Complex Systems, Statistical Physics and Machine Learning
A predoctoral researcher position is available to carry out a PhD thesis within the MINIMODELS project: Emergence of Minimal Models in Complex Systems, funded under the 2025 call for Knowledge Generation Projects of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The position will be based at the Institute for Research in Technology (IIT), on-site at the Alberto Aguilera campus in Madrid.
The project seeks to understand why biological, ecological and physical systems of enormous complexity can often be described by surprisingly simple mathematical models. By combining ideas from statistical physics, Bayesian inference, information geometry and physics-informed machine learning, MINIMODELS aims to develop a general framework for discovering and validating minimal models from noisy and incomplete data.
The selected candidate will work under the supervision of Mario Castro and Emanuel Mompó and will contribute to one or more of the project's research lines:
• Statistical physics of complex systems and emergence.
• Bayesian inference and uncertainty quantification.
• Physics-informed machine learning and neural networks.
• Information geometry and model reduction.
• Ecological, epidemiological, immunological or non-equilibrium dynamical systems.
Tasks:
• Development of the PhD thesis within the research lines of the MINIMODELS project.
• Development of methods for discovering and validating minimal models from noisy and incomplete data.
• Implementation and validation of Bayesian inference and physics-informed machine-learning algorithms.
• Analysis of experimental and observational data, and model fitting and comparison.
• Preparation of scientific articles and presentation of results at conferences and seminars.
• Participation in project and IIT activities (seminars, group meetings, doctoral schools) and collaboration with national and international research groups.
Funding: MINIMODELS project: Emergence of Minimal Models in Complex Systems, 2025 call for Knowledge Generation Projects of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Four-year predoctoral contract with gross funding of EUR 134,615.
Desired starting date: Early 2027. The official selection process is not expected to open before November 2026.
Requirements
Qualifications: Bachelor's and Master's degrees, completed or in progress, in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering or closely related disciplines. Candidates must meet the admission requirements for a PhD programme at the time of appointment.
Experience: A strong quantitative profile is required. Previous experience in programming, mathematical modelling, scientific computing, statistics or machine learning will be valued, whether acquired through a Master's thesis, research scholarships or participation in research projects.
Languages: Advanced spoken and written English (B2/C1 or equivalent). Knowledge of Spanish is desirable but not essential.
Other technical skills: Proficiency in at least one scientific programming language (Python, Julia, C/C++, R or similar), experience with numerical methods and data analysis, and familiarity with version-control tools (Git) and high-performance computing environments.
Additional merits:
• Previous training or experience in statistical physics, complex systems, Bayesian inference, information geometry or machine learning.
• Experience in modelling ecological, epidemiological, immunological or non-equilibrium systems.
• Scientific publications, participation in research projects or contributions to open-source scientific software.
• Ability to work in teams and interdisciplinary environments, together with autonomy and initiative to lead a research line.
• Ability to communicate scientific results effectively, both orally and in writing.
What do we offer?
• Four-year full-time predoctoral employment contract. The gross salary for the first year is €32,448.20 (2026). in accordance with the established progressive salary scale, under which remuneration increases from the first to the fourth year.
• Additional funding to attend conferences, international research stays, doctoral schools, workshops and specialised training activities.
• Enrolment in a PhD programme at Comillas Pontifical University and completion of the doctoral thesis at IIT under the supervision of Mario Castro and Emanuel Mompó.
• At Comillas, we strive to create and maintain an environment that provides equal space and support for everyone. Therefore, if you hold a disability certificate indicating a degree of disability of 33% or higher, we encourage you to mention this in your application.
Benefits
• 90% of the cost of training activities.
• Flexible remuneration plan and employee benefits.
• Comillas Plus: exclusive Comillas portal with more than 200 commercial discounts.
• Training plan.
• Professional development.
• Access to internal services with discounts and special conditions (gym, bookshop, library, etc.).
Documents
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Academic transcript.
• Brief cover letter indicating motivation and research interests.
• Two letters of recommendation.
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the project principal investigators before the official selection process opens, in order to learn about possible research topics and assess their fit with the project: Mario Castro (marioc@comillas.edu) and Emanuel Mompó (egmompo@icai.comillas.edu).
Position
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