Doctoral student in Web and Emerging Applications Security

Join a world-leading research environment at the Chalmers Security and Privacy Lab and help shape the future of web, software, and AI security. As a doctoral student, you will contribute to cutting-edge cybersecurity research while working closely with internationally recognized researchers. This position offers an excellent opportunity to develop as an independent researcher and make an impact on secure and trustworthy digital systems.

Software is often the root cause of vulnerabilities in modern computing systems. We develop principled concepts and mechanisms to ensure robust security and privacy for software. You will be supervised by Prof. Andrei Sabelfeld (Wallenberg Scholar and recipient of awards from ERC, SSF, VR, WASP, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and OpenAI, as well as the Chalmers Doctoral Supervisor of the Year award).

About us

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, a joint department of Chalmers and the University of Gothenburg, spans the breadth of computing disciplines. Our internationally visible research, strong industry links and diverse environment create a collaborative setting where ideas grow into real impact.

At the division of Computing Science, we advance secure and trustworthy software and systems, spanning foundations, programming languages, tools and practical methods that help shape dependable digital infrastructures.

About the research project 

You will contribute to one of our research projects on Web and Emerging Applications Security. Our research tracks include:
• Web application crawling and security scanning (Black Widow, Black Ostrich, and Spider-Scents)
• Security and privacy of browser extensions (FakeX and CodeX)
• JavaScript server-side sandboxing (SandTrap)
• Data minimization in Trigger-Action Platforms (minTAP and LazyTAP)
• Security and privacy of agentic and AI-integrated systems (ongoing research area)

Promotional video of our research on securing web applications

Who we are looking for

The following requirements are mandatory:

• To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have a Master's degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (magisterexamen) of 60 credits* in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a closely related field
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• Documented research interest and/or achievements in cybersecurity and/or privacy
• Ability to work independently and analytically to solve complex research problems

*for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is accepted.

The following experience will strengthen your application:

• A Master's thesis or research-oriented project in language-based security, web security, or systems security
• Experience with program analysis, formal methods, or AI/LLM-based systems
• Publications, open-source security tools, or participation in security competitions (CTFs) and bug bounty programs

What you will do

• Take courses at an advanced level within the Graduate School of Computer Science and Engineering
• Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing
• The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 percent of working hours
• Conduct research within one of the tracks above
• Design, implement, and evaluate security analysis tools and prototypes, such as crawlers, scanners, sandboxes, data minimizers, and extension analyzers
• Publish and present results at cybersecurity venues

Contract terms

• The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from start.
• The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position up to five years.
• A starting salary of 35,725 SEK per month (valid from May 1, 2026).
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise the admission may be withdrawn.

What we offer

• As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about  working at Chalmers  and our benefits for employees.
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg.
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg.

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities.

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here. 

Application procedure

The application should be written in English and attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV

Personal letter

• A brief introduction about yourself and your track record.
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position.
• A brief description of your future goals and research focus.

Bachelor’s and, if available, master’s thesis together with the transcripts.

Documented evidence of relevant work, if available, such as (links to) research papers, project reports, and software repositories.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

A background check may be conducted as part of the application process.

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview.

We welcome your application no later than November 27, 2026.

For questions, please contact:

Professor Andrei Sabelfeld
andrei@chalmers.se

We look forward to your application!

*Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. * 

Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society.
Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.