Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Computer Science programme. The position is available from November 2025 or later.
Title:
Blending Realities for Distributed Team Collaboration
Research area and project description:
The project investigates how Mixed Reality (MR) technologies can transform hybrid team collaboration by blending physical spaces into shared interactive environments. Today’s distributed teams are hybrid, working together in combinations of remote and co-located people. Hybrid collaboration often lacks the spatial cues that support creativity and coordination in face-to-face settings—such as the ability to point, gesture, or move naturally around a shared workspace. The project will address this by developing a new approach to spatial collaboration in MR, enabling remote collaborators to work together around virtualized desks and whiteboards, even from dissimilar physical spaces.
This PhD project will contribute to the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) by exploring theoretical, technical, and empirical aspects of MR collaboration, including:
The project offers an opportunity to work at the intersection of human-computer interaction, Mixed Reality, spatial design, and social computing—contributing to the future of inclusive, scalable, and effective hybrid collaboration.
Please upload a project description (½-4 pages). This document should describe your ideas and research plans for this specific project. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.
Qualifications and specific competences:
We seek candidates with strong interests in Human-Computer Interaction, Mixed Reality, spatial interaction, collaborative systems, or proxemics theory. Ideal candidates will have experience or motivation to explore multi-user MR systems, theory-driven design, and empirical evaluation of collaborative technologies.
Candidates may have backgrounds in computer science, interaction design, human computer interaction research, or related fields. Experience with prototyping MR systems, conducting user studies, or working with spatial or social theories in HCI will be a strong advantage.
Applicants should demonstrate research potential through prior work (e.g., thesis, publications, projects), possess excellent communication and teamwork skills, and show intellectual curiosity and rigor.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Computer Science, Aabogade 34, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact: Assistant Professor, Jens Emil Grønbæk, jensemil@cs.au.dk
How to apply:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying.
When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 June 2025)
Please note:
At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
