PhD Position Wireless Communications and Non-Terrestrial Networks NL, CD

Join TU Delft to help shape the future of wireless communication systems. Our research spans 6G, satellite communications, wireless sensing, and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), addressing fundamental challenges in reliable, resilient, and sustainable connectivity. You will join an international research environment that values scientific excellence, creativity, meaningful collaborations, and even makes room for good conversations over high-quality tea.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to cutting-edge research on next-generation wireless communication and sensing systems within several European research projects. Your research will address fundamental challenges in terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (TN/NTN), depending on the project you join.

You will work at the intersection of wireless communications, networking, embedded systems, and satellite technologies. Your research will contribute to the development of reliable, resilient, and sustainable communication infrastructures capable of supporting future global connectivity. You will join the Embedded Systems group within TU Delft’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS), an internationally recognized research group in wireless communications, embedded systems, and distributed intelligence.

Depending on your project, you will collaborate with leading universities, research institutes, satellite technology providers, and industrial partners across Europe, while working closely with an international team of PhD candidates and researchers. The position offers access to state-of-the-art SDR platforms, RF measurement equipment, satellite communication testbeds, and wireless experimentation facilities. You will have opportunities to publish at leading international conferences and journals, participate in European research collaborations, undertake international secondments where applicable, and benefit from TU Delft’s PhD training programme, technical courses, and professional development support.

The research topics in this call are at the forefront of wireless communications and satellite systems. As a result, you may feel that your background does not perfectly match the project. Please don’t let that discourage you. Very few PhD candidates start with all the knowledge they will eventually need. Curiosity, motivation, and a strong technical foundation are often much more important than prior experience in a specific research topic.

Our research is inherently interdisciplinary, but the common theme across all projects is wireless communication and sensing, with a particular interest in satellite communication systems and non-terrestrial networks (NTN).

We welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including:

• Electrical Engineering, particularly with a background in wireless communications, communication theory, signal processing, or RF systems.
• Aerospace Engineering, especially candidates with experience in LEO satellites, mega-constellations, orbital systems, or space systems, combined with an interest in communication networks.
• Applied Physics or Physics, particularly if you enjoy applying fundamental concepts to real-world engineering challenges.
• Computer Engineering or related disciplines, provided you have a strong interest in communication systems and networking.

If you have a solid technical background and are excited about future wireless and satellite communication systems, we encourage you to apply—even if you do not meet every item in the project description. We value candidates who are eager to learn, think creatively, and work across disciplinary boundaries.

• You hold an MSc degree in Electrical Engineering, Wireless Communications, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Physics, Physics, or a closely related discipline.
• You have a solid foundation in one or more of the following areas: wireless communications, signal processing, communication theory, networking, satellite systems, radar systems, or related fields.
• You are interested in future wireless communication systems, particularly terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (TN/NTN), and…