The Visualisation and Graphics Group at the Department of Information and Computing Sciences at Utrecht University offers a fully funded five-year PhD position in Perceptual Computer Graphics. As a PhD candidate, you conduct independent high-quality research resulting in a doctoral dissertation. The research will focus on the visual appearance and perception of materials, shapes, and lighting in computer-generated imagery, with applications in modelling, rendering, and display technologies. Examples of specific research topics within this scope include:

• the perception-informed development of shading models;
• image-based or neural rendering techniques;
• material retargeting for display systems or viewing conditions.

You are also invited to contribute your own ideas and propositions to the specific topic. This position includes 70% research and 30% teaching-related duties in the Bachelor's and/or Master's programmes of the Department.

We encourage you to apply if you have a proven interest, motivation, and enthusiasm for independent and team-based scientific research. Next to that we would like you to bring:

• a Master's degree in Computer Science or equivalent, and an ability and willingness to learn new skills as required for the PhD project;
• experience with computer graphics-related math and programming, including ray tracing and rasterisation, shading, image processing, parallel programming, and artificial intelligence/deep learning;
• experience with a number of relevant programming languages and libraries (e.g., C/C++, OpenGL with GLSL, DirectX with HLSL and DXR, CUDA, Python with TensorFlow/PyTorch);
• experience with user study/experiment design and statistical analysis for qualitative and quantitative methods;
• excellent spoken and written English communication skills and interpersonal skills.

We offer:

• a position for 5 years (1.0 FTE);
• a full-time gross salary that starts at €2,541 and increases to €3,247 per month (scale P of the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (CAO));
• 8% holiday bonus and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities.

In addition to the employment conditions laid down in the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has several of its own arrangements. For example, there are agreements on professional development, leave arrangements and sports. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment via the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we like to encourage you to continue to grow. For more information, please visit working at the Faculty of Science.

You will join the Visualisation and Graphics group at the Department of Information and Computing Sciences. You will be working closely with members of this research group, other research groups within and outside of the faculty, and collaborators from outside of Utrecht University. As the research topic has connections with Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Art, and Design, this allows for many interdisciplinary collaborations.

At the Faculty of Science, there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects. Find out more about the Faculty of Science.

Utrecht University is a friendly and ambitious university at the heart of an ancient city. We love to welcome new scientists to our city – a thriving cultural hub that is consistently rated as one of the world’s happiest cities. We are renowned for our innovative interdisciplinary research and our emphasis on inspirational research and excellent education. We are equally well-known for our informal atmosphere and the can-do mentality of our people. This lively and inspiring academic environment attracts professors, researchers, and PhD candidates from all over the globe, making both the University and the Faculty of Science a vibrant international and wonderfully diverse community.