PhD Position: Safe Planning and Decision-Making under Uncertainty for Long-Horizon Robot Autonomy
€ 3.059 - € 3.881 per maandVast, Tijdelijk
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
Join TU Delft and the EU-funded OPERA consortium. Push the frontier of general-purpose AI for robotics and tackle the fundamental tension between long-horizon reasoning and real-time safety guarantees. Job description
Robots that operate for long periods among people must plan beyond the next few seconds while staying safe. They need to predict how their surroundings and the people in them will evolve, know how reliable these predictions are, and adapt their plans when the predictions fail. In the EU-funded OPERA project, TU Delft contributes to General-Purpose AI for robotics by developing methods that combine fast, reactive behavior with more deliberate reasoning, planning, and decision-making. In this PhD position, you will develop planning and decision-making methods that let robots act safely and reliably over long time horizons when their knowledge of the environment and of the people around them is incomplete. The research sits at the intersection of model-based planning and control and learning-based models, and addresses the trade-off between safety, performance, and real-time computation. You will formulate the methods and analyze their guarantees and failure modes. This research is connected to OPERA's tasks on GPAI-powered planning and decision-making, on long-term reasoning in human-centered environments, and on adaptive human-robot and robot-environment interaction. Depending on your background, the work may draw on optimal control and model predictive control, motion planning, probabilistic modeling and estimation, or learning-based methods. The emphasis is on methods with a clear formulation and well-understood failure modes, validated in simulation and on real robots. You will work in the Cognitive Robotics Department at TU Delft under the supervision of Prof. Robert Babuška and Dr. Laura Ferranti, and you will be embedded in the Reliable Robot Control Lab ( You will collaborate with OPERA partners across Europe on simulation, perception, and the OPERA open-source toolbox. Job requirements
The ideal candidate for this PhD position has a strong background in control, optimization, or motion planning and is motivated by the question of how robots can plan safely and reliably over long time horizons. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who want to work at the intersection of planning, control, and learning. You have:
Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference. For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future. At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward. Faculty Mechanical Engineering
From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work. Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service , offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands. Additional information
For more information, please reach out to Laura Ferranti and Robert Babuska [ Het emailadres op academictransfer.com bekijken , Het emailadres op academictransfer.com bekijken ] Please do not use LinkedIn and other channels for applications or inquiries. Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 15 November 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:
Robots that operate for long periods among people must plan beyond the next few seconds while staying safe. They need to predict how their surroundings and the people in them will evolve, know how reliable these predictions are, and adapt their plans when the predictions fail. In the EU-funded OPERA project, TU Delft contributes to General-Purpose AI for robotics by developing methods that combine fast, reactive behavior with more deliberate reasoning, planning, and decision-making. In this PhD position, you will develop planning and decision-making methods that let robots act safely and reliably over long time horizons when their knowledge of the environment and of the people around them is incomplete. The research sits at the intersection of model-based planning and control and learning-based models, and addresses the trade-off between safety, performance, and real-time computation. You will formulate the methods and analyze their guarantees and failure modes. This research is connected to OPERA's tasks on GPAI-powered planning and decision-making, on long-term reasoning in human-centered environments, and on adaptive human-robot and robot-environment interaction. Depending on your background, the work may draw on optimal control and model predictive control, motion planning, probabilistic modeling and estimation, or learning-based methods. The emphasis is on methods with a clear formulation and well-understood failure modes, validated in simulation and on real robots. You will work in the Cognitive Robotics Department at TU Delft under the supervision of Prof. Robert Babuška and Dr. Laura Ferranti, and you will be embedded in the Reliable Robot Control Lab ( You will collaborate with OPERA partners across Europe on simulation, perception, and the OPERA open-source toolbox. Job requirements
The ideal candidate for this PhD position has a strong background in control, optimization, or motion planning and is motivated by the question of how robots can plan safely and reliably over long time horizons. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who want to work at the intersection of planning, control, and learning. You have:
- An MSc degree in Systems and Control, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related field.
- A strong interest in safe planning and decision-making for robots, at the intersection of planning, control, and learning.
- A passion for rigorous, theoretically grounded research, combined with an eagerness to validate ideas in simulation and on real robots.
- Strong analytical and mathematical skills, in particular in optimization, probability and statistics, and dynamical systems.
- Excellent communication skills and proficiency in English (written and verbal), as required for academic publication and international collaboration.
- Hands-on experience implementing optimization-based planners or controllers (e.g., model predictive control with acados or CasADi) in C++ or Python.
- Safe or robust control and planning under uncertainty.
- Learned dynamics or prediction models, model-based reinforcement learning.
- Uncertainty quantification, probabilistic or Bayesian modeling, state estimation.
- Long-horizon or hierarchical planning, prediction of human or multi-agent behavior.
