Curriculum
Autonomous Systems
Hosting Institution
AI4I – The Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence
Department
PHI Lab
Supervisor
Leonel Rozo
Contacts
leonel.rozo@ai4i.it
Funding Scheme
This doctorate grant is fully funded by The Italian institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI4I) in collaboration with Università degli Studi di Genova
Scholarship Amount
Fascia 4: 19,500 €/year
Position Description
The Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI4I), in collaboration with Università degli Studi di Genova, invites applications for a PhD position in Geometric optimal control as part of the PhD Programme in Autonomous Systems.
The interpretation of reinforcement learning (RL) as an approximated optimal control problem suggests that the differential geometry can offer a unifying framework for analyzing and formulating policy learning paths as geodesics flows on specific Riemannian manifolds. This geometric perspective opens the following research objectives to be explored during the PhD: (1) RL as latent geodesic flows, where stochastic Riemannian metrics estimated from learned generative models define and/or bias the policy optimization path; (2) Leverage the Riemannian geometry of the Wasserstein space for more stable and efficient policy optimization; and (3) Exploit contact Hamiltonian dynamics and its link to optimal control geodesics into a geometric framework to analyze and design novel and interpretable RL algorithms. The thesis will explore applications of the developed methods in the control of physical systems such as robots or quadrotors, as well as the fine-tuning of foundational models, among others.
REQUIREMENTS
Must have skills:
- Excellent Master’s degree in computer science, physics, mathematics, electrical or mechatronics engineering, or a related field
- Strong background in machine learning and robotics
- Good programming skills in Python
- Fluent in spoken and written English
- A team player, but also can work autonomously
- Experience with scientific writing
Good to have skills:
- Background on (applied) differential geometry
- Publication of peer-reviewed research papers
References
- H. Ziesche and L. Rozo, “Wasserstein Gradient Flows for Optimizing Gaussian Mixture Policies”, NeurIPS, 2023.
- A. Testa et al. “Geometric Contact Flows: Contactomorphisms for Dynamics and Control”, ICML, 2025.
- Y. Chen et al. “Optimal Transport in Systems and Control”, Annual Review of Control, Robotics and Autonomous Systems. 2021
Number of Positions Available
1
Application Documents
- One-page cover letter including a short (two-paragraph) research proposal related to the PhD topic and aligned with your professional interests.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Bachelor’s and Master’s diplomas with transcripts and grades.
Main Research Site
AI4I – The Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence for Industry
Corso Castelfidardo 22, 10129 Torino, Italy
What We Offer
- Joint supervision between AI4I and Università degli Studi di Genova.
- Access to high-performance computing resources and advanced research infrastructure.
- Opportunities for international collaboration and contributions to high-impact publications.
- A dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment.
- Financial support for attending international conference and Winter/Summer schools.
Start Date
1st March 2026
How to Apply
Applications for this position are managed by Università degli Studi di Genova.
Please apply via the university’s official PhD admissions portal:
https://servizionline.unige.it/studenti/post-laurea/dottorato
For More Information
https://drim.i-rim.it/en/admission/
https://unige.it/en/students/phd-programmes
About AI4I
AI4I – The Italian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence has been founded to perform transformative, application-oriented research in Artificial Intelligence. AI4I is set to engage and empower gifted, entrepreneurial, young researchers who commit to producing an impact at the intersection of science, innovation, and industrial transformation.
Highly competitive pay, bonus incentives, access to dedicated high-performance computing, state-of-the-art laboratories, industrial collaborations, and an ecosystem tailored to support the initiation and growth of startups stand out as some of the distinctive features of AI4I, bringing together people in a dynamic international environment.
AI4I is an Institute that aims to enhance scientific research, technological transfer, and, more generally, the innovation capacity of the Country, promoting its positive impact on industry, services, and public administration. To this end, the Institute contributes to creating a research and innovation infrastructure that employs artificial intelligence methods, with particular reference to manufacturing processes, within the framework of the Industry 4.0 process and its entire value chain. The Institute establishes relationships with similar entities and organizations in Italy and abroad, including Competence Centers and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), so that the center may become an attractive place for researchers, companies, and start-ups.
