PhD Position in Decentralized and Federated Cloud Computing ( HCC )

Organisation/Company

Aalborg Universitet

Department

The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Department of Computer Science, Section for Human Centered Computing

Research Field

Computer science

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

22 Feb 2026 - 22:59 (UTC)

Country

Denmark

Type of Contract

Permanent

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

PhD Position in Decentralized and Federated Cloud Computing ( HCC )

We invite applications for a fully-funded 3-year PhD position on the topic of usable decentralization, i.e. on making distributed and federated cloud services accessible to the everyday user. Given the strong prevalence of centralized cloud services, e.g. from Google, Microsoft, or Apple, our digital resilience and sovereignty is built on questionable foundations. By enabling nontechnical users to setup and use decentralized clouds on so-called “nanoservers”, we aim to strengthen our digital independence.

The stipend is open for appointment from April 1st, 2026, or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years. The PhD stipend is available within the general study program "Computer Science".

Your work tasks
The main tasks for this PhD project consist of requirements analysis through online surveys and interviews, prototype development for accessible setup and operation of nanoservers (both on web and mobile platforms), and longitudinal evaluation of the prototypes through live deploy-ments inusers’ homes and offices.

Your competencies
Required:
• Frontend development (ideally both on web and mobile)
• Conducting and analyzing user studies, such as online surveys and in-person experiments
Desirable:
• Backend development (Python, Ruby, …)
• Linux system administration (deployment, networking)
• Experience with decentralized/self-hosted services, e.g. Mastodon, Nextcloud, Matrix, …
• Experience with peer-to-peer networks (Tor, BitTorrent, WebRTC, …)

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are
The position will be located in the Human-Centered Computing section at Aalborg University, which conducts empirical and solution-oriented research on interactive computing technologies across individuals, organisations, and society. The PhD will be supervised by Dr. Florian Echtler, whose research centers around the intersection of ubiquitous computing, peer-to-peer networking, and security/privacy.

How to apply
Your application must include the following:
• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Interviews will be held in the second half of March 2026, either in person in Aalborg or optionally online.

Further information  
Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design
Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) 

Website

https://aau.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:895183/type:job/where:39/apply:1

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Aalborg Universitet

Country

Denmark

City

Aalborg

Geofield

City

Aalborg

Website

https://www.vacancies.aau.dk

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