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The University of Iceland is one of the country's largest employers. We rely on a diverse team of employees to provide quality education and conduct impactful academic research. We aim to foster a vibrant community, enhancing our position as a leading educational institution.

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PhD positions in Computational Engineering

Applications are invited for three full-time PhD student positions in the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science. The positions lie in the interdisciplinary field of data science applications and large-scale artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on leveraging high-performance computing (HPC). The positions are fully funded for three years and involve close collaboration between the University of Iceland, the Icelandic Meteorological Office, the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany), and other international institutions and companies active in this domain. The PhD student will be supervised by at least three professors with a long-standing, proven track record of research and community impact in the fields of HPC and AI, including selected application-domain experts (e.g., remote sensing, geophysics, volcanology, large language models, and natural language processing).The field of AI has entered an era of large-scale deep learning, moving away from narrow, task-specific models toward foundation models, general-purpose architectures designed to learn broadly and transfer knowledge across domains. These models are pre-trained on supercomputers using massive amounts of heterogeneous, often unlabeled data and self-supervised learning paradigms. In this project, the PhD student will investigate scaling laws, exploring how increases in model size, data volume, and computation affect learning and reasoning capabilities. The research will leverage state-of-the-art EuroHPC supercomputing infrastructure to co-develop and evaluate multimodal foundation models for addressing complex, real-world problems.The successful candidate will become an active member of one of the Simulation and Data Labs, which are part of the Icelandic HPC community. The PhD student will work closely with other PhD students in the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the university, our international research team, and other European partners (European Commission initiatives, SMEs, startups, industry, and public sector organizations) to turn AI research prototypes into production-grade services running on modern HPC and cloud-native infrastructure.Access to cutting-edge EuroHPC systems (e.g., JUPITER, LUMI, LEONARDO) will be provided to the PhD student, enabling them to become an active contributor to the broader EU AI Factory ecosystem of projects involving the European Digital Innovation Hub of Iceland (EDIH-IS), the EuroCC3 Icelandic National Competence Centre for HPC (NCC Iceland for HPC), and the AI Factory Antenna of Iceland (AIFA-ICE, known as Glóð in Iceland).

Field of work

Design, develop, and pre-train large-scale foundation models (e.g., Vision Transformers) using vast amounts of unlabeled data.
Apply advanced self-supervised learning techniques, such as masked autoencoding, to exploit data redundancy and improve model transferability.
Utilize large-scale distributed computing environments, including exascale HPC and supercomputing resources, to train models within realistic time frames.
Collaborate on international European research projects related to AI and high-performance computing (HPC).
Participate in and contribute to educational events such as courses, hackathons, and PhD retreats designed for researchers from diverse backgrounds.
Assist in preparing detailed and regular progress reports on the project's development.
Present research findings to stakeholders and the broader scientific community at meetings, conferences, and in peer-reviewed journals.
Interact with collaboration partners from SMEs, startups, and the public sector, and advise them on key findings, techniques, and methods using generative AI.

Qualification requirements

A master's degree in Computational Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related discipline. The applicant must have completed the degree by the time the position begins.
A strong background in deep learning, particularly in architectures such as Transformers and convolutional neural networks (CNNs)
Programming proficiency in Python and familiarity with deep learning frameworks
Experience of working collaboratively in an international research environment
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Good proficiency in English, both spoken and written
Experience with parallel computing environments such as HPC systems or cloud platforms is beneficial

Employment is contingent upon the applicant formally applying for PhD studies at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science at the University of Iceland and having the application approved by the faculty.

Application process

The PhD student position starts no later than the fall of 2026.

Applications should include:

Cover letter describing how the applicant meets the qualification requirements stated in the advertisement and what they can contribute to the position
A CV (stating relevant work experience, knowledge in computer programming, and a list of publications, if any)
Copies of university diplomas (BS and MS), course listings with grade information (in English)
One-page statement of research interests
Names and full contact information of two professional referees (including their relationship to the applicant)
TOEFL/IELTS or equivalent test results

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed about the appointment when a decision has been made. Applications are valid in the system for 6 months after the application deadline.

In hiring for positions at the University of Iceland, the University's equality policy is taken into account. Attention is also drawn to the University of Iceland's language policy.

Since 1911, the University of Iceland has been a leading institution for business and societal progress in Iceland. It is a forward-looking research university and an active participant in international scientific collaboration.

The University of Iceland is the largest university in the country, offering nearly 400 programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. Approximately 14,000 students are enrolled, including over 2,000 international students.

More than 1,800 staff members work at the University of Iceland. The university emphasizes attracting a diverse community of employees and students to an international academic environment, where academic freedom, professionalism, equality, diversity, and inclusion are prioritized.

