as an enabling technology for an Autonomous Systems or Software System. Software proposals are welcome and encouraged. They should comply with the areas defined by “Software Research in WASP” (http://wasp-sweden.org/research/software-research-in-wasp/). This include, e.g., “Software for AI” and “AI for Software”. The proposals are for single PhD student projects in the same way as in earlier WASP-AS calls. Each researcher may send in more than one proposal. However, they will be evaluated individually.
The researchers eligible as applicants are those that are main advisors for an ongoing or completed WASP-AS PhD student (academic, industrial, or affiliated) at one of the eligible WASP-AS universities: Chalmers, KTH, Lund University, Linköping University and Umeå University, plus an additional group of up to 10 persons per university that have been nominated by the universities. These persons will be contacted directly by WASP.
Evaluation Process
A two-stage evaluation will be used. In the first step the project proposals are evaluated and a decision is made about which of the project proposals that may proceed and identify PhD student candidates. The identified candidates are evaluated and those accepted will receive WASP funding. There are some differences compared to earlier calls. The advisors have longer time than before for finding candidates. If a good candidate is found before the deadline, then an early decision can be made to reduce the risk of losing good candidates. If a project has not found an acceptable project after the deadline, then the project will be canceled.
The evaluation criteria that will be used for evaluating the project proposals are:
- Scientific quality of the proposal
- Scientific merits of the applicant
- Relevance to WASP
- Connections to WARA
- Connections to earlier or ongoing WASP projects
The four large WASP universities Chalmers, KTH, Lund University and Linköping University are guaranteed at least four granted projects each if they are of sufficiently high quality. The corresponding number for Umeå University is two. The evaluation panel should strive for a reasonable total balance between software related projects and other projects.
The proposal should be structured as follows:
- Project Description (max 4 pages, 11 font Times New Roman)
- Motivation, Significance and Scientific Challenges
- Include a clear description of the projects’ visions and goals, its distinguishing features and foci.
- State of the Art
- Scientific Approach
- Describe the contributing research
- Methodology
- Preliminary and Previous Results
- Include results from previous WASP projects if applicable
- Motivation, Significance and Scientific Challenges
- Maximum two additional pages containing as separate parts:
- Relevance to WASP
- Connections to WARA
- CV of the PI, max 2 pages including
- Name, title and affiliation
- PhD year
- List of ongoing projects
- List of current PhD students and postdocs
- List of 5 most important publications since 2005
- Link to Google Scholar profile
The proposal should be submitted as a single PDF file to: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=waspas2019
Timeline
2019-03-15 Call opens
2019-04-22 Call closes
2019-05-23 Decision about accepted projects
2019-11-11 Deadline for finding PhD student candidates
2019-12-04 Final decision about accepted PhD students
Individual decision can be made earlier.