AiBLE Lab PhD Position - Reinforcement learning for human-AI interaction in the built environment

Challenge: Develop AI agents to drive behaviour geared to energy-efficient use of buildings and circularity.

Change: Embed reinforcement learning in human-AI interaction.

Impact: Bridging the policy-practice gap in the built environment.

AI techniques are widely applied in the modelling and analysis of buildings. But given challenges such as enhancing circularity and energy efficiency, AI-driven improvements in the way people use buildings will have an even greater impact. Imagine a social robot or a digital assistant inspiring people to take energy-saving measures, or making suggestions concerning waste management. As a PhD candidate at TU Delft’s AiBLE Lab you will develop AI agents to be applied in a wide range of complex, real-world scenarios.

Your interdisciplinary research being steeped in technology, you will develop and harness interactive machine learning and reinforcement learning techniques to create AI agents that people will learn to trust and adopt. You will be focusing on human-AI interaction and incorporate the human feedback loop in the design of these agents. Thus you will make the agent increasingly inclusive, responsible and effective, resulting in highly diverse users making more sustainable choices. You will also be teaching and supervising Bachelor and Master students of different faculties in AI-related subjects. After all, AI plays an increasingly important role in many research disciplines. As part of your PhD training, you yourself will be supervised to gain and improve your teaching skills.

You will be joining TU Delft’s rapidly growing AI community. Your home base will be the AiBLE Lab, in which you’ll be working closely with four academic staff members and three other PhD students, as your fields of research are strongly related and complementary. You will also be playing an active role in the Interactive Intelligence group. In our inclusive and internationally diverse team you will find an open, friendly and collaborative atmosphere. And you will get all the support and training you need to grow your career as a researcher.

TU Delft is a top tier university and is exceedingly active in the field of Artificial intelligence. The AiBLE lab will investigate how AI can be developed and used in complex real-world scenarios to help reach effective, transparent, and lasting design decisions and agreements. In AiBLE we also incorporate human feedback in the loop to iteratively improve decision-making and drive behaviour changes.

AiBLE will focus on two important challenges in the built environment: energy transition and circularity. By using AI to augment human intelligence and support negotiation continuously while adapting to and driving human behaviours, our lab will close the policy-practice gap responsibly and inclusively. We aim also for the acceleration of adoption and acceptance of responsible and inclusive AI.

Leveraging your strong technical background, you thrive on conducting interdisciplinary research geared to real-world applications. Working with colleagues specialised in different disciplines ranging from urban planning and architecture to UI design and even psychology, you harness your communication skills to drive meaningful results. And while growing your own skills and knowledge, you are highly motivated to teach and coach our students.

You also have:

• An MSc in computer science or another relevant subject.
• Programming skills in Python and preferably experience with C++ and/or ROS.
• Experience of machine learning and AI techniques for sequential decision making, and preferably experience of designing and evaluating AI systems in interactive contexts.
• A keen interest in other disciplines crucial to your interdisciplinary research.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English proven by a minimum score of 100 in TOEFL or IELTS of 7.0 per sub-skill (writing, reading, listening, speaking). Native speakers will be exempt from the English test requirement, as well as, in principle, non-native applicants who have obtained an English-taught Master’s degree. 

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. At TU Delft we embrace diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct ). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three disciplines - electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make future-proof. We are also working on a world in which humans and computers reinforce each other. We are mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. There is plenty of room here for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1,100 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

AiBLE is a TU Delft Artificial Intelligence Lab. Artificial Intelligence, Data and Digitalisation are becoming increasingly important when looking for answers to major scientific and societal challenges. In a TU Delft AI Lab, experts in ‘the fundamentals of AI technology’ along with experts in ‘AI challenges’ run a shared lab. As a PhD, you will work with at least two academic members of staff and three other PhD candidates. In total TU Delft will establish 24 TU Delft AI Labs, where 48 Tenure Trackers and 96 PhD candidates will have the opportunity to push the boundaries of science using AI. Each team is driven by research questions which arise from scientific and societal challenges, and contribute to the development and execution of domain specific education. You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

AiBLE is led by Dr. Tong Wang (Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, department of Management in the Built Environment) and Dr. Luciano Siebert (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Intelligent Systems department)

For information about the position, please contact Dr. Frank Broz, e-mail: [email protected] .

For more information about the application procedure, please contact Chantal Hitzert (HR advisor)
via: [email protected] .

The position will remain open until January 16, 2023 (local Dutch time: UTC time + 2hrs). You must apply via the "Apply now" button. Applications via e-mail will not be processed.

We invite you to submit a complete application all compiled into a single PDF file (max 10 pages in total). The application should include:

• A motivation letter.
• A detailed CV.
• Copies of your BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts.
• Names and contact information of at least three relevant references. We will not contact references without your consent.

  Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

Challenge: Develop AI agents to drive behaviour geared to energy-efficient use of buildings and circularity.

Change: Embed reinforcement learning in human-AI interaction.

Impact: Bridging the policy-practice gap in the built environment.

AI techniques are widely applied in the modelling and analysis of buildings. But given challenges such as enhancing circularity and energy efficiency, AI-driven improvements in the way people use buildings will have an even greater impact. Imagine a social robot or a digital assistant inspiring people to take energy-saving measures, or making suggestions concerning waste management. As a PhD candidate at TU Delft’s AiBLE Lab you will develop AI agents to be applied in a wide range of complex, real-world scenarios.

Your interdisciplinary research being steeped in technology, you will develop and harness interactive machine learning and reinforcement learning techniques to create AI agents that people will learn to trust and adopt. You will be focusing on human-AI interaction and incorporate the human feedback loop in the design of these agents. Thus you will make the agent increasingly inclusive, responsible and effective, resulting in highly diverse users making more sustainable choices. You will also be teaching and supervising Bachelor and Master students of different faculties in AI-related subjects. After all, AI plays an increasingly important role in many research disciplines. As part of your PhD training, you yourself will be supervised to gain and improve your teaching skills.

You will be joining TU Delft’s rapidly growing AI community. Your home base will be the AiBLE Lab, in which you’ll be working closely with four academic staff members and three other PhD students, as your fields of research are strongly related and complementary. You will also be playing an active role in the Interactive Intelligence group. In our inclusive and internationally diverse team you will find an open, friendly and collaborative atmosphere. And you will get all the support and training you need to grow your career as a researcher.

TU Delft is a top tier university and is exceedingly active in the field of Artificial intelligence. The AiBLE lab will investigate how AI can be developed and used in complex real-world scenarios to help reach effective, transparent, and lasting design decisions and agreements. In AiBLE we also incorporate human feedback in the loop to iteratively improve decision-making and drive behaviour changes.

AiBLE will focus on two important challenges in the built environment: energy transition and circularity. By using AI to augment human intelligence and support negotiation continuously while adapting to and driving human behaviours, our lab will close the policy-practice gap responsibly and inclusively. We aim also for the acceleration of adoption and acceptance of responsible and inclusive AI.

Leveraging your strong technical background, you thrive on conducting interdisciplinary research geared to real-world applications. Working with colleagues specialised in different disciplines ranging from urban planning and architecture to UI design and even psychology, you harness your communication skills to drive meaningful results. And while growing your own skills and knowledge, you are highly motivated to teach and coach our students.

You also have:

• An MSc in computer science or another relevant subject.
• Programming skills in Python and preferably experience with C++ and/or ROS.
• Experience of machine learning and AI techniques for sequential decision making, and preferably experience of designing and evaluating AI systems in interactive contexts.
• A keen interest in other disciplines crucial to your interdisciplinary research.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English proven by a minimum score of 100 in TOEFL or IELTS of 7.0 per sub-skill (writing, reading, listening, speaking). Native speakers will be exempt from the English test requirement, as well as, in principle, non-native applicants who have obtained an English-taught Master’s degree. 

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. At TU Delft we embrace diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct ). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three disciplines - electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make future-proof. We are also working on a world in which humans and computers reinforce each other. We are mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. There is plenty of room here for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1,100 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

AiBLE is a TU Delft Artificial Intelligence Lab. Artificial Intelligence, Data and Digitalisation are becoming increasingly important when looking for answers to major scientific and societal challenges. In a TU Delft AI Lab, experts in ‘the fundamentals of AI technology’ along with experts in ‘AI challenges’ run a shared lab. As a PhD, you will work with at least two academic members of staff and three other PhD candidates. In total TU Delft will establish 24 TU Delft AI Labs, where 48 Tenure Trackers and 96 PhD candidates will have the opportunity to push the boundaries of science using AI. Each team is driven by research questions which arise from scientific and societal challenges, and contribute to the development and execution of domain specific education. You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

AiBLE is led by Dr. Tong Wang (Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, department of Management in the Built Environment) and Dr. Luciano Siebert (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Intelligent Systems department)

For information about the position, please contact Dr. Frank Broz, e-mail: [email protected] .

For more information about the application procedure, please contact Chantal Hitzert (HR advisor)
via: [email protected] .

The position will remain open until January 16, 2023 (local Dutch time: UTC time + 2hrs). You must apply via the "Apply now" button. Applications via e-mail will not be processed.

We invite you to submit a complete application all compiled into a single PDF file (max 10 pages in total). The application should include:

• A motivation letter.
• A detailed CV.
• Copies of your BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts.
• Names and contact information of at least three relevant references. We will not contact references without your consent.

  Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.