PhD in Mutli-Agent Communication to Enhance Human Learning

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Organisation/Company NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department Department of Computer Science Research Field Computer science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Norway Final date to receive applications 12 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 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

This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with atechnical-scientific profile and a focusin professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

This PhD fellowship is part of the national AI Centre for the Empowerment of Human Learning (AI LEARN).

AI LEARN is a new Centre dedicated to the empowerment of human learning through responsible, human-centred artificial intelligence. In a world where AI systems are reshaping how we learn, work and participate in democracy, our centre tackles the promise and peril of hybrid intelligence—human and machine working and learning together. AI LEARN’s mission is to establish an internationally leading interdisciplinary hub that advances foundational research, responsible innovation, robust governance and broad capacity building.

This fellowship is associated with the third cluster of the centre, that focuses on Technological Advancement. The goal is to investigate how to evolve advanced, human-centered AI technology to empower human learning, including designing, developing and evaluating systems and models to enhance learning through AI technology.

The PhD fellow will engage with developing and evaluating models and agents, as well as, multi-agent networks that support the human learning and improving the learning outcomes. The AI agent development will focus on semi-autonomous interaction using single-shot/mutli-turn interaction. This includes training the models on pre-existing/collected data using Supervised/unsupervised fine tuning of the existing models (e.g., Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Low-Rank Adaptation, Direct Preference Optimization, Reinforcement Learning from Human/AI Feedback).

Moreover, they will employ extensive experiments in collaborating partners (schools, public and private sectors) and engage with the analysis of the collected data. This main goal of this particular PhD fellowship is to develop state-of-the-art multi-agent communication protocols and innovative educational technologies based on it. Further, in collaboration with a postdoc, the candidate should establish models, frameworks, and technologies to create interactive, and adaptive learning experiences, and evaluate these.

Duties of the position

The candidate will be a member of the Software Engineering research group.

The goal of this project is described above. We are seeking a highly motivated individual who wants to excel in a research environment. Part of the main duties and responsibilities include conducting the following tasks:

• Implement participatory activities with end-users and stakeholders (co-creation and participatory design workshops),
• Implement the necessary services and interfaces,
• Plan and conduct case studies,
• Collect and analyze empirical data,
• Write up reports and research articles,
• Attend international conferences,
• Organize dissemination and communication activities within the AI LEARN centre,
• Participate in the collaborative activities within the AI LEARN centre.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Require…