Agentic AI for resource allocation in future networks

Agentic AI for resource allocation in future networks Level of qualifications required :

PhD or equivalent

Fonction :

Tempary Research Position

About the research centre or Inria department The Inria center at the University of Rennes is one of eight Inria centers and has more than thirty research teams. The Inria center is a major and recognized player in the field of digital sciences. It is at the heart of a rich ecosystem of R&D and innovation, including highly innovative SMEs, large industrial groups, competitiveness clusters, research and higher education institutions, centers of excellence, and technological research institutes.

Context We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position focused on resource allocation in future communication networks, with Agentic AI and systems thinking as central methodological approaches. The successful candidate will conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of network engineering, systems science, and autonomous decision-making, addressing challenges of complexity, scalability, and sustainability in next-generation networks (e.g., 6G, IoT ecosystems, and device–edge–cloud infrastructures).

This position offers a unique opportunity to explore how autonomous, goal-driven agents can perceive, reason, and act within complex networked systems to optimize performance, cost, and availability under uncertainty.

Context:

Device--Edge--Cloud infrastructures combine the architectural and algorithmic challenges of heterogeneous computing and communication environments while introducing new challenges in control, coordination, and adaptation. As application requirements become increasingly dynamic, managing trade-overs among performance, availability, cost, and energy efficiency across distributed resources is growing more complex.

Traditional centralized or static optimization approaches struggle to cope with these dynamics. Agentic AI, combined with systems thinking, offers a promising paradigm to enable distributed, adaptive, and self-organizing decision-making across network layers and domains.

This Postdoctoral position is part of the SMARTNET project, a collaborative effort between Inria and Nokia, offering strong exposure to both academic excellence and industrial relevance.

Assignment Objective:

The primary objective of this position is to design and analyze agent-based and agentic AI-driven frameworks for the adaptive allocation of network and computing resources in Device--Edge--Cloud environments.

In particular, the research will aim to:

Improve the prediction, control, and optimization of utility metrics (e.g., availability, cost, latency, energy, QoS/QoE)

Develop a holistic systems-level framework integrating:

system states and observability

autonomous decision variables

external events and uncertainties

multi-objective utility functions

Agentic AI will serve as the main approach to model intelligent agents (e.g., controllers, orchestrators, or digital twins) capable of reasoning, learning, and coordinating at both local and global levels.

Main activities

Identify emergent behaviors, feedback loops, and system dynamics in heterogeneous network environments involving local agent objectives and global system goals.

Design and apply systems thinking methodologies (e.g., causal loop diagrams, system dynamics, soft systems methodology) to model complex resource allocation problems.

Develop agentic AI architectures (e.g., autonomous agents, multi-agent systems, agent-based control/orchestration) for distributed decision-making in future networks.

Investigate a video analytics use case as a representative scenario to design, implement, and evaluate intelligent agents, controllers, or orchestrators.

Propose and validate novel adaptive, efficient, and fair resource allocation strategies for bandwidth, compute, storage, and energy in dynamic and heterogeneous environments.

Collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary research team, including network engineers, systems scientists, and industry partners.

Publish research outcomes in top-tier journals and international conferences.

Skills

PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a closely related field.

Strong background in networking, resource allocation, optimization, and/or distributed systems.

Demonstrated interest in or experience with Agentic AI, autonomous systems, or multi-agent approaches.

Familiarity with systems thinking concepts, or strong motivation to develop expertise in this area.

Experience with modeling and simulation tools (e.g., Vensim, Stella, AnyLogic) and/or network simulation platforms (e.g., NS-3, OMNeT++, MATLAB).

Proven publication record in relevant research areas.

Knowledge of future network architectures (e.g., 6G, SDN/NFV, edge–cloud continuum).

Understanding of multi-criteria decision-making, agent-based modeling, game theory, or reinforcement learning is a strong plus.

Benefits package

Partial reimbursement of public transport costs

Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours)

Possibility of teleworking

Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)

Social, cultural and sports events and activities

Theme/Domain :

Distributed Systems and middleware System & Networks(BAP E)

Warning

: you must enter your e-mail address in order to save your application to Inria. Applications must be submitted online on the Inria website. Processing of applications sent from other channels is not guaranteed.

Instruction to apply Please submit online : your resume, cover letter and letters of recommendation eventually

Defence Security :

This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST). Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment.

Recruitment Policy :

As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities.

A motivation letter describing their background, research interests, and vision, and explaining how their expertise aligns with the goals of this position.

A full CV, including at least two references.

One to two relevant scientific publications authored or co-authored by the candidate.

Application Process & Interview

Interviews will typically be conducted online.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified.

About Inria Inria is the French national research institute dedicated to digital science and technology. It employs 2,600 people. Its 200 agile project teams, generally run jointly with academic partners, include more than 3,500 scientists and engineers working to meet the challenges of digital technology, often at the interface with other disciplines. The Institute also employs numerous talents in over forty different professions. 900 research support staff contribute to the preparation and development of scientific and entrepreneurial projects that have a worldwide impact.

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