The group is regularly looking for new members. Our focus is on Computer Systems research: We value the production of prototypes and their evaluation on real hardware. Strong programming skills and the use of modern software tools (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes, Git, etc.) and cloud programming paradigms are therefore particularly important.
There can be open positions for funded projects, detailed below. In addition, Prof Etienne Rivière can support you in obtaining your own funding through one of the scholarships available at the Belgian and European levels.
Masters students from UCLouvain can choose to do their Masters thesis in the group. This is probably the best option to follow up with a PhD if your grades and performance in the Masters thesis are sufficiently high.
We are currently looking for a post-doctoral researcher, to work on distributed runtimes, software engineering, and autonomous adaptation for applications across the cloud/edge continuum, in the context of the RAINDROP project. See description for details.
If you are interested in joining the group as a PhD student, in addition to funded positions above a number of scholarship programs are available at the Belgian level, open to candidates from Belgium and the world. These fellowships target exceptional students (read: a very good research-oriented Masters thesis and grades placing you in the top-tier of your Masters. A publication on the Masters thesis can be a plus but it is not a requirement). Possibilities include FNRS Aspirants fellowships (deadline typically on Q1 of each year) and FNRS FRIA fellowships (deadline typically end of summer every year, with interviews early Fall).
Other possibilities exist in cooperation with Belgian companies in Wallonia and in the Brussels-capital region. These PhD programs target more applied research in cooperation with a company.
Finally, the ICTEAM/INGI (Computer Science and Engineering) department at UCLouvain/ICTEAM regularly (every year, end of Spring) offers Teaching Assistant positions (TA). A TA position involves teaching activities for 2 courses per semester (typically, helping with practical sessions and exercises). The command of French (even if as a secondary language) is a plus for these positions. The 2022 call for these positions is open with a deadline of May 23rd.
The duration of a PhD thesis in Belgium is 4 years, with a mid-thesis defense determining the continuation of the fellowship. TAs may be allowed a longer duration if necessary, to account for the additional load of teaching activities.
If you are interested in applying for any of these PhD fellowships, contact Prof Etienne Rivière to discuss common interests and help you shape a PhD topic. If there is mutual interest and your profile matches the requirements of funding agencies, the group can offer up to 12 months of employment and cover your research costs to help you prepare your (re)application under the best conditions.
Excellent candidates holding a PhD in Computer Science are encouraged to apply to a personal fellowship to start their career as independent researchers in the group, where they will be able to collaborate with its members and develop their own research agenda.
Fellowships for post-doctoral researchers exist at the Belgian and European levels. The FNRS Research fellowship offers up to 3 years of funding (competitive salary and research costs). The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual fellowships is another prestigious source of funding at the European level, targeting promising young researchers.
Contact Prof Etienne Rivière sufficiently ahead of your application. We will be happy to assist you in shaping a successful proposal and increasing the chances of being funded.
The group offers a number of Masters thesis (TFE) topics every year. These are announced around the end of March. UCLouvain students interested in the thematics of the group are welcome to come and discuss before this, in order to shape a personal topic, or discuss the ones already proposed.
We are happy to welcome students from other institutions for research visits, when there is a mutual research interest with your home group or university. Funding is not guaranteed to cover subsistence costs, but we can offer help in securing these should a possibility exist in your home institution. For Master students, we will take into consideration only very good applications (very good grades and a personal recommendation by a recognized professor or industry representative).