[Jobs] PhD Position in Open-World Robot Learning at University of Freiburg & ELLIS Unit Freiburg, Germany

[Abhinav Valada]

PhD Position in Open-World Robot Learning

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to join the Robot Learning Lab at the University of Freiburg and the ELLIS Unit Freiburg.

The position focuses on developing the next generation of intelligent robots that can learn, reason, and act robustly in the open world. We are particularly interested in methods that move beyond fixed tasks, closed training distributions, and static environments toward robots that can generalize, adapt, and improve through interaction. The candidate will work at the intersection of robot learning, world models, reinforcement learning, and mobile manipulation, with a strong emphasis on real-world robotic systems.

Research Directions

• Mobile Manipulation and Loco-Manipulation: Developing learning-based methods for coordinated locomotion and manipulation that enable robots to perform complex, long-horizon tasks in dynamic, cluttered, and previously unseen environments.
• Continual and Lifelong Adaptation: Enabling robots to learn throughout deployment, integrate new experiences, adapt to changing environments and tasks, and retain previously acquired knowledge without catastrophic forgetting.
• Generalizable World Models: Learning predictive models of geometry, semantics, dynamics, and affordances that support reasoning, planning, and interaction in novel environments.
• Foundation Models for Embodied Intelligence: Building multimodal robot learning models, including vision-language-action models, that combine vision, language, action, and memory, supporting transfer across tasks and adaptation to new situations.
• Open-World Decision Making and Policy Learning: Advancing reinforcement learning methods for long-horizon and hierarchical decision making and online policy adaptation, to enable robust robot behavior in the open world.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking candidates with:

• A Master’s degree in computer science, robotics, machine learning, computer vision, or a related field
• Strong background in robotics and machine learning
• Excellent programming skills in Python and experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch
• Strong interest in developing learning algorithms that ultimately operate on real robotic systems
• Excellent written and spoken English

Experience with C++, ROS2, robotic manipulation, reinforcement learning, vision-language models, or physics simulators such as Isaac Sim is a plus. We expect outstanding qualifications, strong scientific curiosity, the motivation to obtain a doctoral degree, and an interest in conducting independent research in an interdisciplinary environment. The successful candidate will contribute to ongoing research projects while developing their own research agenda. International candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Knowledge of German is not required. Women and candidates from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

About the Lab

The Robot Learning Lab is part of the ELLIS Unit Freiburg, the Department of Computer Science, and the BrainLinks-BrainTools Center at the University of Freiburg. Our research spans robot learning, embodied AI, perception, world models, decision making, and mobile manipulation. The lab provides access to a broad range of robotic platforms, including mobile manipulators, humanoid and legged robots, mobile service robots, UAVs, and autonomous vehicles, together with state-of-the-art GPU computing infrastructure. We offer an ambitious and highly international research environment with close interaction across robotics, machine learning, computer vision, and AI.

About Freiburg

Freiburg is one of Germany’s most attractive university cities, located at the edge of the Black Forest and at the heart of a major European research and technology region. It combines an internationally renowned university, a vibrant research community, and an exceptionally high quality of life.

How to Apply

Please send the following materials to rl-a...@cs.uni-freiburg.de:

• CV
• Motivation and research statement, highlighting which of the research directions above interests you most
• Unofficial transcripts
• Contact details of referees

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until filled.

If you are excited about building robots that can generalize beyond their training, continually adapt, and autonomously operate in the open world, we would be excited to hear from you.

Best Regards,

Abhinav Valada

-- 
Prof. Dr. Abhinav Valada
Professor
Director of the Robot Learning Lab

Department of Computer Science
University of Freiburg
Georges-Köhler-Allee 80
D-79110 Freiburg, Germany

office  : +49 761 203-8025
web     : http://rl.uni-freiburg.de