The Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) domain combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructures. It is estimated that the global number of connected IoT devices will grow to 75 billion by 2025. With the advancements in edge computing, the massive data generated and collected via IoT devices can be processed and analyzed by AI locally, which enables more efficient, real-time IoT operations, enhances human-machine interactions, and improves data management and analytics capabilities. The application of AIoT is revolutionizing various industries including autonomous vehicles, critical infrastructure, transportation, robotics, and building control. Although AI exhibits appealing performance in capturing sophisticated patterns from complex physical processes, landing AI on IoT in practice is still facing numerous challenges such as adverse scenarios, resource constraints, malicious attacks, privacy leakage, device heterogeneity, and run-time domain shift.

The goal of the candidate is to conduct innovative systems research on AIoT. During the Ph.D. track, the candidate will develop novel and reliable AIoT systems and applications that address the practical challenges of landing AI on IoT. The preliminary research objectives, which will be refined by the candidate in cooperation with the supervision team, are as follow:

• Conduct research on resource-aware, real-time, and multi-modality learning-based applications at the edge for autonomous cyber-physical systems, e.g., autonomous vehicles, under adverse scenarios.
• Conduct research on reliable and robust learning frameworks for IoT systems and applications considering the threats of adversarial examples, data poisoning, backdoor attacks, privacy leakage, domain shift, etc.

The candidate will be employed at the Delft University of Technology and closely work with the members of the Embedded Systems group. The Embedded Systems group of TU Delft is a world-leading research group in the fields of embedded systems, mobile computing, and networking. The group has strong publication records in top-tier conferences including SIGCOMM, MobiCom, SenSys, IPSN, UbiComp, INFOCOM, and SIGMETRICS. The MobiCom 2020 Best Paper and Best Paper Runner-Up were awarded to members of the group.

We are looking for a candidate who has:

• A master’s degree in computer science and engineering/artificial intelligence /embedded systems/mathematic/electrical and electronic engineering, or related fields,
• Solid programming skills and prototyping capabilities.
• Knowledge in machine learning and deep learning.
• Excellent oral and written skills in English (See below).
• (Optional) Research experience in IoT, sensing, mobile computing, AI, security, and privacy.

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.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

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

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 values and we actively engage to 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 scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 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.