We are looking for students!!

We are looking for exceptional Ph.D. students, Master’s researchers, and undergraduate assisants to build the next generation of robot workers, collaborators, and assistants. For more information about our research, please visit our homepage.

Our work is ambitious, impactful, and often goes against the grain. We work on what’s hard, and we focus on important problems with potential for positive societal impact. We have built a large and diverse group that attracts top talent from leading institutions and consistently produces award-winning research. Many of our students have gone on to secure highly competitive fellowships and leadership roles in academia and industry.

📆 Meet Us! We hold open group meetings during the semester. For Fall 2025, we will be holding group meetings in ECES 116 on Fridays at 11 am (biweekly). Feel free to stop by if you want to have a chat!!

Why join the HIRO Group?

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  1. World-class Research and Impact. We focus on ambitious, high-impact problems at the frontier of robotics and AI, supported by major funding from NSF, NASA, the Department of Defense, and leading industry partners. Our group has earned multiple Best Paper Awards and nominations (HRI 2023 and HRI 2024), and our students are consistently recognized with top national fellowships, including the NSF GRFP, NASA NSTGRO, and the Apple Scholars Fellowship. Our alumni have gone on to top industry roles at places like Amazon and Meta, as well as prestigious academic labs at Stanford, Yale, UT Austin, and others.

  2. Modern Tech Stack and Hardware. We believe in training students on the tools that will define the next decade of robotics. From torque-controlled manipulators like the Franka Emika Panda to high-performance GPU clusters for large-scale learning, our lab gives students hands-on access to the systems and compute that power cutting-edge robotics research.

  3. The Boulder Advantage. We are surrounded by a remarkably strong ecosystem of top AI and robotics companies, from major industry leaders to fast‑moving startups. And you get to do it while living in Boulder, one of the happiest cities in the U.S., with world-class hiking, skiing, and climbing just blocks from the lab.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for self-motivated researchers who are ready to own their projects. You don’t need to know everything on day one, but you should be eager to master the modern robotics stack. Ideal candidates have exposure to:

  • Languages: Modern C++ (C++14/17) and Python 3.
  • Middleware: ROS 2 (Humble/Jazzy) and DDS. Experience with Docker and CI/CD is a plus.
  • AI & ML: PyTorch or JAX. Experience with Reinforcement Learning (RL) or Computer Vision.
  • Simulation: Isaac Sim, Gazebo, MuJoCo, or Genesis. Sim-to-Real transfer is a core research area.
  • Hardware: Experience debugging real physical systems (sensors, actuators, PCBs).

Not a coding expert yet? If you have a strong background in Mechanical/Electrical/Aerospace Engineering and/or Cognitive Sciences/Psychology a drive to learn, we want to hear from you!

How to get involved

If you are looking for postdoctoral positions

First, good choice! Doing a post-doc was my best decision ever. Second, we are generally recruiting ambitious postdoctoral associates to take on leadership roles within the lab.

  • The Opportunity: You will mentor Ph.D. students, lead grant-writing initiatives, and have the freedom to define your own research agenda within the scope of Embodied and Social Intelligence. We view this role as “Pre-Faculty” training.
  • Fellowships: We strongly encourage and support applications to internal (e.g. the CU Boulder Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship) and external funding opportunities. These prestigious programs offer a competitive salary, research funds, and a direct pathway to tenure-track positions for scholars committed to academic diversity and excellence.
  • To Apply: Postdoc hiring does not follow standardized processes for admission. We recommend planning well in advance in order to be able to apply to funding and fellowships. If interested, please send Prof. Roncone an email with the subject: with the subject: [POSTDOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY] and that includes your CV, a 1-page research statement, and a link to your Google Scholar profile.

Prospective Ph.D. or Master’s student

If you are a prospective graduate student (PhD or MS), please apply to the graduate program! Deadline for Fall admission is December 15th; we usually do not admit students in the Spring semester. If you have any further questions, feel free to send Prof. Roncone an email with the subject: [PROSPECTIVE PHD STUDENT]. If you want to know more about the graduate program, please go here. Here is an overview of the research performed in the Computer Science Department at CU Boulder:

If you are a current CU student

If you are a current CU student [graduate or undergraduate], please send Prof. Roncone an email with the subject: [RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY]. Before reaching out to us, it is highly recommended that you look at Section 1 of our new member to-do list. Hitting the ground running in terms of understanding our research and proposing new ideas is particularly appreciated! Furthermore, please explain in your email why you want to work with us, and attach a transcript of your classes and a CV. If you have an on-line portfolio or code repository, provide a link to them as well in your email. Also, a shorter email is recommended–please be concise and to the point.