Dear all, I am recruiting a funded PhD student in Music Technology as part of the Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD program at the College of Arts, Media, and Design, Northeastern University, Boston.
The PhD research will focus on neural audio synthesis and its applications to digital musical instrument design. The successful candidate will pursue research in one of two areas: _Research Area 1 – Neuralacoustics: development of deep learning architectures that emulate numerical acoustic models for audio synthesis, investigating how neural networks can learn physical modeling behaviors while exploring capabilities beyond traditional computational acoustics. _Research Area 2 – Real-time Neural Audio: optimization and acceleration of inference across diverse hardware targets [DSPs, GPUs, NPUs], from laptop/desktop accelerators to embedded processors, targeting the latency and throughput requirements of real-time musical systems. Both areas will lead to the design of neural audio-based digital musical instruments. Application materials [like cover letter and research proposal] should clearly reflect the candidate's chosen research area. Required Qualifications [both areas]: _MSc in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Music Technology, or related field _Strong programming skills _Experience with deep learning and digital signal processing _Demonstrated research ability through thesis work, publications or substantial projects _Strong written and verbal communication skills in English Preferred Experience for Area 1: _Experience with deep learning frameworks [e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX] _Background in acoustics, computational physics or numerical modeling _Familiarity with differentiable programming Preferred Experience for Area 2: _Experience with audio programming, preferably in C/C++ _Background in computer architecture and parallel computing _Familiarity with optimization techniques [e.g., SIMD, model quantization] As the name suggests, the Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD brings together design with a wide range of fields. In this position, the research will span computer science, engineering, music and design, ensuring a holistic exploration of these disciplines. The program’s practice-based research approach emphasizes real-world impact, while also fostering rigorous scholarship. You’ll develop innovative solutions grounded in both theory and hands-on experimentation, with access to advanced prototyping and computing facilities at Northeastern. Additionally, being in Boston you’ll be immersed in a vibrant music community that can both inspire and contribute to your research, alongside a one-of-a-kind academic network to support your interdisciplinary work! The program offers up to five years of funding, which includes a stipend, full tuition coverage for approved courses and a student health insurance plan. Application deadline: December 1, 2025. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://camd.northeastern.edu/programs/interdisciplinary-design-and-media-phd/__;!!BDUfV1Et5lrpZQ!X7SQ9pEBFzcfCJAvkXwfX31fRfoRXExpeG28At6bgdk3nnn02exBXsxofra1aFL-BqeEc-eevme6xeqZnc4NapNbHHJlY2Y$ For questions or additional details, feel free to reach out! [email protected] cheers, Victor Zappi *Assistant Professor of Music TechnologyCollege of Arts Media and DesignNortheastern University (Boston, MA)*
