[info] PhD position in bio-inspired machine learning for audio @ Ghent University, Belgium

[Ignatius S. Condro Atmawan B.]

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Date:   Wed, 13 May 2026 08:49:13 +0000
From:   Sarah Verhulst <sarah.v...@UGENT.BE>

Dear List,

I am pleased to announce a fully funded PhD position at Ghent University
as part of the ERC project InSilicoEars. Please forward to interested
Msc students within your network.

https://www.ugent.be/en/work/scientific/doctoral-fellow-102
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With best regards,
Sarah


Last application date
     Jun 01, 2026 23:59
Department
     TW05 - Department of Information Technology
Degree
     Master’s degree in engineering sciences or informatics (biomedical
     engineering, computer science, information technology, electrical
     engineering, acoustics)
Occupancy rate
     100%
Vacancy type
     Research staff


     ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000
people, it is actively involved in education and research, management
and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on
a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the
area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering
state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range
of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff
and students.


     YOUR TASKS

The Hearing Technology Lab of iBME is recruiting a predoctoral
researcher in engineering for the European Research Council-funded
project InSilicoEars. This project aims to harness the unique properties
of human auditory processing to develop a new generation of personalized
audio solutions that perform robustly in complex, noisy environments.
InSilicoEars integrates state-of-the-art machine learning approaches in
audio signal processing, such as dCoNNear, with auditory neuroscience
data from both normal and impaired hearing. The goal is to build a
comprehensive suite of biophysical auditory system models that will
drive the development of next-generation, personalized, and bio-inspired
audio technologies.

Your role is to leverage biophysical auditory models within DNN-based
closed-loop systems to develop novel machine-learning approaches for
personalized and augmented hearing. You will refine these methods using
available neuroscience data and conduct rigorous objective and technical
evaluations, including benchmarking against relevant challenges. You
will also optimize computational performance to enable real-time
processing and develop hardware demonstrators. In addition, you will
design and conduct sound perception and listening experiments with human
participants to validate the proposed approaches. Supporting clinical
studies to assess the effectiveness of these technologies will form an
integral part of your responsibilities. Throughout these activities, you
will collaborate closely with other members of the InSilicoEars team,
including biomedical engineers and audiologists. The ultimate goal of
your research is to obtain doctoral degree at the faculty of Engineering
and Architecture from Ghent University.

The Hearing Technology Lab at Ghent University is led by Prof. Verhulst
and currently hosts a team of 10 researchers. The lab develops
pioneering, multi-method approaches to unravel the mechanisms of hearing
loss, build biophysically inspired auditory models, and apply innovative
machine learning techniques to advance next-generation audio processing.
The lab is equipped with 6–8 local GPUs, multiple CPU servers, and
extensive storage capacity, as well as access to UGent’s
high-performance computing clusters. Additional support is provided by
the SOUNDlab core facility, which offers soundproof booths and
integrated EEG and auditory perception setups. The team has a strong
track record in research valorization, translating scientific findings
toward clinical and market applications, with dedicated support from the
university’s technology transfer office. More information about the
project, the lab, and recent publications can be found here:
_https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101232287
<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=europa.eu&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9jb3JkaXMuZXVyb3BhLmV1L3Byb2plY3QvaWQvMTAxMjMyMjg3&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=OW84L0Z4Q3RvVjZEeXBnQ0kySGVudFNXVnNVbXRxdk9sbi9vVnNEM1F3UT0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_
_https://www.waves.ugent.be/hearing-technology
<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=ugent.be&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2F2ZXMudWdlbnQuYmUvaGVhcmluZy10ZWNobm9sb2d5&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=M1lkSk9vcklhYmNMNTNnMlBYc0w3T0c3aUVwbU5Nb3B3NXJqL3NEQ05LYz0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_
_https://www.ugent.be/ea/ibme/en/research/hearing-technology
<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=ugent.be&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudWdlbnQuYmUvZWEvaWJtZS9lbi9yZXNlYXJjaC9oZWFyaW5nLXRlY2hub2xvZ3k=&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=aDBteXQzYlprd1dSQjYzQjFtM2NWTlA0b1ZiZ0Fta1B4UnZlWlRYS3Q1RT0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_
_https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gm5wuzUAAAAJ&hl=nl
<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=google.com&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9zY2hvbGFyLmdvb2dsZS5jb20vY2l0YXRpb25zP3VzZXI9Z201d3V6VUFBQUFKJmhsPW5s&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=OWU5MzNYNE5wRDhzN2QrbTdQY2xHNFgwdzF1Tnh4L0hwS3FQOU1ybHR2QT0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_


     WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

   * You hold a master’s degree in engineering sciences or informatics
     (biomedical engineering, computer science, information technology,
     electrical engineering, acoustics).
   * You are an expert in digital signal processing (audio, biomedical)
     and have experience with machine-learning techniques for time-series
     and frequency-domain processing.
   * You have strong programming skills in signal processing (Python,
     MATLAB) and experience with machine learning (Keras, PyTorch).
     Knowledge of firmware programming languages (C/HDL) is a plus.
   * Prior experience with personalized audio signal processing is a plus.
   * You can work independently in problem solving, searching for the
     relevant background literature and in leveraging relevant existing
     techniques to reach your end goal.
   * You can communicate your research results to different audiences
     (team members, technical reports, research conferences) and work
     well in a team.
   * Good written and spoken English skills are required, as demonstrated
     by previously written technical reports and oral presentations.


     WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

   * We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an
     initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation,
     will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months. Funding for the
     full 48-month period is available through the ERC-InSilicoEars
     project, provided the positive evaluation at month 12.
   * Your contract will start on September 1st 2026 at the earliest.
   * The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in
     equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is
     determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status
     and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the
     regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal
     income tax. _Click here for more information about our salary scales

<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=ugent.be&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudWdlbnQuYmUvZW4vd29yay90YWxlbnQvd2VsY29taW5nLW5ldy1zdGFmZi9zYWxhcnlzY2FsZXM=&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=NWNEK3liQUpWVTMxcmFxcTdrR2ZxM1VXTXNMTkpMcGdiVGpJbTg3TzNTMD0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_
   * All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such
     as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of
     holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented
     by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers.
     _Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=ugent.be&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudWdlbnQuYmUvZW4vd29yay90YWxlbnQvY29uc2lkZXJpbmc=&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=TXF4c2pST0xYbUU5bk1kQkJNamgvaE1qMUtzYjloS3VBNm5pNHhheDBZTT0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_


     INTERESTED?

Send your cv, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), a
copy of your Msc thesis and a motivation letter including contact
information of two referees to _wave...@UGent.be
<mailto:waves...@UGent.be>_.

We do not accept late applications.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity
policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.


For more information about this vacancy, please contact Lien Tack
(_Lien...@UGent.be <mailto:Lien...@UGent.be>_).




*Sarah Verhulst*

Full Professor

Hearing Technology@WAVES

Dept. of Information Technology

Ghent University

T +32 9 33 14 844

T +32 9 264 33 21 (secretariaat)

Technology Campus, iGent, Technologiepark 126, 9052 Zwijnaarde (BE)


_www.waves.intec.ugent.be/hearing-technology
<https://eu-central-1.protection.sophos.com?d=ugent.be&u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXZlcy5pbnRlYy51Z2VudC5iZS9oZWFyaW5nLXRlY2hub2xvZ3k=&i=NjNkYjZkMGQ2ODBjNmUzMDExMDI5MjYy&t=cDQ5SlgvZHp4SlV2Q3dXVDNNUnBQTXBBR1hkeWZna0R6U3ppUTUrQkpXUT0=&h=a9d5f09631914b3c943d8d97f987fb5a&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVb3QyUEZGz4dBf3i9Q_1dyBp0Tu4lu_VbImw_XF9VMkFA>_

_www.gasp.ugent.be
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_www.github.com/hearingtechnology
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_www.earditech.com
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_@hearingtechlab_