General information
Offer title : Postdoctoral researcher (M/F): collective navigation in complex flows and reinforcement learning (H/F)
Reference : UMR7342-AURLOI-003
Number of position : 1
Workplace : MARSEILLE 13
Date of publication : 26 August 2025
Type of Contract : Researcher in FTC
Contract Period : 24 months
Expected date of employment : 1 November 2025
Proportion of work : Full Time
Remuneration : between 3081 and 4292 euros (gross), depending on experience
Desired level of education : Doctorate
Experience required : 1 to 4 years
Section(s) CN : 10 - Fluid and reactive environments: transport, transfer, transformation processes
Missions
The successful candidate will join the ANR SWARMER project, which aims to elucidate the mechanisms of cooperation between individuals in the context of collective navigation in complex flows.
The project includes a theoretical part on “active matter” focusing on the effect of a fluctuating environment on the collective dynamics of self-propelled agents, a numerical part on “reinforcement learning” focusing on optimizing communication between agents in a flow, and a theoretical/numerical part on “fluid mechanics” focusing on transport by complex flows (e.g., turbulent flows). Depending on the profile of the person recruited, their activities will primarily focus on one or more of these parts.
Activities
The successful candidate will develop numerical tools and/or theoretical models to model and simulate the behavior of a group of agents capable of chemical communication in different navigation contexts and different types of flows.
Skills
This position requires exemplary scientific rigor, strong numerical and theoretical skills, and proven track-record in at least two of these three areas: fluid mechanics, active matter, and reinforcement learning.
Work Context
The successful candidate will be supervised by Aurore Loisy. They will join a multidisciplinary team of researchers and PhD students. They will be part of the “Living and bio-inspired systems” group at the 'Institut de recherche sur les phénomènes hors équilibre' (IRPHÉ).
The contract is initially for 12 months and can be extended up to 36 months.
The position is located in a sector under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore requires, in accordance with the regulations, that your arrival is authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.
Constraints and risks
None