PhD in Neuromorphic Computing and FPGA Design, University of Groningen (QuNeCo)
Job Description
This PhD in neuromorphic computing and FPGA design at the University of Groningen is part of QuNeCo, a research project run jointly by universities in the Netherlands and Japan, and it is aimed at computing architectures that borrow their organising ideas from the brain.
At a glance
- Position: PhD candidate, 1 year then extended to 4 in total
- Where: Bernoulli Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Pay: €3,204 to €4,051 gross a month
- Apply by: 31 October 2026
About the project: neuromorphic computing and FPGA design
The work is architecture research with real hardware at the end of it. You would design neuromorphic computing systems through algorithm and hardware co-design, drawing on computing-in-memory technologies, and prototype them on FPGAs. The aim across the QuNeCo collaboration is heterogeneous computing systems that are markedly more energy-efficient than today’s machines, which is why the project pairs architecture people with the algorithm side rather than treating them separately. The post sits in the Innovative Computer Architecture group led by Dr Farhad Merchant, whose group works on computing-in-memory, neuromorphic computing, hardware security and energy-efficient systems.
Eligibility
This is a doctoral position, so the university is looking for a master’s degree in a relevant area such as computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering or a close equivalent, and candidates who can show they will cope with both the hardware and the algorithmic halves of the work. Read the advertisement itself for the full list of requirements before applying, since the selection committee works from that text.
Salary and duration
Dutch PhD positions are salaried jobs rather than stipends. Pay runs from €3,204 in the first year to €4,051 in the final year, gross per month, on the national scale. The contract is issued for one year first, and extended by a further three after a positive assessment, giving the usual four-year Dutch doctorate.
How to apply
Applications are made through the university’s own applicant system, linked from the advertisement. Read the full advert and apply on the official University of Groningen vacancy page. If you are weighing up doctoral options, our Find a supervisor directory may help.
Hiring institution: University of Groningen
Official advertisement: werkenbij.rug.nl
How to prepare for the Groningen PhD application
- Bring something you have actually put on an FPGA. A working prototype, however small, carries more weight than coursework in HDL.
- Learn what computing-in-memory is trying to solve before the interview. The group's work sits on the memory wall, and a candidate who talks only about accelerators has missed the point.
- QuNeCo is a Netherlands-Japan collaboration, so expect questions about working across time zones and with partners abroad.
- Dutch PhDs are employment, not study. Be ready to discuss a four-year plan with deliverables, not just a topic you find interesting.
- Read one or two recent papers from the Innovative Computer Architecture group and be able to say where your work would connect.
About the University of Groningen
The University of Groningen is a research university in the north of the Netherlands. This position is in the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
