Job Description
Stockholm University’s DSV is recruiting a PhD student in adaptive immersive experiences. Smart glasses and mixed reality headsets can now sense where users are, what they are doing and how their surroundings change, opening the way to experiences that adapt in real time, and raising questions about how much a system should infer. The project designs, builds and evaluates XR systems (augmented, virtual and mixed reality) that apply real-time machine learning to interaction data, based at DSV’s ExtralityLab.
At a glance
- Position: Doctoral student (1 post), four years full time
- Where: DSV ExtralityLab, Kista campus
- Team: Two senior researchers and a postdoctoral fellow
- Reference: SU FV-2897-26
- Apply by: 15 October 2026
- Apply: 15 October 2026
About the immersive XR PhD
- Develop design principles and prototypes for context-aware, hands-free interaction in XR
- Apply real-time machine learning to interaction data to adapt system behaviour
- Build frameworks for developing context-aware systems responsibly and transparently
- Research and teach at ExtralityLab, with state-of-the-art XR hardware
Selection is based on independence in earlier scientific work, problem formulation and rigour in earlier work and in the research plan, a record of meeting deadlines, methodological maturity, communication and cooperation skills, and subject knowledge.
How doctoral employment works at Stockholm University
Doctoral students are employed for up to the equivalent of four years of full-time study. The first contract is for up to one year and is then renewed for up to two years at a time, and up to 20% of working time may go to teaching, research or administration. Apply through the university’s recruitment system with a personal letter, a CV and the attachments the form asks for.
PhD applicants: browse our Find a supervisor directory to see who works in your area.
What Stockholm University is looking for
- General entry: a second-cycle degree, or 240 credits including 60 at second-cycle level, or equivalent knowledge
- Specific entry: at least 60 second-cycle credits in computer and systems sciences or equivalent, and a degree project of at least 15 credits
- English at CEFR level B2
- Requirements must be met by the application deadline
Nice to have
- XR development experience (for example Unity or Unreal)
- Machine learning on sensor or interaction data
- Oral proficiency in English
Pay and location
Doctoral students at Stockholm University are paid a fixed salary; the advert gives no figure but mentions a competitive salary, wellness benefits and funding for books and conference travel.
How to apply
Apply through the official Stockholm University page. The closing date is 15 October 2026.
See all our PhD positions, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Stockholm University
Official advertisement: su.varbi.com
How to prepare for this application
- Show XR builds: link a demo of an AR or VR app you made.
- Real-time ML: describe any model you ran on live sensor data.
- Responsible design: think about privacy when headsets sense context.
- Teaching: the post includes teaching at the lab; mention experience.
- Deadline: applications close on 15 October 2026.
About Stockholm University
Stockholm University is one of Sweden's largest universities, with its main campus in northern Stockholm and the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) in Kista.