- Real-robot deployment with ROS or ROS 2.
Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference. For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future. At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward. Faculty Mechanical Engineering
From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work. Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service , offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands. Additional information
For more information, please reach out to Laura Ferranti and Robert Babuska [ Het emailadres op academictransfer.com bekijken , Het emailadres op academictransfer.com bekijken ] Please do not use LinkedIn and other channels for applications or inquiries. Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 15 November 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:
- A letter of motivation explaining why you are the right candidate for this project
- An updated cv
- Exam transcipts from your Bachelor and Master
- A copy of your MSc thesis, or draft MSc thesis (or a link to access it)
- #EUfunded This is an EU funded project, named OPERA, with project number 101298363, within program HORIZON/HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
Vacature geplaatst op 2 dagen geleden
Soortgelijke banen die u mogelijk interesserenOp basis van de vacature PhD Position: Safe Planning and Decision-Making under Uncertainty for Long-Horizon Robot Autonomy in Delft
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...What uncertainty in clinical... ...acceptable for... ...actors and patients... ...sufficiently safe? Job description... ...contain uncertainties when a... ..., and under what... ...In this PhD project,... ...how these decisions are... ...factors make uncertainty... ...interviews are planned in weeks... ...program Horizon Europe...PhDMet contractStageFulltime- ...AI-enable robotic systems for responsible human-robot collaboration... ...estimate uncertainty, explain their decisions, adapt to human... ...and values, and act safely and reliably... ...and decision-making. In this... ...receive a PhD degree before... ...within program Horizon Europe....PhDMet contractParttimeStageFulltimePer direct beginnen
- ...towards autonomous and remotely... ...of autonomy to the maritime... ...opportunities for safer, more efficient... ..., port-call planning and logistics... ...models and decision-support approaches... ...(RAS), under the supervision... ...You have a PhD degree or expect... ...that really make a difference....PhDMet contractStageOp afstand werken
- ...will support decision-making. Job... ...infrastructure, and stricter environmental... ...significant uncertainties remain... ...utilities, planners, and... ...associated to them. For that, you... ...within the Horizon Europe project... ...are: PhD in Industrial... ...Transport & Planning, Hydraulic...PhDMet contractStageOp afstand werken
- ...Lab is looking for a postdoctoral researcher... ...limits, and the timetable that... ...capacity-planning down to millisecond... ...and NS/ProRail under the NWO LTP-ROBUST... ...philosophy motivates decision support in other... ...'s researchers (PhD tracks on hub... ...is committed to make your move as...PhDMet contractStageFulltimePloegendienst
- ...are looking for a candidate with... ...in leading and managing research... ...defining, planning and... ...GLOBIO in (e.g. Horizon) projects on... ...IKB, you can make choices that... ...You hold a PhD degree in ecology... ...administrative decision-making by conducting... ...in a clean, safe and...PhD
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...description As a PhD candidate at... ..., cooler and more sustainable... ...and long-term user acceptance... ...retrofit solutions for existing... ...testing facility, under real weather conditions... ...engineers who make an impact... ...design, urban planning, building... ...experience and plans fit with the position...PhDMet contractStageFulltime- ...microgrid protection, control, and stability for safe and reliable future... ...transient and steady-state responses under various faults. A particular... ...DC systems Completed a PhD degree in a highly quantitative... ...contributing to solutions that really make a difference. For over 180...PhDMet contractStageZomerbaan
- ...performance, resilience and scalability. For decades, quartz... ...and humanoid robots, wearables and... ..., and long-term technical... ...characterization plans to ensure product... ...Requirements MS or PhD degree in... .... Employment decisions are based on qualifications... ..., and what makes us unique....PhD
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...such as computers and cell phones.... ...different isotopes for long-lived and... ...registers, we are planning on realizing... ...equality, creating a safe environment for... ...that make us different. We... ...understand the underlying principles of single... ...experimentation. As a PhD student you...PhDMet contractStageFulltime€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...like to develop new theory and algorithms for problems with multiple interacting... ...can influence their decision-making, which is something that traditional... ...capture. The goal of this PhD is to develop novel... ...algorithm development for planning and operating multi-actor systems...PhDMet contractStageFulltime€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...How do leaders make responsible decisions when digitalisation and sustainability... ...directions? This PhD studies... ...performance versus long-term value and... ...Rather than looking for simple “best... ...make decisions under competing demands... ...Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic...PhDMet contractStageFulltimeOp afstand werken- ...We are looking for a highly skilled AI/ML... ...innovations in protein and metabolic... ...strategic technology decisions. This is a high-impact... ...You bring ~ A PhD (or equivalent) in... ...elevating health to making fortified food and... ...that’s better for the planet, or reducing sugar...PhD
