Postdoctoral Research Position in Differential Geometry and Control for Safe and Adaptive Gener[...]

***This opportunity is located in Turin, Italy***

Ever wondered whether generative models could reason about the world with the rigor of a geometer and the reliability of a control theorist? We do.

The PHI lab is looking for a creative and highly motivated Postdoc/Research Scientist to help us design the next generation of safe, adaptive, and explainable generative models for robotics . We aim to go beyond performance scaling and instead embed differential geometry and control theory directly into the foundations of generative AI.

Generative models like diffusion, flow matching or Schrödinger bridges are revolutionizing how we understand the perception-action loop in robotics. Of course, we want robots to perform under unseen settings in a safe, reliable and robust way (we need to trust them!). So, our idea is to use tools of differential geometry , control theory and optimal transport for uncertainty quantification and safety guarantees of generative models for controlled generalization under uncertain settings. But we will not stop there, we will combine these theoretically grounded tools with reinforcement learning and optimal control to adapt and fine-tune generative models. We will explore many underlying geometric connections among these methods.

You will play a central role in shaping how generative models are designed, understood, and deployed in real-world robotic systems.

Deadline : March 27, 2026, 11:59 PM CET.

What You'll Get To Work On

• Safe generative models: Leverage differential geometry, optimal transport, and control theory to design safety guarantees for generative models.
• Explainability for generative models: Introduce physical, geometric, and control inductive bias in generative models for uncertainty quantification, and controlled generalization.
• Adaptation and fine-tuning: Design novel adaptation and fine-tuning techniques for generative models based on reinforcement learning and optimal control.

Where are you going to apply your cool research? We are considering the following applications (among many others)

• Single or dual-arm robotic manipulation for smart factories
• Next-gen digital twins and world models for robotics

This Role Is Probably For You If

• You hold a PhD in AI, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• A strong passion to design theoretically solid and deployable generative models using differential geometry and control theory.
• You have solid experience with at least two of the following areas: applied differential geometry, control theory, optimal transport, reinforcement learning and generative models (e.g., diffusion or flow matching)
• You have hands-on experience on Python and simulated/real robotics experiments (using e.g. ROS2, Mujoco, Isaac).
• You have a strong publication record in top-tier venues (ICML, NeurIPS, ICLR, CoRL, RSS, T-RO, IJRR, etc.).

If you're passionate about building principled, impactful physical AI and want to see your work come to life in the physical world, we’d love to chat.

Sound like fun? Apply now and let's build the future together!

What We Offer

A highly collaborative research environment

You will join a team of researchers and engineers who are passionate about AI, robotics, physics, and mathematics. We foster collaboration, bold ideas, and intellectual growth.

High-impact research opportunities

You will publish and lead cutting‑edge research, targeting top‑tier conferences and journals such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CoRL, R:SS, IJRR, and IEEE T-RO.

Strong academic and industrial network

Through collaborations with leading universities, research institutes, and industry partners, you will expand your professional network and engage in joint research initiatives.

Access to advanced infrastructure

You will have access to high‑performance computing (HPC) resources and state‑of‑the‑art robotics platforms to validate your ideas in simulation and real‑world settings.

Professional development and mobility

We provide travel support for conferences, workshops, summer schools, and international research visits.

Competitive Compensation

We offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience.

You’ll have access to state‑of‑the‑art high‑performance computing infrastructure and GPU clusters essential for conducting cutting‑edge AI, software engineering, and security research.

Researchers relocating from abroad may be eligible for tax exemptions of up to 90%.

Start Date

Flexible – as soon as possible.

Application Requirements

• Cover letter describing how your profile fits this specific position and outlining your professional goals and proposed research direction within this topic.
• CV including publications and an open‑source project portfolio.

About Us

The Italian Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI4I) was founded as a research institute to perform transformative, application‑oriented research in Artificial Intelligence, driving innovation and industrial progress. The Institute is designed to engage and empower gifted, entrepreneurial, and ambitious researchers who are committed to generating real‑world impact at the intersection of science, technology, and industrial transformation.

Competitive salaries, performance‑based incentives, access to dedicated high‑performance computing resources, state‑of‑the‑art laboratories, and strong industrial collaborations are among the distinctive features that define AI4I. The Institute fosters a dynamic international environment and an ecosystem that supports the creation and growth of innovative startups.

AI4I’s mission is to advance scientific research, technology transfer, and, more broadly, Italy’s innovation capacity, promoting positive impact across industry, services, and public administration. To achieve this, the Institute contributes to building a research and innovation infrastructure that leverages AI methods, with a special focus on manufacturing processes and the broader Industry 4.0 value chain.

AI4I also maintains strategic relationships with leading organizations in Italy and abroad, including Competence Centers and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), positioning itself as an attractive destination for researchers, companies, and startups seeking collaboration and impact.