Vacant job

Are you interested in AI, particularly reinforcement learning? We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated student to join us as a Ph.D. student in the Data Science and AI (DSAI) division at Chalmers to explore exciting new directions with hierarchical reinforcement learning!

About us

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), a joint department of Chalmers and the University of Gothenburg, spans the breadth of computing disciplines. Our internationally visible research, strong industry links, and diverse environment create a collaborative setting where ideas grow into real impact.

At the Data Science and AI (DSAI) division, we develop data-driven methods and AI solutions that support intelligent decisions across society, advancing machine learning techniques from foundations to industrial and scientific applications.

There has been a long-standing and world-leading research programme in formalizing mathematics at the department, funded by ERC Advanced Grants and Wallenberg projects. A new initiative is to bring AI techniques into automating theorem provers and proof assistants for the exciting new area of "AI for Math". A new research group has crystallized that brings together expertise from several areas besides AI, including formal methods, theorem proving, NLP, and cognitive science. The group has a network of very strong international collaborators that the student will become a part of – we will be organizing a seminar on the theme at https://www.mittag-leffler.se/activities/ai-for-mathematics/

About the research project

The project builds on recent advances in hierarchical reinforcement learning (HRL) and explores its use in AI for Math. Can HRL techniques be used to automate proofs and generate interesting conjectures and lemmas in an interactive theorem prover? Human mathematicians typically decompose a big proof into smaller lemmas. HRL is a natural technique to create an automated system to decompose proofs into smaller components. For exciting developments in the area of "AI for Math", see https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/03/29/mathematical-methods-and-human-thought-in-the-age-of-ai/ by one of the world's top mathematicians.

The project is funded by https://wasp-sweden.org/, Sweden's national AI initiative, and will be carried out in a strong research environment in this area, in collaboration with ERC Advanced Grant projects (of faculty in the division).

Who we are looking for

The following requirements are mandatory:

• To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have a Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or related fields. For students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor's degree is acceptable.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• You should have a strong background in theoretical computer science, foundational AI/machine learning, or mathematics, and have strong coding skills in Python (or C, C++, Java, etc.).
• You should have a strong background in modern machine learning – you should have taken good courses in basic ML and in particular have the rudiments of reinforcement learning.

The following experience will strengthen your application:

• Experience with logic, a theorem prover, or an interactive proof assistant is a bonus

What you will do

• Conduct research and aim for publications in top venues in modern AI (such as NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, etc.). Take courses at an advanced level within https://wasp-sweden.org/graduate-school/
• Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing
• The position generally also includes teaching at Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 percent of working hours

Contract terms

• The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from start.
• The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position up to five years.
• A starting salary of 35,725 SEK per month (valid from May 1, 2026).
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise, the admission may be withdrawn.

What we offer

To read more about what we offer, go to https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=14598&rmlang=UK

Application procedure

The application should be written in English and attached as PDF files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV

Personal letter

• A brief introduction about yourself.
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position.

Bachelor's and, if available, master's thesis together with the transcripts.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview.

We welcome your application no later than June 18, 2026.

For questions, please contact:

Devdatt Dubhashi

Professor

[email protected]

We look forward to your application!

Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position.