USA Purdue University – Digital Twin Lab Postdoc and PhD Scholarship 2026 (Deadline: Not Specified)

USA Purdue University – Digital Twin Lab Postdoc and PhD Scholarship 2026

The Purdue University College of Engineering is inviting applications for multiple Postdoctoral and PhD positions in Spring/Fall 2026 within the Purdue Digital Twin Lab. Led by Dr. Ziran Wang, the lab focuses on advancing cutting-edge research in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and digital twins, offering a unique opportunity for motivated scholars to contribute to world-class innovations.

Degree Level

• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
• PhD Doctoral Program

Available Subjects

Research Areas

Selected candidates will work on groundbreaking projects in the following directions:

Foundation Models for Autonomous Driving

 

• Development of multimodal foundation models (LLMs/VLMs/VLAs) for perception, planning, prediction, and control in autonomous driving.

 

Human-Autonomy Teaming

 

• Creation of teaming systems integrating machine learning and personalized data to empower human-centered AI applications.

 

Automated Vehicle Validation

 

• Integration and validation of automated vehicle systems via real-world pilot deployments with V2X communications, cloud, and edge computing.

 

Digital Twin

• Development of digital twins for autonomous and connected systems, focusing on world models, scene reconstruction, uncertainty-aware prediction, and sim2real transfer.

Benefits

Selected candidates will enjoy:

• Fully funded PhD or postdoc positions.
• Opportunity to work on high-impact, industry-relevant projects with real-world applications.
• Access to state-of-the-art research facilities and labs at Purdue.
• Close collaboration with leading industry partners such as Waymo, Zoox, Toyota, and Bosch.
• Strong career development support, including conference participation, journal publications, and networking.

Eligible Nationalities

Open to applicants of all nationalities.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should:

• Hold advanced degrees in an engineering discipline such as:

1. Electrical and Computer Engineering
2. Mechanical Engineering
3. Civil Engineering
4. Computer Science

• Have a strong research background with publications in machine learning, computer vision, robotics, or transportation journals and conferences.
• Demonstrate technical expertise and innovation potential in the outlined research areas.
• Priority will be given to candidates with proven records of scholarly excellence.

About the Supervisor

Dr. Ziran Wang, Assistant Professor in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering and the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue, leads the Digital Twin Lab. Before joining Purdue in 2022, Dr. Wang was a Principal Researcher at Toyota R&D in Silicon Valley. He currently serves as:

• Assistant Director, Purdue University Institute for Control, Optimization and Networks (ICON)
• Founding Chair, IEEE Technical Committee on Internet of Things in Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Associate Editor, IEEE Internet of Things Journal, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, and IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles

Dr. Wang has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious venues such as CVPR, ICRA, ICCV, and ICLR, and holds more than 50 patents across the U.S., Japan, and China.

His students have secured internships and positions at industry leaders including Waymo, Zoox, Toyota, and Bosch.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their CV and application materials to ziran@purdue.edu with the subject line:

“[Postdoc/PhD] Application – [Full Name]”

Additional details can be found on:

Dr. Ziran Wang’s Website

Purdue Digital Twin Lab

Why Join Purdue?

Purdue’s College of Engineering is ranked among the Top 5 Graduate Engineering Programs in the U.S., making it one of the most prestigious research destinations worldwide. With world-class faculty, cutting-edge labs, and strong industry collaborations, Purdue provides scholars with unmatched opportunities to advance their careers in academia and industry.