The University of Twente is offering a fully funded, four-year PhD position in Optimisation and Optimal Transport within the EEMCS Faculty in Enschede, Netherlands. This opportunity is part of the NWO-VIDI funded project “SPARGO: Exploring and Exploiting the Geometric Landscape of Infinite-Dimensional Sparse Optimisation,” led by Dr. Marcello Carioni. The research focuses on developing theoretical frameworks for the optimal representation of infinite-dimensional data, designing compression algorithms for high-dimensional problems, and applying optimal transport techniques to understand the geometric structure of data. Applications include neural network training, imaging, and the analysis and numerical solution of partial differential equations (PDEs).

The successful candidate will join the Mathematics of Imaging and Artificial Intelligence (MIA) group in the Department of Applied Mathematics, with opportunities for collaboration with researchers at the University of Cambridge and KFU Graz. The position offers a stimulating research environment, flexible working hours, partial home office, and access to free campus sports facilities. The PhD contract includes a gross monthly salary from €3,059 to €3,881, 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, pension scheme, and a minimum of 232 leave hours plus 96 extra leave hours annually. Training and career development are provided through the Twente Graduate School.

Applicants must have or be close to obtaining an MSc degree in Mathematics, with a strong background in continuous/discrete optimisation, functional analysis, optimal transport, inverse problems, PDEs, or calculus of variations. Interest in coding/programming and proficiency in English are required. Application materials include a CV, motivation letter, academic transcripts (BSc & MSc), MSc thesis or summary, and two references (one ideally the MSc supervisor). The application deadline is 25 March 2026. For more information, contact Dr. Marcello Carioni at [email protected]. Apply via the University of Twente portal.