About this role
Job offer Tilburg University via AcademicTransfer - JOB - Netherlands - Tilburg University via AcademicTransfer - Posted on: 5 September 2026 PhD researcher on AI-assisted reverse engineering of integrated circuits (1 FTE) 5 Sep 2026 Tilburg University Research Field Computer science » Computer hardware Computer science » Programming Engineering » Electrical engineering Engineering » Electronic engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 1 Nov 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 40.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No The PhD researcher will be formally embedded in the Department of Intelligent Systems (DIS) and will collaborate closely with the Department of Computational Cognitive Science (DCS). Specifically, the researcher will focus on the following three main tasks:(a) Developing deep learning pipelines for multilayer segmentation and nanoscale transistor classification from microscopy images; (b) Designing graph-based inference models capable of reconstructing higher-level logical blocks and identifying anomalous structures indicative of Hardware Trojans; (c) Evaluating methodologies for memory extraction, vulnerability analysis, and logical reconstruction using physically grounded image data. The research explores how AI-driven analysis can move beyond manual reverse-engineering workflows by automating feature extraction and structural interpretation while remaining robust to noise, obfuscation, and architectural variability. Because the work operates at the intersection of scientific research and hardware security, the project carefully balances methodological innovation with responsible handling of sensitive datasets and forensic constraints. The overall g...