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Technical University of Munich

Open Positions

Phd Position in Graph Drawing, Network Visualization and Information Visualization

The Chair for Efficient Algorithms, led by Prof. Stephen Kobourov, invites applications for a fully funded PhD position at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Campus Heilbronn. We seek exceptional candidates excited about graph drawing, network visualization, and information visualization. The specific research focus can be chosen by the applicant based on background and interests.

Research focus

You will join an active and well-established visualization group. Ongoing and potential projects include:

  • New techniques for visualizing graphs in Euclidean and non-Euclidean spaces
  • Scalable layout methods and visual analytics for large and dynamic networks
  • Dimensionality reduction and embeddings for visual exploration
  • Interaction design and user-centered evaluation of visual interfaces
  • Benchmarks, usability studies, and open-source visualization tools
  • Visualization for explainable AI/LLM
  • Development of functional research prototypes such as MetroSets

Our work in this area has received best paper awards at PacificVis and Graph Drawing, with recent publications in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics and Computer Graphics Forum.

Environment

The Chair offers a collaborative environment with strong engagement in applied and interdisciplinary projects. PhD students work closely with academic and industrial partners, contribute to open-source software, present at international conferences, and develop independent research agendas.

TUM Campus Heilbronn is a rapidly growing center for research and education with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence and data science. It is adjacent to the AI Innovation Park Heilbronn, fostering collaborations with partners such as ETH Zurich, as well as companies and startups working on applied AI and high-performance computing. The working language is English; no German is required.

Position & benefits

This is a full-time PhD position with a competitive salary according to the German TV-L E13 scale (approx. €52,000–€75,000 gross/year, depending on experience), 30 days of paid vacation, and full access to health insurance and social benefits. The working environment is international, supportive, and highly interdisciplinary.

How to apply

Please send:

  • A cover letter describing your research interests in graph drawing, network visualization, and/or information visualization
  • Your CV
  • Your Master’s thesis
  • Academic transcripts with grades
  • If possible links to web applications with functional prototypes that showcase your experience implementing (interactive) visualizations

Email your application to positions [at] algo.cit.tum.de.

Student Helper (Hiwi) for Programming Tasks

You will work part time on the following project:

Project: Simulating Patient Interviews with LLMs for Medical Training

  • We develop a web-based virtual patient simulation application to improve medical students’ communication skills through interactive, flexible, and scalable training.
  • It will be an AI-based web application (most likely in angular) that leverages recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) to simulate realistic patient interactions. It will allow students to conduct interviews with virtual patients who respond in real time through speech, offering an immersive and cost-efficient training experience. A built-in evaluation system shall assess communication quality, empathy, medical completeness, and adherence to established learning objectives.
  • The development will be organized by Johannes Zink. In the course of the project, several programming tasks will pop up that are to be solved.
  • The patient simulation will be in German language, so knowing German is very helpful for this project.

Conditions

  • Mainly working on programming tasks at home
  • Meetings in person in Heilbronn or online via Zoom
  • The contract can be over 8 hours per week up to 20 hours per week.
  • Duration: 2–12 months
  • TUM student helper wages (currently 14,00 € per hour; or 15,41 € with Bachelor's degree)

How to apply

Please send:

  • A short application letter providing information why you are suitable for this job (previous experience with programming web applications and accessing AI APIs).
  • Your CV
  • Your current transcript of record

Email your application to patient-simulation-project [at] algo.cit.tum.de.

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