The Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) and the Department of Information and Computing Sciences (ICS) at Utrecht University jointly invite applications for a 4-year PhD position at the intersection of theoretical physics and machine learning. In this position you will work with Dr. Ro Jefferson (they/them), who has a 50/50 joint appointment between both departments.

As PhD candidate you will primarily work on applying ideas from theoretical physics and information theory to foundational aspects of machine learning, broadly interpreted. Possible research themes include, but are certainly not limited to:

• quantifying the propagation of information and emergence of abstraction in deep networks;
• renormalization group techniques for both feedforward networks and neuro-inspired AI;
• developing the NN/QFT correspondence;
• understanding criticality in both artificial and biological networks;
• physics for complex networks, such as heterogeneous real-world networks or predictive coding networks;
• connections to other areas of information theory or mathematics, such as optimal transport or information geometry;
• other topics at the intersection of physics and machine learning depending on the candidate's own research interests.

This position is jointly (50/50) affiliated with both the Department of Physics and the Department of Information and Computing Sciences. As such, you will benefit from — and help build — the emerging interdisciplinary connections between these fields. The position comes with a 10-15% teaching assistant load, to be equally split between departments. You are expected to be stationed in, or relocate to, Utrecht.

Minimum qualifications: 

• an MSc degree in physics, computer science, or mathematics by the start of the programme;
• proficiency in English.

Preferred qualifications:

• research experience in theoretical physics and/or machine learning;
• programming ability (e.g., PyTorch).

• A position for 4 years;
• A full-time gross salary ranging from € 2,541 to € 3,247 in scale P;
• 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 from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements and sports. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow.

For more information, please visit working at the Faculty of Science. 

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