Research Associate

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg is a leading international research and innovation centre in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services.
We play an instrumental role in Europe by fueling innovation through research partnerships with industry, boosting R&D investments leading to economic growth, and attracting highly qualified talent. We look for researchers from diverse academic backgrounds to contribute to our projects in areas such as: Network Security, Information Assurance, Model-driven Security, Cloud Computing, Cryptography, Satellite Systems, Vehicular Networks, and ICT Services & Applications.

**Your role**:

- Conduct and supervise cutting-edge interdisciplinary research building on the analysis of large-scale blockchain data. This will include, but is not limited to:

- Designing, implementing, and maintaining scalable pipelines that ingest raw on-chain data (blocks, transactions, smart-contract events) from public blockchains into research-grade databases
- Developing statistical, graph, and/or machine learning models to study transaction networks, illicit transaction patterns, and DeFi protocol operations
- Creating and evaluating tools, documentation, and open datasets
- Collaborate with researchers in law, finance and economics on topics such as governance, regulatory compliance (e.g., MiCA Regulation, AML/CTF), sustainability, and digital identity
- Disseminate results by publishing in highly-ranked outlets in information systems and computer science
- Communicate and work with governmental stakeholders, analytics vendors, and financial institutions to gather requirements, obtain datasets, and validate results
- Manage research projects and deliverables, as well as prepare research proposals to attract public and private funding
- Mentor and supervise PhD students and student assistants working on related topics

**Your profile**:

- PhD in Information Systems, Computer/Data Science, Software Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
- Experience in publishing high-quality research, as demonstrated research under review or published in well-ranked conferences and journals
- Research experience with blockchain and Web-3 data (e.g., Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, DeFi protocols)
- Strong programming skills in at least one relevant language (e.g., Python, R, Rust, JavaScript)
- Familiarity with smart contract interaction (e.g., web3.py/ethers.js, Solidity/Vyper, sub-graph indexing), and local development/testing frameworks such as Hardhat, Truffle, and Ganache
- Basic knowledge of blockchain APIs or analytics platforms (e.g., Dune, Nansen, Graph, Arkham)
- Interest in blockchain-related research topics such as token-economic design and incentive mechanisms, DeFi protocol mechanics, on-chain privacy techniques (e.g., mixers, zero-knowledge proofs), and the relevant regulatory landscape (e.g., AML/CFT, MiCA)
- Willingness to work in a highly interdisciplinary context and develop a set of interdisciplinary methods (i.e., dealing with both qualitative and quantitative data)
- Interest in engaging with stakeholders active in financial regulation, compliance and supervision.
- Collaborative team player with a desire to make a personal impact within our interdisciplinary research group
- Commitment to participate in the design and implementation of high-quality solutions that solve significant problems
- Prior experience in publishing high-quality and high-impact research (including publications in top-tier journals and conference proceedings)
- Fluent written and verbal communication in English

**We offer**:

- Multilingual and international character. Modern institution with a personal atmosphere. Staff coming from 90 countries. Member of the “University of the Greater Region” (UniGR)
- A modern and dynamic university. High-quality equipment. Close ties to the business world and to the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban site with excellent infrastructure
- A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and with numerous non-academic partners such as ministries, local governments, associations, NGOs

**How to apply**:

- Applications, written in English, should include:_
- A cover letter including:

- A strategy for the acquisition of research grants and industry partnerships (250 words)
- Full CV, including work experience and a list of publications
- Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses

The University of Luxembourg embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.
- General information:_
- Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract