PhD Position in Foundations of Reinforcement Learning

The Centre for Machine Learning located under the Data Science and Statistics Section of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMADA) at the University of Southern Denmark invites applications for a paid PhD research fellowship position within the field of probabilistic machine learning to be filled earliest by 1 January 2026 for a period of three years.

The research project will investigate new algorithmic principles that make learning agents adapt to non-stationary environments in an autonomous manner. The expected outcomes are new theoretical insights about the algorithmic roots of autonomous behavior and their representative demonstrations in challenging simulation environments.

IMADA has the unique feature of bringing mathematicians and computer scientists together within a single department to foster theoretically well-backed high-quality data science research. IMADA is home to many ongoing externally funded research projects, as well as to a rich curriculum of data science courses. Data Science and Statistics Group is a synergy platform for the data science experts in IMADA.

We are seeking candidates with strong desire to make significant contributions to science, specific interest in fundamental machine learning research, and an outstanding theoretical background in probabilistic machine learning and reinforcement learning demonstrated by excellent course grades and by scientific publications at major international peer-reviewed venues of core machine learning research. Strong scientific programming skills demonstrated by contributions to public code repositories or released source code from the candidate's own publications is a big plus. We also expect excellent spoken and written communication skills in English.

The successful candidate will join the vibrant research atmosphere at the SDU Adaptive Intelligence Laboratory and entertain substantial peer support in both technical and social matters. The candidate will contribute to the publication of high-quality research papers at top-tier machine learning venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, AISTATS, together with the other lab members. The candidate will also fulfill teaching assistantship duties.

We will consider the candidates who have a Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or Theoretical Physics at the time of the commencement of employment. Candidates should demonstrate that they have passed at least two Master's level courses that cover advanced machine learning topics with a grade that corresponds to top 10% success within the native grade scale.

Place of work

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science is located at the main campus of the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.The University of Southern Denmark was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3,800 employees, and 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, the third largest city in Denmark.

Odense provides family-friendly living conditions with the perfect combination of a historic city centre with an urban feel and yet a close proximity to beaches and recreational areas. Its location on the beautiful island of Funen is ideal with easy access by train or highway to the bigger cities of Aarhus and Copenhagen. As the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark's famous fairytale author, the city is home to a vibrant and creative population that hosts numerous festivals and markets throughout the year.

We recommend that as an international applicant, you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU .

Contact information

For more information about the department and the position, please contact Associate Professor Melih Kandemir on .

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-

Conditions of employment

Appointment as a PhD fellow is a 3-year salaried position. Employment of a PhD fellow can only happen after the PhD School has approved the candidate for admission.

Employment as a PhD fellow is governed by the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described herein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

Further information about salary and conditions of employment .

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a self-organiser.

Application, salary etc.

Appointment as a PhD Research Fellow is for three years. Employment stops automatically at the end of the period.( the 5+3 programme ).

Further information about the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science can be found at the homepage of the University .

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Application must be in English and made in the form of a Declaration of Interest including the following:

• A letter stating your specific interest, motivation, and qualifications for the project in question (max. two pages) .
• Detailed CV, including personal contact information and date entries
• Copies of diplomas, Bachelor as well as Master's degree, including transcript of notes/grades.
• The names and complete contact details (phone numbers and e-mail) of at least two referees details for at least 2 referees who can vouch for your skills.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process. Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated. This also applies to reference letters.

Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

Applications should be sent electronically via the link " Apply now ". The faculty expects applicants to read the information " How to apply for a position at SDU " before applying. Please note that the application documents should be in pdf-format and attached as three documents: motivation letter, CV and the remaining documents.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU .

About SDU

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University's researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU .