Assistant Professor in Advanced Autonomous Flight Control

Job description

Autonomous aerial systems are rapidly transforming sectors such as infrastructure inspection, offshore operations, logistics and construction. While today's drones often rely on human operators or waypoint-based navigation, tomorrow's aircraft will increasingly perform complex missions independently, collaborate with other vehicles and safely operate in dynamic, uncertain environments. At the same time, drones provide an ideal platform for rapidly developing and validating advanced flight control concepts that can ultimately be transferred to larger uncrewed and crewed aircraft.

As Assistant Professor in Advanced Autonomous Flight Control, you will join the Control and Operations department within the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology. You will establish a distinctive research programme focused on the transition from direct human or waypoint-based drone control towards smooth, continuous and autonomous aircraft operations in challenging single- and multi-drone scenarios. Your research will address the development of advanced control methods for agile, robust and resilient flight, enabling both individual and cooperative aerial systems to operate safely and efficiently.

Possible research directions include advanced flight control, model predictive control, nonlinear control, fault-tolerant control, cooperative control and aerial manipulation. You will combine theoretical developments with experimental validation using TU Delft's outstanding research infrastructure, including advanced drone facilities and our unique crewed flying laboratories, such as the Cessna Citation and Piper Skymaster.

You will build and lead your own research line by supervising MSc, PhD and postdoctoral researchers, attracting competitive research funding and developing collaborations with leading academic, industrial and governmental partners. Through your work, you will strengthen the faculty's internationally recognised position in autonomous aerial systems while contributing to safer, more efficient and more capable autonomous aircraft.

Education is an integral part of this position. You will teach and further develop BSc and MSc courses in Aerospace Engineering, particularly in flight dynamics and flight control. You will supervise student projects and theses and inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers to develop the autonomous aircraft technologies of the future.

You will become part of the internationally diverse and collaborative Control and Operations department, where you will work closely with experts in flight dynamics, guidance, navigation and control, robotics, artificial intelligence, sensing and experimental aerospace systems. This multidisciplinary environment offers excellent opportunities to build impactful collaborations, establish an internationally recognised research programme and contribute to world-class education and research.

Job requirements

• You hold a PhD in aerospace control, control engineering or a closely related field.
• You have demonstrated expertise in developing advanced flight control methods and validating them experimentally using drone platforms.
• You have experience with both low-level flight control and multi-robot or cooperative control systems.
• You enjoy combining theoretical research with hands-on experimentation using state-of-the-art research facilities, such as drone flight arenas, wind tunnels or crewed flying laboratories.
• You have an emerging or established research profile, demonstrated through high-quality scientific publications and strong research potential.
• You have the ambition and ability to attract competitive research funding and develop national and international collaborations.
• You are passionate about teaching and mentoring students and enjoy supervising MSc, PhD and postdoctoral researchers.
• You have excellent communication skills, thrive in collaborative and inclusive environments, possess an excellent command of English and are willing to learn Dutch within a reasonable timeframe.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.

Faculty Aerospace Engineering
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.

When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace, assisted by an active Diversity & Inclusion team. This includes tangible support such as funding for extra personnel for family and caregiving responsibilities, mentoring programmes, and initiatives that promote cultural exchange and integration.

You don’t just join our faculty — you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Onderzoeker landgebruik en klimaat (LULUCF)

Ben jij een breed geïnteresseerde onderzoeker met een universitaire opleiding en een sterke interesse in duurzaamheid, klimaat en vraagstukken rond landgebruik of bosbeheer? Heb je ervaring met onderzoek naar de effecten van landgebruik, verandering van landgebruik en bosbouw op broeikasgasemissies en CO₂-vastlegging? Ben je gemotiveerd om bij te dragen aan wetenschappelijk onderbouwde klimaatrapportages en beleidsondersteuning op nationaal en Europees niveau? Dan zijn wij op zoek naar jou!

Voor het team Sustainable Forest Ecosystems (SFE) van Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR) zoeken wij een gemotiveerde LULUCF onderzoeker die bijdraagt aan het monitoren en rapporteren van broeikasgasemissies en -vastlegging voor de sector landgebruik, verandering van landgebruik en bosbouw (LULUCF). In deze functie werk je aan actuele en beleidsrelevante vraagstukken op het gebied van klimaatmitigatie, veranderingen in koolstofvoorraden, monitoring van landgebruik en duurzaam bos- en landbeheer.

Binnen WENR ontwikkelen en gebruiken we geografisch expliciete instrumenten, waaronder modellen en monitoringsmethoden, om de effecten van beheer en veranderingen in landgebruik te bepalen voor bossen, akkerland, graslanden, wetlands, bebouwd gebied en andere landgebruikscategorieën. Jouw werk draagt direct bij aan internationale (VN Klimaatverdrag, Akkoord van Parijs, EU) en nationale rapportages, en aan Nederlands en Europees klimaatbeleid - op dit moment onder meer aan de ontwikkeling van methodologieën voor het certificeren van koolstofvastlegging in bossen, veengebieden en landbouwbodems (carbon farming).

Je werkt nauw samen met collega's bij WENR, Wageningen University & Research en andere nationale en internationale onderzoeksinstituten. Samen breng je de kennis, gegevens en instrumenten bijeen die nodig zijn voor hoogwaardige rapportage binnen de internationale en nationale klimaatkaders.

Wat ga je doen?

• Nationale broeikasgasinventarisatie en -ramingen: Je helpt bij het opstellen van de nationale broeikasgasinventarisatie voor de LULUCF-sector in Nederland en draagt bij aan de ramingen van effecten van beleid en maatregelen in de jaarlijkse Klimaat- en Energieverkenning (KEV).
• Methodologieontwikkeling: Je helpt methodologieën te verbeteren voor het berekenen van veranderingen in koolstofvoorraden richting hogere Tier-niveaus volgens de IPCC-richtlijnen en draagt bij aan de verdere ontwikkeling van geografisch expliciete benaderingen, modellen en monitoringinstrumenten voor landgebruikscategorieën binnen de LULUCF-sector.
• Data en kwaliteitsborging: Je brengt de benodigde gegevens bijeen, levert deze aan in het juiste format en bent verantwoordelijk voor de QA/QC van de gegevens die ten grondslag liggen aan de inventarisatie.
• Rapportage en beleidsondersteuning: Je vertaalt wetenschappelijke resultaten naar heldere rapporten, datasets en adviezen die het Nederlandse en Europese klimaatbeleid ondersteunen.
• Samenwerking en kennisintegratie: Je werkt nauw samen met experts op het gebied van bossen, landgebruik, bodems, ecologie en klimaat, zowel binnen Wageningen Environmental Research als met externe Europese partners, bijvoorbeeld in het Horizon-project NextGenCarbon met een focus op de rol van Europese bossen in de broeikasgasbalans.
• Netwerken en acquisitie van projecten: Je draagt bij aan het verwerven van nieuw, extern gefinancierd onderzoek op het gebied van LULUCF, klimaatmitigatie, koolstofboekhouding en monitoring van landgebruik.

Hier ga je werken
Je komt te werken in het SFE-team van WENR op de Wageningen Campus van Wageningen University & Research, waarbij je intensief samenwerkt met collega's in andere WENR-teams en met onderzoekers bij nationale en internationale instituten. Je maakt deel uit van een enthousiast team van ongeveer 30 collega's die zich vanuit een ecologisch perspectief bezighouden met het behoud, herstel, de ontwikkeling en het duurzaam gebruik van bomen en bossen – waarbij we onderzoeken hoe beleid, beheer en klimaat ecologische processen vormgeven, en wat dit betekent voor klimaatmitigatie, behoud en herstel van biodiversiteit en het leveren van ecosysteemdiensten. Het is een stimulerende omgeving die hoogwaardige expertise combineert met jeugdig enthousiasme. Benieuwd naar het team waar je deel van zou uitmaken?

