Doctoral student in Robot Learning for Manipulation

Organisation/Company

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Research Field

Computer science » Other
Engineering » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

10 May 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Sweden

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Computer Science

PhD students will work on robot learning for manipulation, exploring recent advances in Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models for tabletop manipulation tasks with a focus on using the whole-body motion to enhance perception and control for solving complex mobile manipulation tasks. We are seeking candidates with a strong background in robotics and machine learning, and demonstrated experience in two or more of the following areas: deep learning, reinforcement learning, robot perception, navigation or manipulation.

Supervision: Professor Danica Kragic Jensfelt is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills. 

Target degree: Doctoral degreeInformation regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

As a doctoral student, you are entitled to a workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement . Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) | KTH | Sweden .

Union representatives

Contact information for union representatives.

Doctoral Student’s network (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for PhD chapter .

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must include the following elements:

• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above) . Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified .
• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Join us at KTH
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Learn more about our benefits and what it's like to work and grow at KTH

Type of employment: Temporary position
Contract type: Full time
First day of employment: According to agreement
Salary: Monthly salary according to KTH's doctoral student salary agreement
Number of positions: 2
Full-time equivalent: 100%
City: Stockholm
County: Stockholms län
Country: Sweden
Reference number: PA-2026-1142
Contact:

Published: 2026-04-09
Last application date: 2026-05-10

Website

https://academicpositions.com/ad/kth-royal-institute-of-technology/2026/doctora…

Research Field

Computer science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Engineering

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Website for additional job details

https://academicpositions.com

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Country

Sweden

City

Stockholm

Postal Code

11428

Street

Brinellvägen 8

Geofield

City

Stockholm

Website

http://www.kth.se

Postal Code

11428

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