PhD student in Computing Science with focus on Computer Security

Organisation/Company

Umeå universitet

Department

Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology

Research Field

Computer science

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

15 Feb 2026 - 22:59 (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

To our institution, which conducts research at the highest international level and offers several high-quality educational programs in Computing Science, we are now seeking a PhD student with a focus on Computer Security.

The Department of Computing Science has been growing rapidly in recent years, with a focus on creating an inclusive and bottom-up driven research environment.  Our workplace consists of a diverse set of people from different nationalities, backgrounds and fields. As a PhD student working with us, you receive the benefits of support in career development, networking, administrative and technical support functions, along with good employment conditions. More information about the department is available at: Department-of-Computing-Science

Project description
Our societies rely on computer systems and on software stacks. Unfortunately, software systems contain bugs and vulnerabilities which can be exploited by malicious actors. This project will be conducted in the Software Engineering and Security (SES) group. The student will conduct an in-depth investigation of a class of vulnerabilities and devise static and/or dynamic approaches to detect them in the code or prevent their execution at runtime. The focus will be on a fuzzing approach in a Java/Android environment.

Keywords for this project: code analysis, static analysis, reverse engineering, defense mechanisms, vulnerability detection, exploit mitigation techniques, scalability, software systems, software quality, malware, computer security, fuzzing, software testing.

The project is funded by WASP.

Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) is Sweden’s largest individual research program ever, a major national initiative for strategically motivated basic research, education and faculty recruitment. The program addresses research on artificial intelligence and autonomous systems acting in collaboration with humans, adapting to their environment through sensors, information and knowledge, and forming intelligent systems-of-systems. The vision of WASP is excellent research and competence in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software for the benefit of Swedish society and industry. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/

The graduate school within WASP is dedicated to provide the skills needed to analyze, develop, and contribute to the interdisciplinary area of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software. Through an ambitious program with research visits, partner universities, and visiting lecturers, the graduate school actively supports forming a strong multi-disciplinary and international professional network between PhD-students, researchers and industry. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/graduate-school/

Requirements
The general admission requirements for doctoral studies are a second- cycle level degree, or completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits are at second-cycle level, or have an equivalent education from abroad, or equivalent qualifications.

To be admitted to doctoral studies in the field of computing science, the applicant must have completed courses totaling at least 90 higher education credits in computing science or in subjects directly relevant to the specific specialization.

Candidates are expected to have a genuine interest in computer security, a very good knowledge in programming (such as in C, Java or Python) and an in-depth understanding of computer systems (assembly code, compilers). Important personal qualities are the ability to work in a team, communicate with colleagues, be disciplined, curious and creative.

About the position
The position provides you with the opportunity to pursue PhD studies in Computing Science for four years, with the goal of achieving the degree of Doctor in Computing Science. While the position is mainly devoted to PhD studies (at least 80% of the time), it may include up to 20% department service (usually teaching). If so, the total time for the position is extended accordingly, resulting in a maximum of five years.

Wage placement takes place according to the established salary ladder for doctoral student employment. According to the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 12, Section 2), the decision on employment cannot be appealed.

The expected starting date is April 1st, 2026 or as otherwise agreed.

Application
Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University.

A complete application should contain the following documents:

• A cover letter including a description of your research interests, your reasons to apply for the position, and your contact information
• A curriculum vitae
• Reprints / copies of completed BSc and/or MSc theses and other relevant publications, if any
• Copies of degree certificates, including documentation of completed academic courses and obtained grades
• Documentation and description of other relevant experiences or competences.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. Attached documents must be in pdf format. Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University, and be received no later than February 15, 2026.

The Department of Computing Science values gender diversity, and therefore particularly encourages women and those outside the gender binary to apply for the position.

For additional information, please contact Prof. Alexandre Bartel (alexandre.bartel@cs.umu.se)

Welcome with your application! 

Website

https://umu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:894160/type:job/where:39/apply:1

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Umeå universitet

Country

Sweden

City

Umeå

Geofield

City

Umeå

Website

http://www.umu.se/english/about-umu/open-positions?languageId=1

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