PhD in Nuclear Reactor Core Optimisation with Machine Learning at Uppsala University

Job Description

Uppsala University’s Division of Applied Nuclear Physics is recruiting a PhD student in core and fuel optimisation using machine learning for small modular reactors, within the ANItA competence centre. The project continues earlier work on equilibrium-cycle optimisation that combined optimisation algorithms with machine-learning surrogate models, including graph-based representations of core loading patterns, and aims to explore large design spaces faster and more reliably.

At a glance

• Position: Doctoral student (1 post), full time
• Where: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala
• Start: 1 January 2027 or as agreed
• Apply by: 30 September 2026
• Apply: 30 September 2026

About the core optimisation PhD

• Develop machine-learning surrogate models for reactor-physics calculations
• Develop and evaluate optimisation methods for fuel loading patterns and fuel composition
• Analyse safety-related quantities such as reactivity, power distributions, fuel utilisation and margins
• Work with large simulation datasets and build documented tools, for example in Python
• Publish and present results; teaching up to 20% of working time

About ANItA

ANItA (Academic-industrial Nuclear technology Initiative to Achieve a sustainable energy future) is a Swedish competence centre that brings academia and industry together to strengthen nuclear engineering expertise, including work on small modular reactors.

PhD applicants: browse our Find a supervisor directory to see who works in your area.

What Uppsala University is looking for

• A master’s degree in engineering physics, nuclear or energy engineering, machine learning, computer science, applied mathematics or a relevant area, or equivalent credits
• Good knowledge of physics, numerical methods and/or machine learning
• Good programming skills, for example in Python, Julia or C++
• Structured independent work, good collaboration and good English

Nice to have

• Reactor physics, neutron transport or fuel management
• Neural networks, graph neural networks or surrogate modelling
• Evolutionary, stochastic or multi-objective optimisation, and uncertainty quantification
• HPC, version control and reproducible workflows

Pay and location

Swedish doctoral students are salaried employees on a fixed-term contract; Uppsala’s advert gives no figure. The post is full time in Uppsala. The start date is 1 January 2027 or as agreed.

How to apply

Apply through the official Uppsala University page. The closing date is 30 September 2026.

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