About the University of Iceland

Schools, faculties and interdisciplinary studies

International Staff Services

Application deadline

Application deadline is 15.05.2026

For further information contact

Morris Riedel

morris@hi.is

Gabriele Cavallaro

gcavallaro@hi.is

Apply now

Ph.D. position in the project Hybrid membrane process for valuable metal recovery from geothermal water

A full-time PhD position is available at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Iceland. The position is funded by Rannís research fund for three years for the project Hybrid membrane process for valuable metal recovery from geothermal water.

Field of work

Developing innovative adsorption materials and membrane separation processes for recovery of valuable metals (for example, rubidium, lithium) from geothermal water
Examining hybrid membrane system performance
Performing economic analysis and life cycle assessment

Qualification requirements

Master's degree in environmental engineering, chemical engineering, or related disciplines. The applicant must have completed the degree by the time the position begins.
Experience in membrane technology or functional materials is an advantage.
Independent work capability and good communication skills.
Good skills in written and spoken English.

Employment is contingent upon the applicant formally applying for PhD studies at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iceland and having the application approved by the faculty.

Application process

The PhD student is expected to start work no late than 1st of January 2027.

The following documents must accompany the application:

Curriculum vitae
Cover letter describing how the applicant meets the qualification requirements stated in the advertisement and what they consider they can contribute to the position
Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts
Copy of TOEFL or IELTS documents
Contact information for two referees

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed of the outcome once a decision has been made. Applications may remain valid for six months after the application deadline.

In hiring for positions at the University of Iceland, the University's equality policy is taken into account. Attention is also drawn to the University of Iceland's language policy.

About the University of Iceland

Schools, faculties and interdisciplinary studies

International Staff Services

Application deadline

Application deadline is 15.05.2026

For further information contact

Bing Wu

wubing@hi.is

Apply now

PhD Position at the University of Iceland's School of Education: Physical Development and Performance

The University of Iceland invites applications for a fully funded three-year PhD position within the project:Breaking Barriers: A Longitudinal Study of Mental Health, Social Well-Being, Physical Development and Performance in Female Youth Soccer Players(Funded by the Icelandic Research Fund, Rannís). The project is part of the larger research initiative SKORA, led by the University of Iceland. SKORA is one of the few projects globally to examine the interaction between physical development, performance, and health in adolescent female athletes during puberty. This PhD project focuses on physical development, biological maturation, and performance in adolescent female soccer players. The PhD candidate will contribute to a longitudinal dataset that integrates physical performance testing (including strength, power, and endurance), body composition assessments (e.g., DXA), skeletal maturity evaluation, movement and load monitoring, as well as sleep, recovery, and injury registration. The main objective of the project is to investigate how biological maturation, body composition, sleep, and injury risk interact to influence physical performance and player development throughout adolescence. The PhD candidate will work on topics such as: Associations between skeletal maturity, physical performance, and body composition in early adolescence, longitudinal development of performance and player ranking (ages from 12 to 16 years old) and the interaction between maturation, sleep, injury risk, and performance trajectories. The candidate will join an interdisciplinary and international research team at the University of Iceland, including experts in sport science, public health, and youth development. The supervisory team consists of Dr. Rúna Stefánsdóttir (Principal Investigator), Dr. Vaka Rögnvaldsdóttir, and Dr. Ársæll Már Arnarson. The project is conducted in collaboration with international partners, including the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and Colorado State University.

Field of work

Participation in research work in collaboration with supervisors
Data collection and data analysis
Writing scholarly articles and disseminating research findings

Qualification requirements

A masters degree in sport science, exercise physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, or a related field
Knowledge of physical measurements and performance testing, such as strength, power, and endurance
Experience with data collection and working with physical or physiological data
Knowledge of quantitative research methods and statistics is desirable
Good English skills, both spoken and written
Experience in academic writing is an advantage
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Strong interpersonal and organizational skills

The selected candidate must be admitted to the PhD program at the University of Iceland. Appointment is contingent upon acceptance into the program.

Application process

It is desirable that the successful candidate be able to commence work as soon as possible.

The following documents shall accompany the application:

A statement in which the applicant describes how they meet the requirements of the position, why they are interested in working on the project, and their ideas regarding their contribution to the project (maximum of 2 pages)
Curriculum vitae
Certified copies of degree certificates
Contact information for two referees, including their relationship to the applicant, email address, and telephone number

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed of the outcome once a decision has been made. Applications may remain valid for six months after the application deadline.

In hiring for positions at the University of Iceland, the University`s equality policy is taken into account. Attention is also drawn to the University of Iceland`s language policy.

The University of Iceland is the largest university in the country, offering nearly 400 programs at the undergraduate, master`s, and doctoral levels. Approximately 14,000 students are enrolled, including over 2,000 international students.

More than 1,000 staff members work at the University of Iceland. The university emphasizes attracting a diverse community of employees and students to an international academic environment, where academic freedom, professionalism, equality, diversity, and inclusion are prioritized.

About the University of Iceland

Schools, faculties and interdisciplinary studies

International Staff Services