Call for  PhD student in AI tools for and computational models of child sensorimotor development

PhD position in infant sensorimotor development - CTU, Prague

We invite applications for a PhD position in the Humanoid and cognitive robotics group led by Assoc. Prof. Matej Hoffmann at the Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague.

Project context 

The position is part of the project “Understanding infant body know-how development through baby humanoid robots (ROBOTBABY)”. The PhD student will focus on embodied computational models (WP3 above) and/or the AI tools for developmental science (WP2 above). A compilation of our past work in this area is available here.

Requirements

• Master's (or equivalent) degree in computer science, mechanical/electrical engineering, robotics, applied mathematics, or a related discipline. 

• Background in the specific research topics of the project and thesis or prior publications in the area are an advantage. 

What we offer

• A PhD from a top-ranked European university (According to Computer Science rankings, CTU ranks 6th in Europe in computer vision, and 7th in robotics). 

• Salary: approx. 1,600 EUR / month net (2,050 EUR gross), with performance- and publication-based bonuses.

• A highly international and interdisciplinary group. 

• Access to baby humanoid robots (iCub, Pepper, Nao, and several robot arms with sensitive skin and robot hands) and simulators, motion capture facilities, and high-performance computing clusters.

Starting date:

January 1st, 2026 (flexible).

The standard PhD duration is 4 years. 

How to apply: 

Please send the following documents to matej.hoffmann@fel.cvut.cz with “PhD application” in the subject line. 

- Motivation letter (max. 1 page)

- CV (including contact details of two references)

Deadline: October 1, 2025.

If you are attending the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) in Prague (https://icdl2025.fel.cvut.cz/), feel free to approach Matej Hoffmann there.