Ontology-based access to Temporal and Graph Data (OnTeGra)

Call for applications

What

We are looking for two strong candidates for 2-year research contracts ("Contratto di Ricerca") within the project "Ontology-based access to Temporal and Graph Data" (OnTeGra), funded by the Province of Bozen-Bolzano in the context of the PIN International Programs under the call "Suedtirol - FWF", a collaboration between South Tyrol/Alto Adige and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). This project involves teams from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, the Technische Universitaet Wien, and the company Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH located in Graz (Austria). The OnTeGra project aims at extending the Ontology-Based Data Access (OBDA) paradigm over graph data enriched with temporal information, by studying and implementing suitable query evaluation and rewriting techniques for queries expressed as a suitable temporal extension of (a fragment of) conjunctive regular path queries. In particular, we will study extensions of the OBDA paradigm along the following dimensions:
  • the data model: property graphs as opposed to traditional RDF graphs;
  • the ontology language: TBox axioms are enriched with temporal annotations;
  • the query language: graph-specific query languages enriched with temporal operators;
  • the mapping language: tackling both heterogeneity of sources and able to capture time information.
The expected outcome of these activities is the publication of results in leading scientific journals and conferences in the field.

Who

The ideal candidate should have a research background in areas related to Description Logics, Semantic Web, and Formal Methods in general. A PhD is required, or it should be achieved within six months from the beginning of the contract. More details on the evaluation criteria, and on the minimal requirements for applications, are available in the call.

Where

The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Diego Calvanese and Dr. Davide Lanti, members of the In2Data group at the Faculty of Engineering. Life quality in Bolzano is constantly among the highest in Italy, and placed in the heart of the Dolomites (ideal for those who love mountains).

How to Apply

The call is available at the following LINK. Deadline for applications: 28.07.2025 at 12:00 (noon).

If you are interested in this position and you are willing to have more information, please send an email to Davide Lanti.