PhD Student (Research Assistant) in Topological Data Analysis for Trustworthy AI University of Warsaw in Poland

PhD Student (Research Assistant) position at the Center of Trustworthy AI for Life Sciences – International Research Agendas Programme, University of Warsaw

This PhD opening is part of the Center of Trustworthy AI for Life Sciences (TRAILS) at the University of Warsaw, in Warsaw, Poland. The project sits at the intersection of applied mathematics and computer science, with a strong focus on topological data analysis (TDA) and trustworthy artificial intelligence.

The successful candidate will work on mathematical and algorithmic methods for understanding how artificial neural networks function, especially by studying the geometry and topology of activation spaces and internal representations. The research includes analyzing how representations evolve during training and how these changes relate to prediction quality, generalization, robustness, and adversarial behavior.

Planned work involves developing and implementing computational tools based on Mapper, Ball Mapper, and persistent homology, and applying them to convolutional neural networks, Transformer-based models, and other modern architectures. The project also includes designing computational experiments on real-world and synthetic data, with opportunities to investigate anomalous model behavior and adversarial examples.

The role is suitable for a strong candidate with a background in mathematics, computer science, data science, physics, or a related field. The advertised requirements emphasize a Master’s degree or equivalent, solid preparation in machine learning, TDA, applied topology, computational geometry, dynamical systems, or mathematical data analysis, strong Python programming skills, and the ability to work independently and communicate research clearly in English. The candidate must be a current PhD student or be admitted to a doctoral program.

Applications should be submitted in English and should include a cover letter, scientific CV with publications and experience, a description of key competencies, a description of scientific achievements, the Applicant Questionnaire form, and a scan of the Master’s diploma. The completed application package must be sent by email to [email protected], quoting reference number TRAILS-1210-12/2026. The deadline is 19 November 2026 at 16:00 (Europe/Warsaw).

This is a temporary part-time position (20 hours per week). The post is associated with the University of Warsaw and offers a research environment focused on interdisciplinary collaboration, mathematical foundations of AI, and experimental computational research.