PhD position in Personnel readiness and competency in handling of operational and cyber scenarios

The Department of Intelligent systems at Tilburg University together with the Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR) invites applications for one fully-funded PhD position in the interdisciplinary area of training and simulation. This position is embedded within the NWO-funded project “NEPTARGOS: Nautical Empowerment for Proactive Threat Analysis and Resilience with Guardian Oversight Systems” in collaboration with the Netherlands Aerospace Center, the Data Science Center of Excellence of the Netherlands Defense Academy, TNO, Delft University of Technology and other partners. The overall aim of the project NEPTARGOS is to enhance cyber risk management of the North Sea maritime infrastructure through AI-enabled, human-centered, and data-driven cyber-physical threat intelligence. This large interdisciplinary project builds on insights from network science, (search) game theory, law, data engineering, Artificial Intelligence (AI), governance, organization sciences and serious gaming to help Dutch governmental organizations, critical maritime infrastructure operators, and cyber-physical security professionals design and implement effective defense and resilience models and measures for adversarial attacks. The  project will combine existing systems and architectures to create an integrated simulation environment for security and vulnerability assessment.

The PhD project will address the question of how training of cyber threat awareness and resilience at various operational levels can be achieved with the help of AI-enabled instructional technologies in simulation-based training. The training will be based on realistic cyber scenarios and their potential impact on critical infrastructure. It will involve the simulation of various complex high-stakes cyber-threat scenarios to help train individuals in decision-making, strategy formulation, and teamwork. By participating in the training, the personnel will gain practical experience in assessing situations, making critical decisions under pressure, and understanding the consequences of their actions in a safe and controlled environment. During the training sessions, the stakeholders will experiment with the use of Large Language Models for cyber-threat operations. The training will also allow stakeholders with potentially competing agendas to collaborate and communicate effectively. Main objectives of the project are to (1) Develop training strategies, design and instructional technologies (incl. scenario development, instructional adaptations, and effectiveness measurement); (2) Gain insights into decision-making and teamwork in complex cyber-threat scenarios; (3) Validate the developed methods for through implementation, including physical trials; (4) Test control room capabilities during joint sessions with partners. The PhD researcher will be enrolled in the graduate school of Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences and placed in the NLR Training & Simulation Department, in close collaboration with the Data Science Center of Excellence of Dutch Defense.

• Master’s degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, military science, or a related field. If you expect to obtain your degree before February 2026, you are also eligible.
• Knowledge of data science in general as well as practical experience with conducting data science analyses.
• Strong social and organizational skills with the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary research environment and collaborate with academic and non-academic partners.
• Excellent knowledge of English and good academic writing skills.
• Full professional proficiency in Dutch (C1/C2 level)

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 1,0 fte (40 hours per week).
• Salary between €3.059 in your first year leading up to €3.881 gross per month in the fourth year for full-time employment (UFO-profile Promovendus, salary scale PR). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a PhD in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 8 sub b CLA DU. You will initially be given a temporary contract for the duration of 12 months. Upon a positive outcome of the first-year evaluation, the candidate will be offered an employment contract for the remaining three years.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• 30% rule for international employees (if applicable).
• Pension through ABP 
• Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities. 

For more information, please see our website and the CLA Dutch Universities.

The School and the department

The Department of Intelligent Systems at Tilburg University is part of the Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) research group at Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. The research group emphasizes innovative research spanning a wide array of fields including computational linguistics and language technology, data-science, human-robot interaction, virtual reality and serious games. CSAI is a member of the Benelux Association for Artificial Intelligence, participates in the Special Interest Group for AI (SIG AI), and also participates in the Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe (CLAIRE). Tilburg University and the CSAI department offer a vibrant international environment, with current CSAI staff originating from more than 10 countries.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences

Research and education at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) has a unique focus on humans in the context of the globalizing digital society, on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, on their impact on communication, culture and society, and on moral and existential challenges that arise. The School of Humanities and Digital Sciences consists of four departments: Communication and Cognition, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Culture Studies and Philosophy; several research institutes and a faculty office. Also the University College Tilburg is part of the School. Each year around 275 students commence a Bachelor or (Pre) Master Program. The School has approximately 2000 students and 250 employees.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences

Working at NLR

Royal NLR has been a knowledge organization with the will and ambition to innovate for over 100 years. Based on that motivation, we make the world of aviation and space travel safer, more sustainable, more efficient and effective and stand for groundbreaking innovations. We employ more than 990 passionate professionals, from aircraft engineers to psychologists and from mathematicians to application experts. NLR stands for an inclusive and diverse organization where everyone feels welcome, safe, valued and respected.
The Training & Simulation Department is staffed by experts in the fields of simulation, computer science, education and training, artificial intelligence, psychology, and aerospace. Our projects involve multidisciplinary collaboration. The department has research facilities, a Battle Lab and a lab focused on AR/VR innovations. The atmosphere within the department is informal and collegial and we think it's important that everyone can feel at home with us.

Want to know more?
Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Marie Postma at Marie.Postma@tilburguniversity.edu or Joost van Oijen at joost.van.oijen@nlr.nl