Doctoral student in Risk and Safety of Heterogeneous Swarm Systems

Description of the workplace

The Department of Aviation and Aeronautical Sciences strives to be a leading center for aeronautics research, development, and education. The department operates a certified commercial flight school (ATO) and an authorized drone school (ADS) under the name of Lund University School of Aviation, Sweden's only state-run civilian flight school. The department’s research facilities are based at Campus Ljungbyhed, providing a unique setting that integrates research, development, and education with access to airport infrastructure, including a runway system and controlled airspace. We seek to understand, innovate, and advance aviation through collaborative efforts, making it more accessible, sustainable, and safe in the digital age. The research emphasizes three primary areas: sustainable aviation, unmanned aviation, and aviation safety, with safety being a central theme across all initiatives.

This doctoral student position is at the Department of Aviation and Aeronautical Sciences and will work at the intersection between unmanned aviation and aviation safety, as part of the Center for Heterogeneous Adaptive Swarm Systems (CHASS) funded by Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning* (SSF). CHASS includes three dual-use relevant large industrial partners (Saab, Sectra Communications and BAE Systems Hägglunds) and societal participation from the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI), the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF) and the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration (LFV).

The duty station is Ljungbyhed.

*More about SSF

Being a doctoral student

As a doctoral student, you are both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University.

As a doctoral student, you will be trained in a scientific approach. In short, you will be trained to think critically and analytically, to solve problems independently using the right methods, and to develop an awareness of research ethics. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work on projects, to develop your leadership and pedagogical skills. Throughout your studies, you will be guided by supervisors. Doctoral studies end with a thesis and a doctoral degree.

More about being a doctoral student at LTH on lth.se

Subject and project description

The research area is Risk and Safety of heterogeneous swarm systems.

The multi-disciplinary center for heterogeneous adaptive swarm systems, CHASS, is a national effort funded by the Swedish Strategic Research Foundation (SSF) to bring together leading researchers in AI, autonomous systems, robotics, and swarm intelligence to develop novel solutions for autonomous heterogeneous swarm systems for the benefit of Swedish industry and society. The vision is to make Sweden a leader in intelligent, adaptive, and trustworthy swarm systems by pioneering autonomous heterogeneous collectives of space, aerial, ground, surface, and underwater platforms that can operate as a unified intelligent entity with minimal human intervention. The research program focuses on six key themes: Drone Design, Adaptation, & Production; Perception, Sensing, & Communication; Autonomy, Localization, Mapping & Navigation; Coordination, Self-Governance, & Self-Improvement; Human Swarm Interaction; and Swarm-based Services & Socio-Technical Aspects.

CHASS is led by Linköping University and besides Lund University also includes Örebro University, each with CHASS-affiliated doctoral students, as well as a large number of industry and government stakeholders, providing a stimulating research environment. CHASS will drive world-class research in autonomous swarm systems through a strong, stimulating, and well-connected international research environment. Research outcomes will be validated in real-world scenarios with industry and public-sector partners. CHASS will also serve as a national hub for autonomous swarm systems, promoting education, knowledge sharing, innovation, and policy development.

The doctoral student position in this announcement will work within the theme of Swarm-based Services & Socio-Technical Aspects. It develops and evaluates risk assessment and safety management methodologies (for the phases before, during, and after operations) for heterogeneous swarms, including frameworks for risk assessment, adaptive capacity and control, and accountability and responsibility. The position will include interaction with other doctoral students and researchers within this theme, as well as the Human Swarm Interaction theme and the other technological development themes.

Work duties

You will primarily devote yourself to your doctoral programme, which includes participation in research projects as well as third cycle courses, seminars and conferences.

The work duties include:

• You will work in a multi-disciplinary research project focused on socio-technical aspects of control, risk, and safety of heterogeneous swarms resilience.
• You will likely combine qualitative (e.g. interviews) and quantitative (e.g. modelling, statistics) methods.
• You will travel in Sweden and abroad to interact with fellow researchers to collaborate and present research findings at scientific conferences.
• As parts of the research may be conducted in collaboration with defence-related organisations, a security screening will be carried out if applicable.
• The duties also include participation in teaching and other departmental work (however, a maximum of 20% of working hours).

Qualifications

To be eligible for admission and employment as a doctoral student, you must fulfil the requirements below.

Admission requirements

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Risk and Safety (TEVBRF11) if the applicant has:

• at least 90 credits in subjects of relevance to the field, including at least 60 second cycle credits, or
• a BSc in Fire Protection Engineering amounting to 210 credits.

Additional requirements

In order to complete the doctoral programme in question, the following are also required:

• good knowledge in risk, system safety, design, and governance of socio-technical systems in complex settings,
• good ability to take initiative and solve research challenges with drive, creativity, and persistence,
• good ability to work in a structured way in a collaborative and inter-disciplinary environment,
• good ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems,
• good written and oral communication skills,
• good ability to cooperate with other researchers and practitioners,
• very good knowledge of English, spoken and written.

Other qualifications

For the doctoral programme in question, the following are considered as meriting qualifications:

• knowledge of aeronautical engineering, human-computer interaction, human factors engineering, cognitive science, human control of AI, unmanned aviation, critical infrastructure resilience, interaction design, industrial design engineering, and related disciplines,
• skills and experience in modelling and simulation,
• skills and experience in relevant software and programming environments, such as Matlab, Python, C++, UAS communication protocols (MAVLink), ROS2, git.
• skills and experience in statistical analysis and quantitative research methods,
• skills and experience relating to relevant qualitative research methods, such as interviews,
• driving licence B,
• practical experience of operations in manned or unmanned aviation.

Consideration will also be given to how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme.

More about working at Lund University on lu.se

About the employment

The employment is afixed-term employment at full time, starting on 1 January 2027 or as agreed. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. In the case of teaching and other departmental duties, the employment is extended accordingly. Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

More about terms of employment for doctoral students on Lund University’s Staffpages

Other

The recruitment process will include interviews and your reflections on work samples. Interviews will be conducted either online or in person at Lund university.

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include:

• CV and a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the doctoral programme/employment and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background.
• Copies of issued study certificates and/or awarded degree certificates. These must confirm that you meet the general and specific admission requirements for the doctoral programme and show that you have the subject knowledge required for the doctoral programme project.
• Other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.)

We welcome your application.

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