JOB DESCRIPTION

Our society relies on well-functioning infrastructure systems, such as transportation, water and energy supply, and telecommunication networks. These systems are highly interdependent, and poor performance or malfunction of one or several of them can create a vulnerable scenario in which a small trigger can become a major issue with significant economic and social consequences. To avoid these scenarios, it is necessary to better understand how this complex multi-system environment functions and how it can be efficiently monitored.
You will address this challenge in your PhD thesis, leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance system state monitoring. The goal is to improve situational awareness by identifying and assessing the performance levels of these systems that may become critical to safety and security when combined in a multi-systems environment. By doing so, this AI-driven approach will support timely decision-making and proactive interventions, ultimately strengthening the resilience of our society. AI algorithms for autonomous remote control (e.g., exploring the environment, collecting data) and automatic data processing will be developed and implemented.
This position is funded by the FOURIER project (Innovative Artificial Intelligence Methodologies for Monitoring and Maintaining Large-Scale Complex Infrastructures and Obtaining Greener, More Resilient, and Smart Societies). FOURIER is a training network funded under the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks within the Horizon Europe Programme of the European Commission (GA nr. 101169429).
FOURIER intends to establish a network of 15 doctoral individual projects working towards advanced system state monitoring techniques—via the use of AI for large-scale autonomous systemic monitoring, inspection, and proactive testing, including the explicit identification of information gaps and uncertainties (information quality) of complex engineering systems to improve their resilience against failures, accidents, sabotage, disruptions, and disasters.
The FOURIER project involves universities (Politecnico di Torino, Technische Universität München, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, National Technical University of Athens), research institutes (Fraunhofer Society), and industry partners (VCE Vienna Consulting Engineers, Infra Plan Consulting and Factor Social) with expertise in remote sensing, data interpretation algorithms, vision-based platforms, software development, and visualization tools.
During your PhD thesis, you will work in close collaboration with the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV). To guarantee the applicability of your results and maximize their impact, you will be hosted for several months by the Safety Region of Utrecht (Veiligheidsregio Utrecht, Netherlands) and the European Joint Research Centre (JRC, Italy).
In addition to your research activities, you will participate in educational initiatives at TU Delft and internationally within the FOURIER network, further enhancing the collaborative and scholarly dimensions of the program.

REQUIREMENTS

We are seeking a highly motivated professional who enjoys working in a multidisciplinary environment. If the following characteristics resonate with you, we invite you to join us on this PhD journey:

• You have a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Civil Engineering, or a related field with a focus on socio-physical systems.
• You demonstrate competence in AI, machine learning, complex systems, and in processing and analyzing large datasets.
• You possess excellent skills in mathematical modeling and simulation; prior experience in system resilience, safety, and security principles is desirable.
• You have outstanding communication skills in English, both written and oral. Proficiency in Dutch is a plus.

Please, note that if you already hold a PhD degree or have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately before your recruitment date are not eligible to apply under the FOURIER project recruitment rules. All applications will adhere to the security constraints of the organizations hosting the PhD candidate.

Please refer the Job description for details