AI4I \ RDE LABS

Join the Lab

Thank you for your interest in our lab! We are always looking for curious, motivated people who want to push the boundaries of machine intelligence for robot autonomy.


Current openings

All formally advertised positions are posted on the official AI4I “Work with us” page. I’d recommend checking it regularly, as openings for PhD students, postdocs, and research scientists are published there as they become available.

 

Prospective PhD students

I take on new PhD students most years, but it’s worth understanding how this works at AI4I.

AI4I does not admit PhD students directly. PhD positions in my lab are funded, predefined-topic projects hosted within the doctoral program of one of AI4I’s partner universities (for example Politecnico di Torino, or Politecnico di Milano), and jointly supervised between AI4I and that university. In practice:

  • Open PhD topics tied to my lab are advertised on the AI4I “Work with us” page and on the relevant partner university’s official PhD call (the call for applications, or bando).
  • To be considered, you apply through that university’s official PhD admissions portal for the relevant call, and not directly to me.
  • Selection follows the university’s process and timeline, with me involved in evaluating candidates for my lab’s topics.

So the most useful thing you can do is watch the “Work with us” page and the partner university calls, and apply through the official portal when a topic that fits you opens. Please don’t email me about PhD admissions before applying, as I will not be able to reply to emails from individual applicants.

 

Prospective postdocs & research scientists

I am actively looking for postdocs and research scientists who have completed, or are about to complete, their PhD, to work on the algorithmic foundations of AI-powered autonomy — spanning foundation models, learning-based control, multi-agent systems, and aerospace robotics. A call is currently open: Postdoctoral position in Robot Learning and Embodied AI. If you are interested in applying to be a postdoc or research scientist in my lab, please email me (at daniele.gammelli at ai4i.it) with subject “Postdoc/Research Scientist Application – YOURNAME” and include your CV and two representative publications.

Applicants are expected to have a prior publication record in top-tier machine learning, robotics, computer vision, and/or NLP conferences. Previous experience in deep learning, reinforcement learning, or robotics is strongly preferred.

Your response may be shared with PhD students and postdocs in my lab, but will not be shared outside of my group without your permission.

I also strongly encourage prospective postdocs to apply for independent fellowships — they give you research freedom and carry real weight. Because the lab is hosted at an Italian institution, the EU- and Italy-focused options below are especially well-suited:

  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) — EU fellowship (1–2 yrs) covering salary and research costs, all disciplines. Requires a PhD with ≤8 yrs of research experience and meeting the mobility rule (no more than 12 months in Italy in the previous 3 yrs). AI4I can host directly.
  • Rita Levi-Montalcini Programme (MUR, Italy) — Tenure-track return-to-Italy researcher positions, hosted through a state university. For scholars with a PhD obtained ≤6 yrs ago and ≥3 yrs of research or teaching abroad.

 

Useful resources

The application process for Ph.D. positions can be challenging and opaque. Please check the following resources for useful information. Feel free to suggest new entries if you see fit.