PhD position in Reversible Programming Languages (MSCA Doctoral Network E-CoRe, DC1), University of Copenhagen

University of Copenhagen; Denmark; On-site; DKK 323,000 - 387,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Copenhagen invites applications for a 3-year PhD position in reversible programming languages within the PLTC section of the Department of Computer Science (DIKU). The candidate will join the MSCA Doctoral Network E-CoRe and work on advancing reversible computing concepts with supervisory collaboration from partner institutions.

The position starts 1 January 2027 or after agreement and includes planned secondments, a formal PhD program, and participation in a dynamic

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science or closely related field, by recruitment date.
• Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript, with English translation if issued in another language.
• English proficiency in written and spoken.
• Willingness to travel for secondments across partner institutions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent research on reversible programming languages.
• Collaborate internationally within the MSCA-DN E-CoRe network.
• Publish results at international conferences and in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Engage in the training programme and participate in network activities.

Skills

Programming languages

English proficiency

Independent work

Team collaboration

Willingness to travel

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science

Job description

The Programming Languages and Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section, part of the Department of Computer Science (DIKU)

Organisation/Company University of Copenhagen Department The Programming Languages and Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section, part of the Department of Computer Science (DIKU) Research Field Computer science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 1 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Copenhagen) Country Denmark Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

PhD position in Reversible Programming Languages (MSCA Doctoral Network E-CoRe, DC1), University of Copenhagen

The position is doctoral candidate DC1, “Reversible Programming Languages", in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network E-CoRe. The position is available from 1 January 2027, or after agreement.

Job description

The Programming Languages and Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section, part of the Department of Computer Science (DIKU), University of Copenhagen, invites applications for a 3-year PhD position on reversible programming languages.

The project

The position is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) programme, grant agreement no. 101120187. The project advances the science and practice of reversible computing for a sustainable digital future. Energy is a main concern in society: IT accounts for an estimated 10% of global energy consumption. 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 popularize reversible languages, algorithms, and architectures for energy-intensive applications.

Read more about the network at https://e-core.nws.cs.unibo.it/ .

The position is open for talented candidates with a master’s degree, who want to pursue a PhD degree in Computer Science.

DC1

The successful PhD candidate will work on reversible programming languages. The candidate can build on the work by project members.

Concretely, the work includes the following:

• Advancing reversible programming languages with a view on increasing their expressiveness and applicability to the development and construction of non-trivial reversible algorithms.
• Studying the integration of reversible features into mainstream irreversible languages.
• Exploring domain-specific features to identify novel language idioms specific to reversible programming and applications developed elsewhere in the network.
• Publishing the results at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

Planned secondments: CNRS / Université Côte d'Azur (France), University of Southern Denmark (Denmark), and Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (Japan).

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants for the position

The candidate must have a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish Master's degree) in Computer Science or a closely related field, obtained by the recruitment date.

Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in a language other than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.

Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

Other important criteria

• Strong academic record and motivation for doctoral research.
• Experience in programming language design, semantics, or implementation, regardless of programming paradigm, is an advantage. Prior knowledge of reversible computing is not needed.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate effectively in an international research environment. Proactive and team-oriented approach to work.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Willingness and ability to travel and undertake secondments at other project partners.

The successful candidate will be employed as a PhD student at the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, and will collaborate closely with the group at the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, which is also an E-CoRe partner. The position may involve co-supervising related student projects. The PhD student is expected to participate in the activities of the research section and in the training programme of the E-CoRe network.

Start date: 1 January 2027, or after agreement with the cohort of the MSCA-DN

Duration: 3 years

The successful candidate will conduct independent research related to the topics above at the Programming Languages and Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section, Department of Computer Science (DIKU). We expect the candidate to engage in an active research environment and take part in student guidance.

Mobility rule

The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her/their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Short stays as holidays and compulsory military service and/or Refugee Convention 1951 are disregarded.

Eligibility as Doctoral Candidate (DC)

The recruited DC must be doctoral candidate, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree on the first day of employment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

Workplace description

The Programming Languages and Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section is part of the Department of Computer Science (DIKU) at the Faculty of Science, located on the North Campus in Copenhagen. At the section we research topics such as algorithmic aspects of programming, compiler technology, functional programming, reversible and quantum computing. You will be part of an international group of PhD students, postdocs, and faculty working at the intersection of programming languages, theory of computing, and various applications.

Terms of employment

Salary, pension and terms of employment will be in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organization. Currently, the monthly salary starts at DKK 31,845 / approx. EUR 4,260 (August 2026-level).

Depending on qualifications,