PhD Student in Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence – in cooperation with Cybercampus Sweden Full-time

PhD Student in Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence

Are you interested in working in the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a PhD position at the Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University.

The Department of Information Technology holds a leading position in both research and education at all levels. We are currently Uppsala University's third largest department, with 350 employees, including 120 teachers and 120 PhD students. Approximately 5,000 undergraduate students take one or more courses at the department each year. You can find more information about us on the Department of Information Technology website.

The position will be in the Emerging Communication Systems (ECoS) group that investigates the intersection of wireless communications, machine learning, low-power design, and security. Our research explores the synergies between these domains to enable future distributed communication systems that are energy-efficient, robust, and secure. As a PhD student, you will become part of a leading and growing research environment. We publish in leading international journals and conferences and collaborate internationally.

Project description: The project investigates lightweight, robust, and explainable AI-based approaches for intrusion detection in resource-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) environments. Since many IoT devices operate under strict limitations in computation, memory, and energy, the research will explore resource-efficient machine learning techniques that enable low-latency detection of malicious activity directly on devices or at the network edge. The work will address challenges such as evolving attack strategies and changing data distributions, while also considering the need for transparent and trustworthy detection mechanisms. Positioned at the intersection of cybersecurity, machine learning, and embedded systems, the project aims to advance practical methods and software tools that improve the security of IoT systems deployed in constrained and dynamic environments.

Affiliation with Cybercampus Sweden and its Graduate School: The position will be affiliated with the Cybercampus Sweden graduate school, a national initiative that brings together universities, public authorities, and industry to strengthen Sweden's digital resilience and build long-term research and education capacity in cybersecurity. The graduate school includes doctoral students from universities across Sweden and offers a joint curriculum with specialized PhD courses, seminars, and national events, providing a shared platform for collaboration, networking, and advanced training.

The research project is in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology and Hamburg University of Technology, involving joint supervision as well as research visits and secondments at the partner institutions.

Duties: The doctoral student will primarily devote their time to graduate education. Other departmental duties of at most 20%, including teaching and administration, may also be included in the employment.

Requirements: To meet the general entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must:

• hold a Master's (second-cycle) degree in computer science, computer engineering, machine learning, or a closely related field, or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master's level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.

The University may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds (Chapter 7, § 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance). For special entry requirements, please see the subject's general study plan.

Additionally, you must have:

• Good academic performance in previous studies.
• Knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas: cybersecurity, machine learning, embedded systems, computer systems, or networking.
• Programming experience, for example in Python and C/C++.
• High quality of the MSc thesis (or equivalent) or other independent written work.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Additional qualifications:

• Strong demonstrated analytical ability.
• Personal qualities such as initiative, collaborative ability, and the capacity to communicate effectively with both international and national project partners, as well as to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience with experimental evaluation methods.
• Demonstrated interest in research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, security, and resource-constrained systems.

Application: The application must include the documents listed below. The submitted materials should provide clear evidence of the applicant's qualifications in relation to the requirements.

• Cover letter (maximum two pages) describing the applicant's motivation for applying for the position and the earliest possible starting date. The letter should include a section titled “Suitability for this position”, in which the applicant briefly explains how their background, skills, and experience match the requirements and assessment criteria.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Copies of degrees and transcripts of records, including grades (with translations into English or Swedish if the original documents are in another language).
• Master's thesis (or a draft, if not yet completed) and/or one other self-produced technical or scientific writing that demonstrates the applicant's research and analytical abilities. Applicants may also include publications or other relevant documents.
• Contact information for two references (names, email addresses, and telephone numbers). Applicants may also include up to two letters of recommendation.

About the employment: The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 15 August 2026 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: Professor Christian Rohner, christian.rohner@it.uu.se, +46701679361

Please submit your application by 31 March 2026, UFV-PA 2026/739.