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...Develop and implement a Digital Twin that... ...challenging because underlying processes are complex... ...learning. However, for DTs to support the... ...and talented PhD candidate for a 4-year... ...solutions that really make a difference.... ...Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering...PhDMet contractStageFulltimeOp afstand werken€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...Digital Ocean Twins and climate scenarios... ...coastal systems. This PhD position offers a... ...their societal impacts under Climate Change (EU-... ...frameworks for “what-if” scenario... ...solutions that really make a difference. For... ...Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic...PhDMet contractStageFulltimeOp afstand werken- ...while accounting for uncertainties Job description... ...to patients and are approved based... ...to inform their decision making for such device iterations... ...oriented PhD degree e.g. in Epidemiology... ...interviews are planned in weeks of 9-13... ..., within program Horizon Europe ~ You...PhDMet contractStage
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...To view all our current PhD vacancies within this project... ..., semiconductor firms, and research institutions... ..., conflict, or compete for shared resources. This PhD... ...such agentic systems under changing network conditions... .... We believe this makes our work more innovative...PhDMet contractStageFulltime- ...performance, resilience and scalability. For decades, quartz... ...and humanoid robots, wearables and IoT.... ...and its resources Make products level decisions, including testability... ...equivalent field, PhD preferred Minimum... ...Track record of planning and execution from...PhDStage
- ...vision, smart sensing, and AI approaches to... ...been developed for metal scrap characterization... ...as part of the Horizon Europe CLEANMAT (... ...our perspective and make up our strengths.... ...requirements A PhD degree in Civil,... ...Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering...PhDMet contractStageOp afstand werken
- ...biomechanical engineering for a full-time,... ...for assessment and long-term home... ...support clinical decisions, we need to know... ...which patients, and under which conditions... ...into a research plan aimed at peer-... ...to make a meaningful contribution... ...bring: A PhD in Biomechanical...PhDMet contractParttimeStageFulltimeOpen sollicitatieThuiswerk
- ...performance, resilience and scalability. For decades, quartz... ...and humanoid robots, wearables and... ...contribute to development planning in alignment with... ...Be Included) PhD in Physics,... ...applicants. Employment decisions are based on... ...values, and what makes us unique. Innovation...PhD
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...with rare-earth ions PhD Position Quantum... ...such as computers and cell phones. Can silicon... ...different isotopes for long-lived and... ...registers, we are planning on realizing all the... ...to understand the underlying principles of single... ...Delft, our people make the difference. With...PhDMet contractStageFulltime- ...Help pave the future for living sensing systems by decoding microorganisms... ...could transform how we sense and store information, replacing... ...that information. This PhD: We are seeking a highly motivated... ...to solutions that really make a difference. For over 180 years...PhDMet contractStageFulltime
- ...battery diagnostics for large-scale energy storage... ...-driven modelling and power electronics to... ...these systems safely and efficiently throughout... ...health indicators under varying operating... ...for? You have a PhD degree in Electrical... ...solutions that really make a difference. For...PhDMet contractStage
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...intelligent control and coordination in... ...ERC-funded PhD project, you... ...systems operate safely, efficiently and... ...agents interact under uncertainty and constraints... ...methods for game-theoretic... ...solutions that really make a difference.... ..., within program HORIZON ERC grants...PhDMet contractStageFulltime- ...performance, resilience, and scalability. For decades, quartz... ...and humanoid robots, wearables and... ..., and long‑term reliability... ...product release decisions. Drive deployment... ...~ MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering... ...plans, risk assessments... ...characterization datasets and making data‑driven...PhD
- ...are paving the way for the hyper-scale quantum... ...change the world. And delivering on that... ...teams to make bringing up a QuantWare... ...Education & Background: PhD (or Master’s degree... ...‑proof pension plan that includes partner... ...helps us with better decisions, more innovation,...PhD
- ...intelligent control and coordination in... ...these systems operate safely, efficiently and fairly... ...agents interact under uncertainty and constraints.... ...computational methods for game-theoretic... ...research centre where PhD candidates, postdocs... ...solutions that really make a difference....PhDMet contractStage
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
...New aircraft concepts and propulsion technologies are... ...what that would mean for air traffic control and... ...This is exactly what this PhD project aims to answer!... ...metrics and models needed to make those effects measurable... ...capacity and efficiency under a mixed future fleet....PhDMet contractStageFulltime- ...computer proof assistants, and computer algebra systems.... ...foundation, but is not designed for computation; a computer... ...and partly practical: making the categorical doctrines underlying CAP precise enough to formalise... ...following criteria: PhD (awarded by the start date...PhDMet contractStage
Wilt u meer vacatures ontvangen?
Abonneer u om vacatures voor PhD Position: Safe Planning and Decision-Making under Uncertainty for Long-Horizon Robot Autonomy te ontvangen. Solliciteer als eerste!
