ELLIS PhD Class of 2026 Open for Applications
Are you passionate about machine learning, AI, or interdisciplinary research? Here’s your chance to become part of Europe’s most prestigious AI research network. The ELLIS PhD Program has officially opened its Call for Applications 2025, inviting brilliant students worldwide to apply for the class of 2026.
Why the ELLIS PhD Program Stands Out?
The ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) PhD Program is more than just a doctorate—it’s a gateway to world-class AI research and global collaboration. Students are paired with top-tier academic and industry researchers across Europe, with opportunities for cross-continental partnerships, including joint supervision with CIFAR Fellows/Canadian AI Chairs.
What makes this program unique is its structured exchange requirement: every ELLIS PhD student spends at least 6 months abroad with their co-advisor, ensuring rich international exposure and research diversity.
Students can choose from three innovative tracks:
- Academic Track – collaborate with top AI research institutions.
- Industry Track – conduct applied AI research with industry leaders.
- Interdisciplinary Track – merge AI with fields like biology, law, finance, or psychology.
Research Areas
ELLIS welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, with focus areas including (but not limited to):
- Deep Learning & Reinforcement Learning
- Robotics & Human-Robot Interaction
- NLP, Information Retrieval, and Computer Vision
- Quantum & Physics-based ML
- ML for Health, Climate Science, Chemistry, and Social Sciences
- Interpretability, Fairness, Security, and Ethics in AI
Whether you dream of revolutionizing healthcare with AI, shaping ethical machine learning, or building next-gen robotics, ELLIS has a path for you.
Apply: https://ellis.eu/news/ellis-phd-program-call-for-applications-2025
Application Timeline
The application process for the ELLIS PhD Program follows a clear timeline. The application portal will officially open on October 1, 2025, accompanied by a virtual information session at 16:00 CET to guide prospective applicants.
All applications must be submitted by the firm deadline of October 31, 2025, at 23:59 AoE. Once the submission period closes, the review stage will take place between November and December 2025, followed by the interview stage in January and February 2026.
Finally, successful candidates will be notified of their admission decisions in late February to March 2026.
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