Researcher Land use and climate (LULUCF)

Are you a broadly interested researcher with a university degree and a strong interest in sustainability, climate and land-use or forestry issues? Do you have experience with researching the effects of land use, land-use change and forestry on greenhouse gas emissions and CO₂ removals? Are you motivated to contribute to science-based climate reporting and policy support at national and European level? Then we are looking for you!

For the Sustainable Forest Ecosystems (SFE) team at Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR), we are seeking a motivated LULUCF researcher who will contribute to monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and removals for the land-use, land-use change and forestry sector. In this position, you will work on current and policy-relevant questions related to climate mitigation, carbon stock changes, land-use monitoring and sustainable forest and land management.

Within WENR we develop and apply geographically explicit instruments, including models and monitoring approaches, to determine the effects of management and land-use change across forests, cropland, grasslands, wetlands, settlements and other land-use categories. Your work directly contributes to international (Climate Convention, Paris Agreement, EU) and national reporting, and to Dutch and European climate policy, including, at present, the development of methodologies for certifying carbon removals in forests, peatlands and agricultural soils (carbon farming).

You will collaborate closely with colleagues at WENR, Wageningen University & Research and other national and international research institutes. Together, you will bring together the knowledge, data and tools needed for high-quality reporting under the international and national climate frameworks.

What will you do?

• National GHG inventory and projections: You will help preparing the national greenhouse gas inventory for the LULUCF sector in the Netherlands and contribute to the projections of policies and measures in the annual Dutch Climate and Energy Outlook studies.
• Methodology development: You will help improve methodologies for calculating carbon stock changes towards higher Tier levels according to the IPCC guidelines and contribute to the further development of spatially explicit approaches, models and monitoring tools for land-use categories within the LULUCF sector.
• Data and quality assurance: You will bring together required data, deliver it in the right format, and take responsibility for the QA/QC of the data that underpins the inventory.
• Reporting and policy support: You will translate scientific results into clear reports, datasets and advice that support Dutch and European climate policy.
• Collaboration and knowledge integration: You will work closely with experts on forests, land use, soils, ecology and climate, both within Wageningen Environmental Research and with external European partners e.g. in the Horizon project NextGenCarbon with a focus on the role of European forests in the GHG balance.
• Networking and project acquisition: You will contribute to acquiring new, externally funded research in the field of LULUCF, climate mitigation, carbon accounting and land-use monitoring.

You will work here
You will be based in the SFE team of WENR on the Wageningen Campus of Wageningen University & Research, collaborating intensively with colleagues in other WENR teams and with researchers at national and international institutes. You will join an enthusiastic team of around 30 colleagues working on the conservation, restoration, development and sustainable use of trees and forests from an ecological perspective – exploring how policy, management and climate shape ecological processes, and what this means for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and restoration, and the delivery of ecosystem services. It is a stimulating environment that combines first-class expertise with youthful enthusiasm. Curious about the team you would be joining? Take a look here.

Postdoc Philosophy: ELSA (Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects) of AgData project

Are you interested in how developments in data technology are affecting farming systems particularly in relation to ethical and social issues? Do you have empirical research skills that you are eager to develop further through applied philosophical research on new technologies? Are you excited to collaborate on a large interdisciplinary program to develop methods for deepening awareness and knowledge about ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) of scientific developments? Within our team, you will have the opportunity to explore these questions in depth with other philosophers, through discussions with engineers and scientists across Europe, and as part of a large-scale program focused on enhancing sustainability and competitiveness of European agriculture through greater and better use of data.

This postdoc is based in the Philosophy group and affiliated with the EU Partnership Agriculture of Data (AgData). In its first two-year exploratory phase (2025-27), this program seeks to develop mechanisms, approaches, and networks which will serve as the basis for a longer second phase (approval pending) which will build and expand this work.

