PhD Position Foundation AI Models Distribution Systems Decision-Making

PhD Position:
Foundation AI Models for Distribution Systems Decision-Making

This four‑year doctoral appointment focuses on developing foundation AI models for decision‑making in power distribution systems. The PhD candidate will be jointly supervised by Dr. Pedro P. Vergara and Prof. Peter Palensky and will be a member of the Intelligent Electrical Power Grids group within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. The role includes both advanced research and teaching responsibilities.

• Conduct research on enabling foundation AI models for distribution network analysis, incorporating power systems physics and topology in variance.
• Develop novel machine‑learning architectures and algorithms for tasks such as power flow calculation, congestion management, and voltage control.
• Collaborate with industrial partners and interdisciplinary academics, integrating multimodal data sources into the research.
• Assist with teaching activities, including student supervision and laboratory work related to the subject area.

• Basic knowledge of power systems and machine learning/AI.
• Completed an MSc in a highly technical discipline (e.g., computer science, electrical engineering) with top academic performance.
• Strong analytical skills and a solid foundation in machine learning and/or operational research.
• Excellent oral and written communication in English (TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7.0 per sub‑skill is required).
• Experience with optimization methods and scheduling problems, and familiarity with optimization packages such as Pyomo.
• Programming experience in Python, machine‑learning libraries, command‑line tools, and version control.
• Independent, self‑motivated, and eager to conduct research and engage with real‑world challenges.
• Willingness to work with partners to translate real‑world challenges into fundamental research questions.

Doctoral candidates will receive a 4‑year employment period, structured in two contracts: an initial 1.5‑year contract with a progress assessment at 15 months, followed by a 2.5‑year contract contingent upon satisfactory performance. Salary ranges from €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month (first to fourth year) in accordance with the Dutch university collective labour agreement, plus an 8 % holiday allowance and an 8.3 % end‑of‑year bonus.

Benefits include flexible work schedules and standard university support for work‑cost contributions.