Program Overview

PhD in Agile and Resilient Communication and Information Management for Defence & Emergency

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 resilient Communication and information management within the general study programme Wireless Communication.

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).

Project Goals

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 Master's 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' (NATO RESTRICTED, 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 in 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.

About the Department

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.

What 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.

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

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

Further Information

Read more about our recruitment process here.

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.

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.

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).

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)

Aalborg University

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.