Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

• You will conduct research on the design of flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) for multimodal tactile sensing systems used in next-generation robotic manipulation. 
• You will develop analog and mixed-signal building blocks, including sensor interfaces, amplification stages, multiplexing circuits, and data acquisition architectures for flexible electronics platforms. 
• You will design and optimize readout circuits for a wide range of sensing modalities, including magnetic, capacitive, piezoresistive, optical, RF and temperature sensors integrated into robotic fingertips. 
• You will investigate low-noise and low-power circuit techniques for accurate acquisition of heterogeneous sensor signals under the constraints of flexible thin-film transistor technologies. 
• You will develop and evaluate ADC architectures suitable for FlexIC technologies, and explore calibration and compensation techniques for process variation, drift and sensor cross-talk. 
• You will contribute to the co-design of multimodal sensor systems and integrated electronics, enabling robotic fingertips capable of perceiving force, slip, texture, temperature, proximity and material properties. 
• You will investigate integration technologies to embed the fabricated FlexICs on flexible substrates and develop a robust and reliable evaluation setup. 
• You will validate your circuit designs through simulation, fabrication and experimental characterization, and integrate them into demonstrators for robotic manipulation applications. 
• You will collaborate with researchers working on flexible electronics, sensing systems, machine learning and robotics, and disseminate your results through scientific publications and international conferences. 

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a Master's degree in Electronics Engineering, Physics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Microsystems Engineering or a related field. 
• You have a strong interest in integrated circuit design, flexible electronics and sensor systems. 
• You are interested in analog and mixed-signal electronics, sensor interfacing and data acquisition systems. 
• Knowledge of integrated circuit design methodologies and EDA tools is considered a strong asset. 
• Experience with analog circuit design, ADCs, sensor readout electronics or mixed-signal systems is an advantage. 
• Experience with PCB design, embedded electronics, measurement setups or laboratory characterization techniques is a plus. 
• You enjoy combining theoretical research with hands-on experimental validation. 
• You are motivated to conduct independent scientific research and publish your findings in leading international conferences and journals. 
• You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 
• You communicate fluently in English, both orally and in writing.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months. 
• Your contract will start on 01/09/2026 at the earliest. 
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales 
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Send your cv, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to pieter.bauwens@ugent.be and frederick.bossuyt@ugent.be
We do not accept late applications.
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact prof. Pieter Bauwens (pieter.bauwens@ugent.be) and/or dr. ir. Frederick Bossuyt (frederick.bossuyt@ugent.be)