PhD researcher - Dynamic Safety Assurance for Autonomous Outdoor Operation KU Leuven in Belgium

The M-Group at KU Leuven Bruges Campus is at the forefront of innovation in interconnected, intelligent mechatronic systems, with a dedicated focus on dependable autonomous systems and dynamic safety assurance. In close collaboration with Flanders Make, the group is advancing the field of safety-critical autonomous operation through the newly launched COSAIN project: “Co-Designing Safety, Control and Perception for Autonomous Outdoor Operation.”

This PhD position centers on developing next-generation methods for runtime safety assurance in autonomous systems operating in complex, uncertain outdoor environments. The COSAIN project tackles the challenge of ensuring safe behavior in dynamic and uncertain settings, where perception, control, and safety are tightly interconnected. The project introduces a novel co-design approach based on Dynamic Safety Cases (DSCs) that evolve during system operation and interact with perception, modeling, and control components.

As a PhD researcher, you will play a central scientific role in developing executable and runtime-integrated safety assurance mechanisms for the COSAIN project. Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing machine-readable and executable safety case representations and methods to derive runtime monitoring requirements and safety performance indicators.
• Contributing to the development of dynamic safety case frameworks and their integration with runtime data and system behavior.
• Collaborating within an interdisciplinary team working on perception, modeling, and control.
• Participating in experiments and validation (simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, real-world demonstrators).
• Working with industrial partners and contributing to use cases in domains such as inland navigation and robotics.
• Publishing research results in leading international journals and conferences.

Eligibility: Candidates must hold a master’s degree in Safety Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field. Strong interest in safety engineering, autonomous systems, or cyber-physical systems is required. Experience or interest in safety analysis methods and runtime safety assurance approaches is expected. Familiarity with model-based safety engineering tools is a strong plus. Candidates should possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent communication and scientific writing skills in English, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.

Funding: This is a fully funded 4-year PhD position at KU Leuven, offering a competitive salary and a comprehensive package of university benefits. The research environment is dynamic and internationally connected, with strong industrial involvement through Flanders Make. You will have access to advanced simulation environments and real-world autonomous system demonstrators, including vessel experiments. Opportunities exist to collaborate with leading companies in autonomous systems, robotics, maritime technology, and sensing, and to participate in international conferences, workshops, and collaborative European research initiatives.

Application Window: The application deadline is July 10, 2026. Interested candidates should apply online via the KU Leuven job portal. For more information, contact Prof. dr. ir. Davy Pissoort ([email protected]) or Mr. Dries Vanoost ([email protected]).

KU Leuven is committed to an inclusive, respectful, and socially safe environment, embracing diversity as an asset and ensuring equal opportunity for all applicants.