项目介绍

2026年4月21日

We have the power of over 50,000 students and co-workers. Students who provide hope for the future. Co-workers who contribute to Linköping University meeting challenges of today. Our fundamental values rest on credibility, trust and security. By having the courage to think freely and innovate, our actions together, large and small, contribute to a better world. We look forward to receiving your application!

We are now looking for a PhD student in Computer Vision and Learning Systems at the Department of Electrical Engineering (ISY).

Your work assignments

Your task will be to analyse and adapt vision-language-action models (VLA), specifically the handling of uncertainty in VLAs. VLAs have the potential to simplify system design in robotics and autonomous driving, both through verbal user interfaces, and by allowing large bodies of text to provide context and background for actions. A known weakness in VLAs is their tendency to give confident answers even when this is uncalled for. In the project, we will build on research that detects different types of uncertainty in deep neural networks, and we will connect this uncertainty to interactive data collection, e.g. in the form of a dialogue with the user or operator.

The position is funded by the ELLIIT excellence centre (elliit.se), through the project ”A Robust and Reliable Vision-Language-Action Interface”. This project is a collaboration with Lund University, and you will be interacting with a twin PhD student recruited there.

As a PhD student, you devote most of your time to doctoral studies and the research projects of which you are part. Your work may also include teaching or other departmental duties, up to a maximum of 20 per cent of full-time.

Your qualifications

You have graduated at Master’s level in computer science and engineering, or applied physics and electrical engineering, with at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 are cycle 2, with a specialization in computer vision or equivalent. Alternatively, you have acquired essentially the corresponding knowledge in some other way. The degree requirement must be met no later than at the time the employment decision is finalized, which occurs when the employment contract is signed.

The candidate should have strong mathematical skills and experience in machine learning, programming, and the analysis of visual data. Furthermore, you are able to work with a long-term perspective and drive projects forward even when challenges arise. You enjoy working in a result-oriented manner and strive to deliver work of high scientific quality.

The role requires effective collaboration in a research environment and clear, transparent communication. We place great emphasis on a quality-conscious approach to work, and strong analytical language skills, meaning that you should be able to process text, theory, and research literature in a structured and reflective manner. In addition, you should have well-developed problem-solving skills and be able to analyze complex research questions, identify relevant approaches, and independently drive your work forward. As our operations have an international focus, fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Previous publications from conferences in computer vision or machine learning are considered an advantage.

Your workplace

The Division of Computer Vision and Learning Systems (CVL) at ISY has a vibrant research environment with a total of approximately 30 employees. This includes four faculty members, Assistant Professors, Postdocs, and PhD students, with PhD students making up half of the staff. We also have several adjunct researchers. CVL conducts research and education at the undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels in machine learning within computer vision.

The division has been mentioned as one of Sweden’s best research environments in Vinnova’s report from 2025. We have ongoing research activities within WASP (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program), ELLIIT (Excellence center), and LiU’s profile area VDF (Visual digital futures).

For more information about our work, please visit our webpage: https://liu.se/en/organisation/liu/isy/cvl.

For more information about ISY, go to: https://liu.se/en/article/open-positions-at-isy.

The employment

When taking up the post, you will be admitted to the program for doctoral studies. More information about the doctoral studies at each faculty is available at Doctoral studies at Linköping University.

The employment has a duration of normally four years’ full-time equivalent. Extension of employment up to five years is based on the degree of teaching and institutional assignment. Further extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances. You will initially be employed for one year, after which your employment will be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time, depending on your progress through the study plan. 

To learn more on working as a PhD student at ISY, please contact: isyphdcouncil@groups.liu.se. 

Starting date by agreement, but earliest in August 2026, and latest December 2026.

Background screening may be carried out before any decision on employment is made.

Salary and employment benefits

The salary of PhD students is determined according to a locally negotiated salary progression.

More information about employment benefits at Linköping University is available here.

Union representatives

Information about union representatives, see Help for applicants.

Application procedure

Apply for the position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must reach Linköping University no later than May 25, 2026.

Applications and documents received after the date above will not be considered.

We welcome applicants with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives – diversity enriches our work and helps us grow. Preserving everybody’s equal value, rights and opportunities is a natural part of who we are. Read more about our work with: Equal opportunities.

We look forward to receiving your application!