PhD in Agile and Resilient Communication and information management for Defence & Emergency

PhD in Agile and Resilient Communication and information management for Defence & Emergency

Jobbeskrivelse
The Department of Electronic Systems at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design invites applications for a PhD stipend in the field of agile and and resilient Communication and information management within the general study programme Wireless Communication; as per February 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

In electronic engineering, Aalborg University is known worldwide for its high academic quality and societal impact. The Department of Electronic Systems employs more than 200 people, of which about 90 are PhD students, and about 40 % of all employees are internationals. In total, it has more than 600 students in its BSc and MSc programs, which are based on AAU's problem-based learning model. The department leverages its unique research infrastructure and lab facilities to conduct world-leading fundamental and applied research within communication, networks, control systems, AI, sound, cyber security, and robotics. The department plays an active role in transferring inventions and results into applications in close collaboration with industrial partners worldwide. You can read more about the department at www.es.aau.dk.

Your work tasks
This Ph.D. project will mainly explore communication solutions based on a flying mesh network for use in battlefield or disaster zones, also known in the literature as FANET (Flying Ad-hoc Networks). The drone-based mesh network provides localized communication coverage and can potentially connect to a centralized C2 service via ground transceivers or satellite communications (Satcom).
As part of the project goals the project shall investigate:

• What physical air interface solutions are viable for the flying mesh network (FANET), e.g., aspects of range, data-rates, latency, cost, power consumption, and jamming resistance shall be considered.
• What routing protocols are viable for the mesh network, e.g. aspects of overhead, responsiveness to Mesh topology changes to be considered.
• What overall architecture to be applied for information storage and capture in the network, e.g. aspects of network load, resiliency, and security to be considered
• Interconnection between drone-based FANET mesh network and SatCom, e.g. aspects of the number of Satcom transceivers in the Drone network to obtain high level of resilience

Your competencies
To be able to lift the above-mentioned objectives, the Ph.D. candidate should have the following qualifications:

• A Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering or a related field.
• Strong background in mathematical modelling and simulation.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as MATLAB or Python.
• Knowledge of wireless communications systems including 5G and WiFi
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• possess the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance level of 'TIL TJENESTEBRUG' (NATORESTRICTED, RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED) or higher during the entire employment.

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design n accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are
The Research Group Dependable Wireless Communications focus on resilient and reliable real-time wireless communication technologies for a broad range of use cases including industry, defence and emergency. We offer:

• A fully funded Ph.D. position with a competitive salary and research budget.
  • Access to state-of-the-art facilities and simulation tools.
  • Opportunities to collaborate with leading experts in terrestrial and non-terrestrial network technologies.
  • Support for attending international conferences and workshops.
  • A dynamic and inclusive research environment.

Contacts

• Preben E. Mogensen: [email protected]
• Lisbeth Diinhoff: [email protected]

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish)

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here.

Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website.

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Project description: A 1-3 page project description is expected
• Other relevant documents

Ansøgningsfrist
28-01-2026

Ref. nummer
2026/49

Afdeling
Department of Electronic Systems