Summary: KU Leuven is inviting applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship in the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), within the WaveCoRE research group. The project focuses on “Semantic-aware joint communication and sensing in distributed non-terrestrial networks” to advance real-time control, data exchange, and weather observation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and airborne sensors.
Overview of the Position
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Designation | PhD Researcher / PhD Scholarship |
| Host Institution | KU Leuven |
| Department / Group | Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), WaveCoRE (Networked Systems Team) |
| Research Area | Wireless Communications, Non-Terrestrial Networks, Semantic Communication & Sensing |
| Location | Leuven, Belgium |
| Funding Duration | Up to 4 years (with up to 1 year pre-doc support for non-EEA applicants) |
| Application Deadline | December 31, 2026 |
Research Area & Project Scope
As climate change intensifies weather severity, in-situ sensing at Earth’s low altitudes (ELA, ≤ 50 km) through rotary-wing and fixed-wing UAVs presents unprecedented opportunities to extend weather forecasting and monitoring. However, transferring massive data volumes under limited energy and bandwidth constraints poses a critical bottleneck.
This PhD project addresses these challenges across two main phases:
- Phase 1: Designing an ultra-efficient, semantic-aware distributed aerial network tailored for aerial node control. The work focuses on sending control semantics (e.g., stay, change, or continue path) rather than raw positional data, utilizing semantic-aware PHY-MAC cross-layer design for real-time M2M control.
- Phase 2: Seamlessly integrating sensing, computation, and communication functionalities to establish context-aware, self-organized aerial networks.
Scholarship Description & Benefits
KU Leuven offers a competitive doctoral fellowship package including:
- A PhD scholarship covering living allowance and research costs for up to four years (subject to positive intermediate evaluations).
- Up to 1 year of pre-doctoral support for eligible non-EEA candidates.
- A globally recognized PhD degree from KU Leuven, ranked #1 in Europe for scientific innovation.
- Access to state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities within the WaveCoRE research group.
- Funding to participate in international conferences, workshops, and high-impact European collaborative research projects.
Eligibility & Qualifications
Applicants must satisfy the following academic and technical criteria:
- Degree: A Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, or a closely related field.
- Academic Track Record: Ranked within the top 10% of your class in both BSc and MSc programs, with exceptional grades.
- Technical Background: Strong foundations in wireless communications, networking theory, and communication systems design.
- Desired Skills: Prior experience with AI-enabled signal processing and machine learning algorithms is considered a valuable asset.
- Language & Soft Skills: Fluent in English (both spoken and written), with strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively in an international team.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted exclusively through the official KU Leuven online application tool. Please note that applications sent via email will not be considered.
For inquiries regarding project specifics, candidates may reach out to:
- Prof. dr. ir. Hazem Sallouha: hazem.sallouha@kuleuven.be
- Prof. dr. Jona Beysens: jona.beysens@kuleuven.be
Important Dates & Apply Link
Last Date for Apply: December 31, 2026 (23:59 CET)
Official Application Link: Apply Online via KU Leuven Jobsite
