ELLIS PhD Program

Call for applications 2026 — for a program start in 2027.

Open — deadline 31 October 2026, 23:59 AoE

ELLIS PhD Program 2026 call

The ELLIS PhD Program pairs PhD students with leading machine learning researchers in Europe. Each student has two co-supervisors in different European countries and takes part in ELLIS summer schools, workshops and networking events. Applications are submitted centrally through the ELLIS portal, not through our group.

Register & apply Official call FAQ

Tracks

  • Academic: AI/ML collaboration with an academic partner in another country.
  • Industry: AI/ML collaboration with an industry partner.
  • Interdisciplinary: collaboration with an academic partner in a non-AI field, such as biology, law or finance.

Research areas include NLP, health, causality, computer vision, deep learning, reinforcement learning, robotics, privacy, safety, and many others. Joint supervision with a CIFAR fellow or Canadian AI Chair holder is also possible.

Timeline

  • 1 October 2026: application portal opens.
  • 31 October 2026, 23:59 AoE: application deadline; reference requests must be sent.
  • 25 November 2026, 23:59 AoE: referees must submit their recommendations.
  • November–December 2026: review stage.
  • January–February 2027: interviews.
  • Late February–March 2027: decisions.

The start date depends on the advisor and institution.

What you need

  • Application form with your research field and advisor preferences.
  • Two-page motivational letter including a research statement (PDF).
  • CV with full publication citations (PDF).
  • Unofficial transcripts for all university studies, with an English translation.
  • Two to three referees; at least two at independent-investigator level or above, and at most one postdoc. PhD students and classmates are not accepted.
  • Optional: thesis, paper or portfolio as one PDF under 20 MB.

Only complete applications are considered. Some advisors' institutions also require a separate application with an earlier deadline; the portal marks these advisors with “Parallel application necessary? Yes”. Admission is competitive, and the PhD degree must come from a European institution unless one advisor is a CIFAR Fellow or Canadian AI Chair holder.

Contact

Questions about the program: (ELLIS PhD Coordination Office). For our own openings, see Join Us.

Source: the official ELLIS call. Please check it for the latest details.