"15 Doctoral Candidate (DC) Positions (f/m/d) in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network CAVECORE"

Call for Applications:

15 Doctoral Candidate (DC) Positions (f/m/d) in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network CAVECORE (Program Horizon Europe)

Applications are invited for 15 Doctoral Candidate (DC) positions (f/m/d) fulltime for the duration of 36 months at the earliest on 01st February, 2026. These positions are funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN-ID) on “Continuous, Automated Validation, and Evaluation of Cognitive Robots in Open-Ended Environments” (CAVECORE) within the Horizon Europe Programme latest until 31th August, 2029.

The CAVECORE network brings together a unique consortium of 10 beneficiaries, comprising 6 academic and 4 non-academic organizations, to deliver a comprehensive, interdisciplinary training programme. This programme integrates scientific, technical, and personal development skills, preparing the next generation of researchers to advance the quality assurance and validation of cognitive robot systems operating in complex, dynamic, and open-ended environments.

The CAVECORE consortium consists of the following partners:

• University of Bremen, Germany (Positions #9, #11, #15)
• University of Bielefeld, Germany (Positions #5, #10)
• IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Positions #7, #14)
• University of York, United Kingdom (Position #3)
• Graz University of Technology, Austria (Position #8)
• Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus (Position #13)
• Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais, France (Positions #2, #12)
• PAL Robotics, Spain (Position #1)
• EIVA A/S, Denmark (Position #6)
• Cellumation GmbH, Germany (Position #4)

Research Focus

The overarching goal of CAVECORE is to tackle fundamental challenges in cognitive robotics including:

• How can we evaluate the performance, safety, and reliability of robotic agents in open-ended environments?
• How can we validate robot behaviour through trustworthy measurements?
• How can we enable continuous, automated validation over extended periods?

Each Doctoral Candidate (DC) will contribute to addressing these key questions, receiving specialized training through a network-wide programme of workshops, schools, and secondments at partner institutions, fostering interdisciplinary expertise and industry engagement.

Available Positions and Research Topics

The CAVECORE network offers 15 DC positions across the following themes:

Advanced Cognitive Robot Capabilities

• Shared models for reliable and safe human-robot collaboration and efficient decision-making under uncertainty and partial observability (Positions #1 and #3)
• Learning-enabled safe and reliable hybrid controllers and pro-active behavioural adjustment of RL-based manipulation skills (Positions #4 and #5)
• Digital twin-based behavioural specification, adaptive safety monitoring, and uncertainty quantification for risk-informed decision-making (Positions #2, #10, #13)

Validation and Evaluation Methods for Cognitive Robotics and AI

• Measures of human preferences for responsible robot behaviour in prosocial dilemmas and psychometric evaluation of cognitive robots (Positions #8 and #9)
• Automated robotic mission assessment with digital twins and scenario-based testing in virtual worlds (Positions #6 and #7)
• LLM-assisted scenario generation for safety validation, data-driven test scenario selection using measured sim2real gap, and replicable evaluation based on provenance models (Positions #11, #12, #14, #15)

Details about the 15 PhD positions and the specific requirements for applicants are available at the following link: www.cavecore.eu/phd-topics

Benefits and Training

Each DC will be employed on a 36-month full-time contract and will spend a total of 4 months in a mandatory secondment at other CAVECORE partners/beneficiaries, in accordance with the MSCA DN-ID mobility requirements and the training objectives. The programme will provide an attractive salary as per MSCA regulations (https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/346248). All DCs will benefit from a rich programme of local and network-wide training activities, covering scientific, technical, transferable, and entrepreneurial skills.

The positions at University Bremen (#9, #11, #15) will be filled as Doctoral Candidate (DC) fulltime with 39.2 hours per week according to §2 (1) WissZeitVG in German salary scale EG 13 TV-L. For higher education qualifications obtained outside the EU, please submit the German translation and the assessment of the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) or a PDF excerpt from ANABIN.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date (MSCA mobility rule). Applicants must be Doctoral Candidates, i.e., at the date of recruitment, not already in possession of a doctoral degree. A Master’s degree (or University Diploma) in a field relevant to the position (e.g. Robotics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Cognitive Science, or related disciplines) is required.

How to Apply

Documents to be submitted: Applicants must submit the following documents in English, compiled into one single PDF file (maximum size: 5 MB):

• CAVECORE application form (downloadable from www.cavecore.eu/Application_Form_CAVECORE.docx).
• Full curriculum vitae (including list of publications, if applicable).
• Cover letter (1 page) describing previous research experience and current research interests, clearly outlining the fit to the desired PhD topic(s).
• One or more reference letters, plus names and contact details of two referees.
• Transcripts of grades obtained for B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees, expected final grade (and anticipated graduation date if applicable). The final certificate of M.Sc. degree must be presented upon hiring.
• Additional certificates (language certificates, GRE, awards, etc.), if available.

Submission procedure: For general questions about the personnel selection procedure and for questions about the content of the advertised position, please contact Prof. Dr. Nico Hochgeschwender (email: nico.hochgeschwender@uni-bremen.de). Please send your application with your complete documents to phd-applications@cavecore.eu, quoting the reference “Application CAVECORE DC – [Your Name]” until 20th of October 2025, 23:00 GMT as a PDF file.