The rapid transformation to electric driving presents grid operators with serious challenges. To secure the transition to e-mobility, grid stability and reliability are crucial. This is why Delft AI Energy Lab and the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) have joined forces in the ‘AI research in energy system planning and operations’ programme. As a PhD student, you will get the unique opportunity to conduct research and develop novel AI-based algorithms geared to EV charging schedules for energy systems at Austria’s leading research organisation. Would you like to combine academic and industrial research?

In your research, you will focus on the interaction of user behaviour, which may vary largely, grid stability measured in seconds, and charging management. You will research and gain in-depth understanding of the latest machine learning techniques and modify them to tackle charging-related challenges, helping drive smarter grid operation. You will also build verification test beds. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with major grid operators as well as leading fleet operators. Twice a year, you will join us in Delft for courses and training, as well as interaction with your fellow-researchers at Delft AI Energy Lab.

Your home base will be the Principal Research Group of Delft AI Energy Lab at AIT’s Center for Energy. Dedicated to conducting high-quality research, we are a growing team of international PhD students and academics looking to make a difference in the energy transition. Working in AIT’s teams, you will benefit from their mass of aggregator and operator data, industrial network, and highly experienced modellers. We foster an open, friendly and supportive environment. You will get all the coaching and training you need, and work in unrivalled facilities, which include the Control Room of the Future and the Drive Testing Laboratory.

Would you like to propose your own research project in the programme? Please apply for this PhD project.

At TU Delft, your academic supervisors are Dr. Jochen Cremer and Prof. Mathijs de Weerdt. At AIT, your supervisors are Tara Esterl and Dr. Matthias Prandtstetter.

Learn more about AIT and Delft AI Energy Lab.

You thrive on conducting cutting-edge research geared to tackling the technical challenges of energy systems with net-zero carbon targets. Harnessing your communication skills, you easily interact with your teams in Austria and Delft. You work well in teams, yet take initiative and ownership of your research and results. And you embrace the opportunity to work in Vienna and travelling to the Netherlands.

You also have:

• An MSc in Machine Learning, Robotics, Control Systems, Operations Research, Power/Energy Systems, Electrical Engineering, or another relevant subject.
• Demonstrable competence in AI, computer/data science, machine learning, energy system modelling, dynamic systems, power systems, or another relevant field.
• Excellent modelling, programming, analytical and scientific writing skills and an eagerness to develop them further.
• A good command of English, because you will be working in an international environment.

At AIT you will be offered a four-year contract for 30 hours a week, and you’ll be spending an additional 10 hours a week on personal development, which adds up to a 40-hour week. You will be based in Vienna, Austria and will travel to the Netherlands for multi-week research sessions at TU Delft twice a year. These are your benefits:

• A gross annual salary of €31,326.40 based on 30 hours a week
• An extensive education and training programme.
• Travel allowance to fund your travels to TU Delft around twice a year.

Delft University of Technology

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 as one of our core valuesand we actively engageto be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty 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.

The AIT is Austria's largest Research and Technology Organisation, significantly impacting socially relevant future infrastructure topics. AIT is positioned as an international key player in the research and scientific community, leading in many infrastructure topics worldwide. At the AIT Center for Energy, over 250 experts are developing sustainable solutions for our future energy system under the leadership of Wolfgang Hribernik. The Center combines longstanding experience and scientific excellence with high-quality laboratory infrastructure and a global network offering companies innovative applied research services, thus providing them with a competitive edge in this promising market. The thematic portfolio of the Center for Energy focuses on three critical systems: sustainable energy supply systems, decarbonisation of industrial processes and facilities, and innovative technologies and solutions for cities and the built environment.

TU Delft is a top-tier university and is exceedingly active in the field of Artificial intelligence, and TU Delft's campus has strong expertise in energy systems. Energy systems are the backbone of our modern society but are becoming increasingly complex and challenging to operate as renewable energy, heating and transport sectors are integrated into the system. It's crucial that energy systems are sustainable, reliable and effective, now and in the future. Recognising the transformational power of AI, TU Delft has launched a significant cross-faculty AI initiative where you will affiliate with the Delft AI Energy Lab, focusing on developing AI-based algorithms for operating sustainable and dynamical energy systems.