Researcher AI, Data Science & Crime

Organisation/Company Ghent University Research Field Computer science » Other Criminology » Other Mathematics » Applied mathematics Mathematics » Statistics Sociology » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Final date to receive applications 8 Mar 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Part-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

• Apply before 08/03/2026 (Brussels Time)
• Faculty of Law and Criminology
• Department: RE23 - Criminologie, Strafrecht en Sociaal Recht
• Occupancy rate: 50%
• Number of positions: 1
• Type of employment:
  Contract of limited duration
• Term of assignment: 4 months
• Wage scale: WM1 to WM4 (master degree or doctoral degree)
• Required diploma:
  Master or PhD

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state‑of‑the‑art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Are you interested in artificial intelligence in its broadest sense, and do you want to apply AI techniques to one of the most challenging and socially relevant domains: crime and security? Do you want to work on AI systems that must operate under uncertainty, incomplete information and strategic behaviour?

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a prestigious Consolidator Grant to Prof. dr. Wim Hardyns (Department of Criminology, Criminal Law and Social Law, Ghent University). Within the ERC‑funded BIGDATPOL project ( ), we are looking for a doctoral researcher with a strong interest in AI‑driven analysis, modelling and decision support.

Crime and security constitute a demanding testbed for AI. Data are often heterogeneous, noisy, incomplete or strategically manipulated, while AI systems are expected to support high‑stakes decision‑making in real‑world contexts.

The BIGDATPOL project explores how artificial intelligence techniques can be used to analyse, model and interpret crime‑related phenomena across European cities. The project explicitly embraces a broad AI perspective, including (but not limited to):

• Machine learning and statistical learning
• Computer vision and sensor‑based data analysis
• Natural language processing and large language models
• Hybrid, interpretable and human‑centred AI approaches

The focus lies on scientific innovation, interpretability and societal responsibility, rather than on narrow, purely technical optimisation.

As a researcher, you will:

• Develop and evaluate AI‑based models and methods for analysing crime‑related data
• Explore AI approaches for risk modelling, pattern recognition and anomaly detection
• Contribute to interpretable and transparent AI solutions for complex decision environments
• Work with diverse data sources, including spatial, temporal, textual and sensor‑based data
• Collaborate in an interdisciplinary team and interact with public and institutional partners
• Disseminate research through international publications and conferences

• You hold a Master’s degree or a thesis‑based doctorate in artificial intelligence, computer science, data science, statistics, engineering, applied mathematics, economics, sociology, psychology, criminology, safety sciences or a related field

• Experience with or strong interest in AI methods and computational modelling
• Affinity with one or more AI domains such as machine learning, computer vision, NLP, LLMs, explainable AI or hybrid AI
• Willingness to work with real‑world, imperfect and socially sensitive data

• Interest in applying AI to crime, security and public decision‑making
• Curiosity about the interaction between AI,…