Are you an aspiring researcher and would you like to start your academic career off well-prepared? As a PhD candidate on the topic of Bayesian dynamic control, you will not only develop state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, but also teach these skills to new students in the AI programme. This way, you will be able to obtain both your PhD and teaching qualifications in one position.
Dynamical systems are prevalent in many academic and engineering domains, such as healthcare, climate science, economics, epidemiology and neuroscience. The dynamics of these systems are often described by a set of governing equations, and academia has produced several advanced algorithms to identify these from observational data. In this project, we close the loop between systems identification on the one hand and optimal control on the other, in order to optimally manipulate a dynamical system, and simultaneously adjust our beliefs about the dynamical system based on how it responds to our actions. We aim to develop AI agents capable of extracting information from their environment in order to solve complex tasks. This will involve the integration of approximate Bayesian inference techniques with state-of-the-art machine learning methods.
In this unique position, teaching plays a crucial role. Not only will you be developing state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms (60% of your time), you will also be teaching the skills to do so to new students in the AI programme (40% of your time). This allows you to obtain both your PhD and teaching qualifications in one position, making you well-prepared for an academic career.

• You should have an MSc degree in artificial intelligence, computer science, applied mathematics or a related field.
• You have a strong technical background (e.g. in statistical machine learning); experience with probabilistic inference and dynamical systems is critical for your success and enjoyment.
• Prior experience with reinforcement learning and optimal control theory is a plus.
• You have a high proficiency in spoken and written English.
• You have teaching experience (e.g. as a teaching assistant).

Even more important than a particular degree or skillset is your approach to science and education. Are you interested in developing state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, and training the new generation of machine learning researchers and engineers to follow in your footsteps? Do you like challenging technical topics, both to study and to teach to others? Then this project might be for you.

Fixed-term contract: fixed term, six years.

• Employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €2,836 and a maximum of €4,474 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 10).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for a fixed term of six years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Your project will be embedded in the department of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC). You will work under the supervision of Assistant Professors Max Hinne and Luca Ambrogioni, and Professor Marcel van Gerven.
The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre, that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and decision-making, 3. Development and lifelong plasticity, 4. Natural computing & Neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as 'excellent' and is recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.
Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!