PhD Student Position in Robot Learning and Representation Learning

14 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)

Research Field

Technology

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

30 Jun 2024 - 21:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

We are looking for a motivated Ph.D. candidate to strengthen our teams at the computer science department of the VU Amsterdam in the area of robot learning & representation learning. You will be jointly supervised by the Assistant Professors Kevin Sebastian Luck (Computational Intelligence Group) and Shujian Yu (Quantitative Data Analysis Group).
In your PhD project you will consider the development of new deep learning and robot learning methodologies which can be applied across a variety of robotic platforms. With this you will work at the research frontier by investigating how we can optimize, exploit and generalize across a variety of agent embodiments and create novel reinforcement learning and representation learning approaches. Developing such embodied AI methodologies which do not consider the body of the robot to be static, but changeable and exploitable is a challenging endeavor with impact to both industry & science, and a lot of open and exciting research questions. You can expect to work at the intersection of the following areas: Deep Representation Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Information Theory, Robotics. Furthermore, you will have the possibility to apply your research on real robot platforms in our robotics lab, from standard platforms such as the Franka Enigma robot arm to self-developed modular robots.
As a PhD candidate you will have the opportunity to present your findings at international conferences, collaborate internationally and be an integral and valued part of a new team of researchers in the area of robot learning & deep learning in Amsterdam. As such, we aim to support you to start and build your own scientific career, collect teaching experience in relevant courses, and provide funding for this position for 4 years.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

Required qualifications:

• you have completed or are close to completion (about to submit/defend) of your Master in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Robotics or a related field
• strong background in Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, and/or Information Theory
• you possess good skills in Python programming
• have strong oral and written communication skills in English;

The following desirables are helpful:

• knowledge in relevant fields such as: Information Theory, (Meta) Reinforcement Learning, Foundation Models, Probability Theory, etc
• experience with robots or continuous control either in the real world or simulation
• strong mathematical background (eg courses in Lineare Algebra / Analysis)
• experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch and Tensorflow
• experience in writing papers for conferences or a high-quality research thesis in the above mentioned topics
• relevant technical skills: LaTeX, Linux, Mujoco, PyBullet, ROS

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.
We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

Additional Information
Benefits

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of € 2.770,00 and maximum € 3.539,00 gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
• an employment contract of initially 18 months. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

Additional comments

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application and upload the following content:

• a cover letter (1-2 pages, statement of motivation and research interests)
• your curriculum vitae /CV
• recent transcript
• sample of academic work the candidate wishes the selection committee to consider (eg BSc/MSc thesis, project reports, individual projects, workshop papers etc)

We reserve the right to talk to candidates and fill the position before the deadline. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position has been filled.
Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.
Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/341446/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Country

Netherlands

City

Amsterdam

Postal Code

1081HV

Street

De Boelelaan 1111

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/341446/phd-student-position-in-robot-learni…

Contact

City

Amsterdam

Website

http://www.vu.nl/

Street

De Boelelaan 1105

Postal Code

1081 HV

STATUS: EXPIRED