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Inria Centre de Recherche Rennes Bretagne Atlantique

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PhD in Trustable Machine Learning: Analysis and Verification of Soft Automata Inria Centre at the University of Rennes in France

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Computer Science

Funding

Fixed-term PhD contract for 3 years with a monthly gross salary of 2300 euros. Salary includes health insurance and public transport expense participation. Additional benefits include subsidized meals, partial reimbursement of transport costs, leave, teleworking options, and access to training.

Deadline

Nov 7, 2026

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Country

France

University

Inria Centre de Recherche Rennes Bretagne Atlantique

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Keywords

Computer Science
Information Technology
Mathematics
Theoretical Computer Science
Formal Methods
Artificial Neural Network
Automata Theory
Verification And Validation
Statistics
ML

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About this position

Inria Rennes (Brittany, France) is offering a PhD position in Trustable Machine Learning: Analysis and Verification of Soft Automata. The thesis sits at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, formal methods, machine learning, and automata theory, with a strong focus on understanding and verifying neural sequence models.

The project is part of the collaborative SAIF initiative (“Safe AI through Formal methods”) and involves research labs including Inria, CEA-List, LIX, LaBRI, LMF, ENS Paris, and ENS Saclay. The research explores how to analyze “soft automata” learned by neural networks, including RNNs, LSTM, GRU, attention-based models, transformers, and newer state space models such as S4 and Mamba. Topics include expressivity, robustness to noise and attacks, data quality sensitivity, and the design of verification techniques for dynamic neural systems.

The ideal candidate should have a Master in CS or equivalent, a solid background in mathematics and theoretical computer science, and a strong interest in formal methods. The role also requires autonomy in software development and the ability to use standard machine learning libraries for experimental research. English is required; French is possibly useful.

Funding is provided through a 3-year fixed-term PhD contract with a monthly gross salary of 2300 euros. The package also includes health insurance, public transport support, subsidized meals, leave, teleworking options after 6 months, and access to training.

The position is based in Rennes, France. The deadline to apply is 2026-11-07. Applications must be submitted online via the Inria website, with a CV, cover letter, and optionally letters of recommendation.

Funding details

Fixed-term PhD contract for 3 years with a monthly gross salary of 2300 euros. Salary includes health insurance and public transport expense participation. Additional benefits include subsidized meals, partial reimbursement of transport costs, leave, teleworking options, and access to training.

What's required

A Master in CS or equivalent is mandatory. The ideal candidate should have a solid background in mathematics and theoretical computer science, a taste for formal methods, autonomy in software production using standard machine learning libraries, and the ability to work experimentally. English is required; French is possibly useful. Strong curiosity, scientific creativity, communication skills, reliability, and scientific integrity are appreciated.

How to apply

Apply online on the Inria website. Submit your CV, cover letter, and optionally letters of recommendation. Applications sent through other channels are not guaranteed to be processed.

More information can be found here

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