TestDS

Last updated on Feb 2, 2022
Application link
Apply
Deadline
June 18, 2021
Contact
b.ozkan@tudelft.nl, arie.vandeursen@tudelft.nl

PhD student for Testing Distributed Systems and Blockchains

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD student to work on software testing for distributed systems and Byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) blockchains.

Modern computation increasingly depends on large-scale distributed systems and blockchains. However, these systems are difficult to design and implement correctly. Their executions involve many sources of nondeterminism, such as the delivery order of asynchronous messages, message losses due to network failures, and process failures. Production distributed systems and blockchains must ensure correctness in the existence of unexpected executions and failures. The PhD project aims to develop program analysis and testing techniques specifically designed for detecting bugs in distributed systems and blockchains.

The project lies in the intersection of software testing, software quality, fault-tolerance, distributed systems, and blockchains. The prospective PhD student is expected to do high-quality research involving both theory and implementation: getting a deep understanding of theoretical abstractions of fault-tolerant systems and developing novel software analysis and testing techniques.

Job requirements:

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in computer science.
  • Knowledge and interest in concurrency and distributed systems.
  • Knowledge and interest in software analysis and software testing.
  • Strong programming and software engineering skills.
  • Good communication and presentation skills in English.
  • Collaboration skills to work with other researchers.
  • Self-motivation and a growth mindset.

How to apply?

Prepare and submit the following documents on the online application page.

  • A detailed CV (with contact information for 2-3 references; sending references letters yourself is not necessary).
  • A motivation letter that includes your vision (e.g., what do you consider an urgent problem to address, how you would go about the project, etc.) and how your background or research interests relate to the PhD subject. A generic letter of motivation is not appreciated.
  • A copy or link to your (draft) Master’s thesis.
  • A transcript of BSc and MSc grades.

Please apply before June 18, 2021.

More information?

For additional information about this vacancy, you can contact:

About the research environment

The Software Engineering Research Group (SERG) is part of the department of Software Technology, faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science, and a member of the research school IPA. The group employs approximately 30 people, comprising full, associate, and assistant professors, lecturers, postdocs, and PhD students. The main research areas for the group include but are not limited to software analytics, software testing, software quality and maintenance, software evolution, search-based software engineering, software engineering for concurrency and distribution. The involved researchers have developed numerous techniques to make it easier for software developers to (1) understand, (2) maintain and (3) test existing software systems. More information about the group can be found here: https://se.ewi.tudelft.nl

SERG is part of the Department of Software Technology (ST), which comprises research groups working on core computer science and engineering topics. The department is responsible for a large part of the curriculum of the BSc and MSc programmes in Computer Science as well as the MSc programme in Embedded Systems. The department’s research mission is to perform excellent research at an internationally-recognised level in the design, construction and analysis of complex, concurrent and cooperative computer and information systems. Inspiration for the research topics is derived largely from technical ICT problems in industry and society. The Department moved into new office and lab space in 2018.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) is known worldwide for its high academic quality and the social relevance of its research programmes. The faculty’s excellent facilities accentuate its international position in teaching and research. Within this interdisciplinary and international setting the faculty employs more than 1100 employees, including about 400 graduate students and 4000 undergraduate students. Together they work on a broad range of technical innovations in the fields of sustainable energy, telecommunications, microelectronics, embedded systems, computer and software engineering, artificial intelligence, interactive multimedia and applied mathematics.

Located in a charming college town, TU Delft is the largest and oldest public technological university in the Netherlands. The university is regularly ranked among the most highly-rated worldwide for engineering and technology. Information about academic careers in the Netherlands and working at TU Delft can be found at www.factcards.nl and www.tudelft.nl/en/about-tu-delft/working-at-tu-delft/coming-to-the-netherlands-tu-delft/.