PhD Position in Reversible Programming for Energy Efficient Cyber-Physical Systems

University of Southern Denmark (SDU); Odense; On-site; DKK 39,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Secondments

Joint trainings

International network

Job summary

The SDU Drone Center, part of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), invites applications for a 3-year PhD position on reversible programming languages and their use for energy efficient cyber-physical systems. The position is doctoral candidate DC12, in the MSCA network E-CoRe, available from 1 January 2027.

The MSCA-funded network trains doctoral candidates across Europe, with secondments planned at the University of Bologna and University of Manchester,

Qualifications

• MSc in computer science, software engineering, or closely related field, or to complete one before the start date.
• Experience with programming languages design and implementation.
• Experience with languages such as C, C++, Rust, Python, or Haskell; algorithms and energy estimation.

Responsibilities

• Implement reversible programming language constructs and extend languages as needed for application domains.
• Integrate software into simulated cyber-physical systems like perching drones and IoT scenarios.
• Estimate energy consumption using hardware- and system-level analysis within the project framework.
• Publish results at international conferences and journals in PL, software eng., and CPS.
• Contribute to outreach, training, and secondments across partner institutions.

Skills

Programming language design

Functional programming

C/C++

Python

Algorithms

Simulation energy estimation

Embedded software

Education

MSc in Computer Science or Software Engineering

Job description

Job Description

The SDU Drone Center, part of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), invites applications for a 3-year PhD position on reversible programming languages and their use for energy efficient cyber-physical systems. The position is doctoral candidate DC12, "Energy Efficiency in Cyber-Physical Systems", in the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Doctoral Network E‑CoRe. The position is available from 1 January 2027, and the specific start date will be agreed upon with the successful candidate.

The application deadline is November 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM/23:59 (CET/CEST).

The position is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions Doctoral Networks programme, grant agreement no. 101120187. MSCA eligibility rules apply, see the section "What we expect" below. Read more about the network at https://e-core.nws.cs.unibo.it/.

What we offer

E‑CoRe is a European doctoral network on reversible computing. Reversible computation discards no information and therefore avoids the fundamental energy lower bound of conventional computing. The network trains a cohort of doctoral candidates who will improve and popularise reversible languages, algorithms, and architectures for energy‑intensive applications. As one of the E‑CoRe doctoral candidates you join a cohort at partner universities across Europe, take part in joint training schools and network events, and spend secondments at partner institutions, currently planned at the University of Bologna and the University of Manchester.

The work

The position addresses a programming languages question with an applied setting: how do we write software in reversible programming languages for systems where energy matters, and how much energy does this save? The setting is low-energy computations for cyber‑physical systems such as perching aerial robots and IoT devices. The work belongs to the E‑CoRe work package on applications and builds on the languages and tools developed elsewhere in the network. Concretely, the work includes the following:

• Implementing algorithms in reversible programming languages and extending these languages where the application domain requires new constructs or idioms.
• Integrating the resulting software into simulated cyber‑physical systems, such as perching drones and IoT sensing scenarios.
• Estimating energy consumption through combined hardware‑level and system‑level analysis, using the modelling framework developed in the network.
• Answering the central research question of the position: how do the energy savings from reversible computation correlate with the I/O characteristics of the system?
• Publishing the results at international conferences and in journals in programming languages, software engineering, and cyber‑physical systems.

The position may involve co‑supervising related student projects. You are expected to participate in the Drone Center's project portfolio and outreach activities and in the training programme of the E‑CoRe network.

What we expect

We expect you to hold an MSc in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field, or to complete one before the start date. The core of the work is programming languages and software. You do not need experience with drones or embedded hardware, and you do not need prior knowledge of reversible computing. You should have experience with, and an interest in, some of the following:

• Programming language design and implementation.
• Functional or declarative programming, or other work with languages beyond the mainstream.
• Software design and development in languages such as C, C++, Rust, Python, or Haskell.
• Algorithms and their analysis.
• Simulation, modelling, or energy estimation of computing systems.
• Embedded, real‑time, or robotic software.

We expect you to write and speak English fluently, to work independently and with an international team, and to travel for the secondments and network events described above. We furthermore expect you to publish findings at recognised international conferences and in peer‑reviewed journals.

Eligibility conditions

The position follows the rules of the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions, and you must meet all of the following conditions at the recruitment date:

• You do not hold a doctoral degree. Applicants who have defended a doctoral thesis but not yet been awarded the degree are not eligible.
• Mobility rule: you have not resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. Short stays such as holidays are disregarded, as is compulsory national service and time covered by the 1951 Refugee Convention.
• You are eligible regardless of nationality.

Recruitment follows the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The process is open, transparent, merit‑based, and equitable. The position is also announced on the Euraxess portal.

Workplace description

The SDU Drone Center is part of the Maersk Mc‑Kinney Moller Institute at the Faculty of Engineering, located on the main SDU campus in Odense. At the center we research civilian drone technologies and their applications in agriculture, inspection, energy, healthcare, and nature conservation. We collaborate closely with companies in the robotics community around Odense and with research partners in Denmark and abroad. You will be part of an international group of PhD students, postdocs, engineers, and faculty working on autonomous systems and the software behind them.

Enrollment and employment terms

Appointment as a PhD fellow is a 3‑year salaried position. The position follows the MSCA Doctoral Networks funding rules. The MSCA contribution consists of a monthly living allowance of EUR 5,325.28, a monthly mobility allowance of EUR 710, and, where applicable, a monthly family allowance of EUR 660. These amounts are gross contributions to the employer. The salary paid to you is derived from these amounts after employer costs and is subject to Danish income tax and social contributions. If you have relevant postgraduate experience, this may be reflected in the salary placement within the Danish collective agreement.

The preferred start date is from 1 January 2027.

Applicants must hold a master's degree (equivalent to a Danish master's degree) at the time of enrollment and employment. Employment is contingent on enrollment approved by the PhD School. Enrollment will be in accordance with Faculty regulations and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order). Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state including the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described therein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

Salary is determined in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and based on objective and gender‑neutral criteria, including the content of the position, responsibilities, and qualification requirements. As an applicant, you are entitled to information about the starting salary and salary range for the position. This information will be provided during the recruitment process. SDU does not collect information on applicants' previous salary. Further information on salary and taxation.

Persons employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a "self‑organizer".

The University of Southern Denmark wishes its staff to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, is subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position(s).

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie grant agreement No 101120187.

About Us

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.