Through this postdoc, we aim to develop approaches for developing awareness and engagement with ELSA across ‘use cases’ (UCs) which are specific, real-world examples of technologies and other data-driven approaches related to agricultural data. Within the work package focused on ELSA, you will conduct empirical work with select UC participants on their own practices, and to apply concepts related to ELSA of their own UCs and collectively identify common interests, challenges, and priorities. We also will continue to develop methods related to ELSA research in conjunction with the ELSA AI4SFS Lab and other research related to ELSA of science and technology. This postdoc provides an excellent opportunity for investigation of philosophical issues associated with data-driven agricultural research and applications, grounded in careful empirical work on real-life examples. Thus the results of this postdoc will contribute to the rapidly growing fields of philosophy of agriculture and of data/AI via use of empirically informed investigations drawn from the philosophy of science in practice and related fields.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• developing empirical, methodological, and conceptual analyses including of ELSA of real-world examples of technologies or initiatives associated with use of data in and for agriculture;
• engaging in collaborative events and initiatives associated with the AgData program, including developing networks to build ELSA-related activities;
• collaborating with partners on the AgData ELSA work package including on webinars and other activities for partners, and with those in PHI and more broadly in WUR working on related topics; and
• contributing to the PHI group through active participation in its activities, developing collaborations with others in the group, and presenting and publishing high-quality outputs.

Your team
You will work with Rachel Ankeny. You will also collaborate with other members of the AgData program, particularly those in the ELSA work package at Wageningen Research and the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN = Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur).

You will work here
This postdoc position is located within the Philosophy Group, led by prof. dr. Rachel Ankeny.

The position is funded through the EU Partnership Agriculture of Data (AgData) which seeks to foster strong, coordinated collaboration across Europe to advance sustainable agricultural practices and respond effectively to increasing climate threats particularly through a focus on digital transformation and data. One particular goal is to ensure that solutions are not only scientifically robust and practically applicable but also are informed and shaped by ELSA. The AgData Partnership fosters international knowledge exchange and strengthens cooperation across borders to enable the agriculture and food sectors to better anticipate risks, implement more sustainable practices, and contribute to a healthier and more resilient planet.

PhD Candidate on Neurodiversity and Inclusion in Higher Education

IThe Department of Developmental Psychology has a job opening for a PhD candidate in the field of neurodiversity and inclusive higher education.

In this project, you will examine how educational, social and physical university environments shape academic participation, sense of belonging and wellbeing among neurodivergent students, including students with ADHD and autism. Students from ethnic minority backgrounds will serve as a comparison group, allowing you to examine whether contextual processes are specific to neurodivergent students or reflect broader patterns of minority inclusion.

Traditional research on inclusive education often relies on institutional averages or individual-level outcomes. This may conceal localised exclusion and substantial differences between student groups within apparently successful classrooms. You will therefore develop and apply multilevel models that treat group-level disparities in inclusion as meaningful characteristics of the educational environment. The project will distinguish universally poor environments from classrooms with acceptable average outcomes but large inclusion disparities, and will investigate whether high-disparity classrooms are associated with assimilation pressure, masking and a reduced sense of authenticity.

Your main tasks will include:

• refining the conceptual framework and formulating research questions and hypotheses;
• designing and conducting empirical studies in higher education and coordinating data collection;
• examining teaching practices informed by Universal Design for Learning, the sensory environment and social inclusion;
• developing and applying multilevel models that capture both average inclusion and disparities between student groups;
• analysing associations with academic participation, belonging, wellbeing, masking and authenticity;
• writing international scientific publications and a doctoral dissertation, and presenting your work at conferences;
• translating findings into practical recommendations in collaboration with the USO project NeUUroinclusive Education and relevant university stakeholders;
• Teaching/supervision of theses (max. 10% of your time).