The SDU Adaptive Intelligence Lab (ADIN Lab) (https://adinlab.github.io/) located under the Data Science and Statistics Section of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMADA) at the University of Southern Denmark invites applications for a postdoctoral research fellowship position within the field of neuro-morphic reinforcement learning to be filled earliest by 1 October 2026 for a period of two years.

About the Project:
The successful candidate will advance the algorithmic and theoretical foundations of reinforcement learning applied to complex, high-dimensional dynamical systems. The project focuses on the intersection of deep reinforcement learning, probabilistic modeling, and bio-inspired architectures (such as Spiking Neural Networks) to achieve sample- and energy-efficient robust and adaptive control under uncertainty and non-stationarity. The postdoc will be responsible for proving theoretical guarantees (e.g., convergence, stability, or sample complexity) for control tasks in non-stationary environments with application to adaptive robotic systems and embodied AI, while translating these insights into scalable, high-fidelity simulation implementations.

Research Environment:
IMADA uniquely brings mathematicians and computer scientists together within a single department to foster theoretically well-backed, high-quality data science research. The department is home to numerous externally funded research projects, and the Data Science and Statistics Group serves as a vibrant synergy platform for experts across fields. The successful candidate will join the ADIN Lab, collaborate on publishing at top-tier venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AISTATS), and fulfill standard teaching assistantship duties.

Expected Skills and Qualifications:
We are seeking a candidate with a strong desire to make significant contributions to fundamental machine learning research, possessing a combination of mathematical maturity and advanced engineering skills:

• Education: A PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or Theoretical Physics at the time of employment.
• Publication Track Record: At least two first-author research papers at flagship venues of core machine learning research (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AISTATS).
• Theoretical Rigor: A deep understanding of reinforcement learning foundations, with the ability to perform convergence and finite-sample analysis of complex, non-linear continuous control algorithms.
• Implementation Expertise: Outstanding scientific programming skills (Python, PyTorch/JAX) with a proven track record of developing, debugging, and scaling complex RL pipelines or custom simulation environments. Clean public repositories or released source code from past publications is a strong plus.
• Algorithmic Breadth: Familiarity with probabilistic machine learning, distributional reinforcement learning, or bio-inspired neural architectures is highly desirable.
• Communication: Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English.

Place of work:
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science is located at the main campus of the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. The University of Southern Denmark was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3,800 employees, and 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, the third largest city in Denmark. Odense provides family-friendly living conditions with the perfect combination of a historic city centre with an urban feel and yet a close proximity to beaches and recreational areas. Its location on the beautiful island of Funen is ideal with easy access by train or highway to the bigger cities of Aarhus and Copenhagen. As the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark’s famous fairytale author, the city is home to a vibrant and creative population that hosts numerous festivals and markets throughout the year.

For further questions about the position please contact Prof. Melih Kandemir on [email protected].

Application, salary etc.
The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Please check links for more information on salary(only available in Danish) and taxation.

The application must include the following:

• A curriculum vitae including information on previous employment with start and end dates
• A full list of publications stating the scientific publications on which the applicant wishes to rely
• Copy of PhD diploma, if Phd diploma has not yet been received, please include statement from your supervisor

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.
Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

To qualify you must have passed a PhD or equivalent. Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply now". Attached files must be in Adobe PDF format. We strongly recommend that you read How to apply for a position at SDU before you apply.
If you experience technical problems, please contact [email protected]

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark.

About SDU
The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.

Location
Odense M, Denmark

Apply Before
2026-08-31T21:59:00+00:00