<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle22
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-GB" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">The COgNiTive Architectures for Collaborative Technologies (CONTACT) unit of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is offering
<b>1 PhD position</b> on the development of <b>next-generation cognitive architectures for social robots</b>. We are looking for motivated candidates interested in advancing
<b>adaptive, human-aware, and experience-driven robotic intelligence</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">The PhD position can be assigned on one of the following PhD Themes:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">> Experience-driven Cognitive Architectures for Lifelong Social Robots</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos"><br>
Develop architectures enabling robots (e.g., iCub, AlterEgo, UR5) to <b>learn continuously from embodied interaction</b>, build long-term knowledge, and acquire autonomous, adaptive behaviour over time (e.g., memory systems, action–effect learning, social understanding).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">> Adaptation in Cognitive Architectures for Human–Robot Interaction</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos"><br>
Design systems allowing robots to <b>adapt to individual users</b>, modelling both stable traits (e.g., expertise) and dynamic factors (e.g., context, affect, interaction history) to enable
<b>personalized, flexible social interaction</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">Both themes involve designing and validating novel software modules bridging
<b>cognitive science and robotics</b>, with real-world experimental evaluation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">Requirements:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos"> Background in Robotics, Computer Science, Bioengineering, Cognitive
Science or related fields; strong problem-solving and time-management skills; Python/C++; ML/DL is a plus.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span lang="IT" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">Tutors:</span></b><span lang="IT" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos"> Dr. Alessandra Sciutti, Dr. Francesco Rea, Dr. Dario
Pasquali, Prof. Giulio Sandini<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">Contacts</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">:
<a href="mailto:francesco.rea@iit.it"><span style="color:windowtext">francesco.rea@iit.it</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:alessandra.sciutti@iit.it"><span style="color:windowtext">alessandra.sciutti@iit.it</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:dario.pasquali@iit.it"><span style="color:windowtext">dario.pasquali@iit.it</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:giulio.sandini@iit.it"><span style="color:windowtext">giulio.sandini@iit.it</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">Application Deadline</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">: 9<sup>th</sup> of July 2026<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">For more information</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">:
<a href="https://biorob.phd.unige.it/sites/biorob.phd.unige.it/files/2026-06/PhD%20themes%2042_COGNITIVE.pdf" title="https://biorob.phd.unige.it/sites/biorob.phd.unige.it/files/2026-06/PhD%20themes%2042_COGNITIVE.pdf">
<span style="color:windowtext">https://biorob.phd.unige.it/sites/biorob.phd.unige.it/files/2026-06/PhD%20themes%2042_COGNITIVE.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">How to apply</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">:
<a href="https://biorob.phd.unige.it/how-to-apply" title="https://biorob.phd.unige.it/how-to-apply">
<span style="color:windowtext">https://biorob.phd.unige.it/how-to-apply</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos">Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the tutors before applying.</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>