Arbetsbeskrivning

The Chalmers CryptoTeam is recruiting! Join us as a PhD student and work on cutting-edge research in cryptography, in a dynamic and forward-thinking environment.  About us  The PhD student will join a world-leading research environment at the Chalmers Security & Privacy Lab as a member of the CryptoTeam. The Crypto Team currently has two faculty members and four PhD students with a focus on cryptographic primitives with advanced properties, protocols, provable security and foundations of cryptography. The position is hosted by the Information Security (iSec) unit within the Department of Computer Science and Engineering—a joint department of Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg with 300+ employees and a strong international profile. About the research project   The PhD student will join the CryptoTeam at Chalmers and will be supervised by Assistant Professor Elena Pagnin. The research topic is “Consistency Protocols for Transparency Technologies”. This entails devising efficient ways to cryptographically ensure that a centralised system will deliver the same data to any user querying for any given label. For example, consistency guarantees that when public keys are distributed by a service provider (e.g., WhatsApp), all users will consistently get the same public key for any given user. The PhD student will focus on protocol design, security proofs, and integration into larger ecosystems. This project defines and investigates evolving committee-based consistency protocols, a novel branch of consistency protocols for Transparency Logs (a generalization of a verifiable PKI). The goal is to prove security against a set of powerful and realistic adversaries using advanced cryptographic schemes and results from probability theory. Who we are looking for The following requirements are mandatory: • To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have a Master's degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (magisterexamen) of 60 credits* in computer science, mathematics, or another relevant field • You will need strong written and verbal communication skills in English  • Strong skills in mathematical reasoning, logic, and probability theory *for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is accepted.  What you will do • Take courses at an advanced level within the Graduate school of Computer Science and Engineering • Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing  • Be involved in teaching at Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 percent of working hours Contract terms   • The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from start.  • The position is a fixed-term appointment of 5 years and includes 20% (1 year) teaching duties • A starting salary of 34,550 SEK per month (valid from May 25, 2025).  • Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise the admission may be withdrawn.  What we offer  • As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about  working at Chalmers  and our benefits for employees.  • A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg.  • Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg.  Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities.  If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in. Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.   Application procedure  The application should be written in English and attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.  CV  • Including contact details to at least 2 references.  Personal letter (1-2 pages) • A brief introduction about yourself.  • A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position.  Bachelor’s and, if available, master’s thesis together with the transcripts.  Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.   Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. We welcome your application no later than January 15th 2026 For questions, please contact:  Elena Pagin [email protected] We look forward to your application!  *** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***    Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society.  Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.