PhD Position in Foundations of Reinforcement Learning and Probabilistic Machine Learning University of Southern Denmark in Denmark

The Centre for Machine Learning at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), under the Data Science and Statistics Section of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMADA), is offering a fully funded PhD research fellowship in probabilistic machine learning. The position is available from January 2026 for a period of three years. The research will focus on developing new algorithmic principles that enable learning agents to autonomously adapt to non-stationary environments.

The project aims to generate new theoretical insights into the algorithmic foundations of autonomous behavior, with representative demonstrations in challenging simulation environments. IMADA is uniquely structured to foster collaboration between mathematicians and computer scientists, supporting high-quality, theoretically grounded data science research. The Data Science and Statistics Group serves as a synergy platform for experts in these fields, and the department hosts numerous externally funded research projects and a comprehensive data science curriculum.

The successful candidate will join the SDU Adaptive Intelligence Laboratory, benefiting from a vibrant research environment and strong peer support. Responsibilities include contributing to high-quality research publications at top-tier machine learning conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, and AISTATS, as well as fulfilling teaching assistantship duties.

Applicants should have a strong desire to advance science, a specific interest in fundamental machine learning research, and an outstanding theoretical background in probabilistic machine learning and reinforcement learning. This should be demonstrated by excellent course grades and scientific publications at major international venues. Strong scientific programming skills, evidenced by contributions to public code repositories or released source code from publications, are highly valued. Excellent spoken and written English communication skills are required.

Eligible candidates must hold a Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or Theoretical Physics by the start of employment and must have completed at least two Master's level courses in advanced machine learning topics with top 10% grades. The application deadline is 5 December 2025 at 23:59 local Danish time. For full details and application instructions, visit www.sdu.dk or the provided application link.