"PhD position in Statistics"

Location:

KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (with initial 2 years at JRC in Ispra, Italy)

Position:

PhD Position in Statistics and Data Science

Job Reference:

(ref. BAP-2025-157)

Last Modified:

12/03/25

Job Description:

The section of Statistics and Data Science at the Mathematics Department of KU Leuven offers a PhD position in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. This unique opportunity involves spending the first two years at the JRC's campus in Ispra, Italy, followed by two years at KU Leuven. JRC is one of Europe’s leading research campuses and supports EU policies with independent scientific evidence across various policy cycles.

The focus of this project is the development of robust statistical methods for detecting casewise and cellwise outliers in complex data. The work will be applied to fraud detection, anti-money laundering, and misinformation detection in collaboration with field experts. You will work with real-world data provided through the partnership with the JRC, ensuring the practical relevance of your research.

Research Focus:

• Development of robust statistical methods for anomaly detection, focusing on casewise and cellwise outliers.
• Application of these methods to real-world problems such as fraud detection, anti-money laundering, and misinformation detection.
• Collaboration with experts from various fields, using real data provided by the JRC.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on robust statistical methods and anomaly detection techniques.
• Apply developed algorithms to real-world data in collaboration with the JRC.
• Publish results in high-impact journals and present findings at international conferences.
• Participate in workshops and PhD-level courses at KU Leuven.
• Regularly report progress to the supervisory teams at both JRC and KU Leuven.

Profile:

• Education: Master’s degree in mathematics, statistics, engineering, or a related field with a strong background in statistics. Candidates who are completing their Master’s in summer 2025 are also encouraged to apply.
• Skills:
• Proficiency in R and/or Python is required.
• Knowledge of Matlab is a plus.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
• Solid foundation in statistics, particularly in robust statistical methods and anomaly detection.
• Eligibility:
• Must be a national of an EU Member State or a country associated with the EU Research Framework Programmes (such as Albania, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Ukraine, etc.) or have been a resident in an EU Member State for at least 5 years. A list of eligible countries can be found here.
• A detailed transcript of academic results is required for the application.

Offer:

• The PhD project has a total duration of 4 years:
• The first 2 years will be based at the JRC in Ispra, Italy, and the remaining 2 years will be spent at KU Leuven.
• The preferred start date is September 1, 2025.
• The PhD student will be enrolled in the KU Leuven doctoral program.
• Regular participation in workshops and international conferences.
• During the period at JRC, the PhD student will be employed under a Grantholder 20 Contract as per the Grantholder rules. The contract conditions can be found here.
• The student’s progress will be evaluated annually, with a positive evaluation required to continue each year.

Selection Process:

The selection will occur in two stages:

1. KU Leuven will conduct the initial selection based on CVs and interviews.
2. The JRC will carry out the second stage of selection.

Interested?

For more information, please contact:

• Prof. Dr. Mia Hubert, KU Leuven: mia.hubert@kuleuven.be
• Dr. Domenico Perrotta, JRC: Domenico.Perrotta@ec.europa.eu

Application Deadline:

May 30, 2025

Apply via the online application tool.

KU Leuven’s Commitment to Diversity:

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful, and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity as an asset, promoting open dialogue and encouraging differences in perspective. We do not accept any form of discrimination, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

For questions about accessibility or support, please contact us at apply@kuleuven.be.