ELLIS PhD Program 2026 call in different European countries

Applications are now open for the ELLIS PhD Program 2026 call, which offers PhD positions starting in 2027 for talented students in machine learning and related research areas. Selected students are supervised by two leading researchers based in different European countries and spend at least 6 months on an exchange with their second advisor, in academia, in industry, or in a different field.

The program is open to applicants from any field of AI driven research and the deadline is 31 October 2026 at 23:59 AoE. It does not restrict applications by nationality. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

• Degree level: PhD
• Host country: Europe
• Application deadline: 31 October 2026, 23:59 AoE (firm)
• Reference letter deadline: 25 November 2026, 23:59 AoE
• Open to all nationalities: Yes

Eligibility Criteria:

• You must apply to a PhD position with an advisor listed in the current “Advisor List” on the ELLIS application portal.
• You need university studies at BSc and MSc level, as you must upload transcripts for both.
• Your PhD degree must come from a European institution, unless one of your advisors is a CIFAR Fellow or Canadian AI Chair holder.
• Your two advisors must be based in different European countries. In the Academic Track, the second advisor can be outside Europe only if they are an ELLIS Fellow or Scholar.
• You need at least 2 referees (maximum 3) who can assess your academic performance and research abilities.
• At least two referees must be independent investigators, principal scientists, group leaders, lecturers or above.
• A maximum of one reference can come from a postdoc.
• References from PhD students or classmates are not accepted.
• Your application must be complete. Incomplete applications are not considered.

Advisor Combinations

• Academic and Industry Tracks: One ELLIS Fellow, Scholar or Unit Member, plus one ELLIS Fellow, Scholar, Unit Member or Member, both based in Europe.
• Interdisciplinary Track: One ELLIS Fellow or Scholar, plus one tenured faculty member in a non AI field, both based in Europe.
• CIFAR option (all tracks): One ELLIS Fellow or Scholar in Europe, plus a CIFAR Fellow or Canadian AI Chair holder.
• MP AIX option (Interdisciplinary Track): One ELLIS Fellow or Scholar in Europe, plus one MP AIX researcher.

Also Check: Wellcome Sanger Institute PhD Programme 2027 in Cambridge, UK

Choose Your Track:

Academic Track

You collaborate on AI and machine learning with an academic partner in another country. You visit your second advisor in a different European country for at least 6 months, and you can split the time as you like.

Industry Track

You collaborate with an industry partner.

• You spend at least 50% of your time at the academic partner institution.
• You spend at least 6 months with the industry partner, in blocks or spread out (for example, 2 days per week).
• The industry partner, research lab and industry advisor must all be based in Europe.

Interdisciplinary Track

You collaborate with an academic partner in a field unrelated to AI.

• You spend at least 50% of your time with your primary advisor.
• You spend at least 6 months with your second advisor, in blocks or spread out.
• If both advisors are at the same university in different departments, the 6 month visit is not required, but you should meet your second advisor regularly and are encouraged to spend at least one month abroad.

University of Cambridge BBSRC DTP PhD Program (Fully Funded)

Research areas:

Research areas include, but are not limited to:

• AutoML
• Bayesian and Probabilistic Learning
• Bioinformatics
• Causality
• Computational Neuroscience
• Computer Graphics
• Computer Vision
• Deep Learning
• Earth and Climate Sciences
• Health
• Human Behavior, Psychology and Emotion
• Human Computer Interaction
• Human Robot Interaction
• Information Retrieval
• Interactive and Online Learning
• Interpretability and Fairness
• Law and Ethics
• Machine Learning Algorithms
• Machine Learning Theory
• ML and Sustainability
• ML in Chemistry and Material Sciences
• ML in Finance
• ML in Science and Engineering
• ML Systems
• Multi agent Systems and Game Theory
• Natural Language Processing
• Optimization and Meta Learning
• Privacy
• Quantum and Physics based ML
• Reinforcement Learning and Control
• Robotics
• Robust and Trustworthy ML
• Safety
• Security, Synthesis and Verification
• Symbolic Machine Learning
• Unsupervised Learning
• Social Sciences and Humanities
• Entrepreneurship and Tech Transfer

Required Documents:

Upload all documents as PDFs.

• Motivational letter (two pages): Explain why you want a PhD within the ELLIS network, and include a research statement covering your past projects, interests and future research direction. You can also name advisors you would like to work with.
• CV: Include your education, work experience, full citations of any publications, research presentations and awards.
• Unofficial transcripts: Include all university studies (BSc and MSc), with an English translation.
• Optional documents: A thesis, published paper or project portfolio (or parts of it) as a single PDF under 20 MB.

Also Check: University of Tokyo MEXT Scholarship 2027 in Japan (Fully Funded)

Apply in Parallel If Required:

Some institutions have their own strict graduate program deadlines, sometimes as early as December. If your advisor’s profile says a parallel application is necessary, do not wait for the ELLIS results.

• Missing the institution’s deadline could delay your start by a year.
• In the worst case, you could lose the position if the advisor’s funding expires.
• If you are unsure, check the institution’s website or contact your preferred advisor.
• The safest option is to apply to both in parallel.

Important Dates:

• 30 September 2026: Virtual information session (already held)
• 1 October 2026: Application portal opens
• 31 October 2026, 23:59 AoE: Application deadline (firm)
• 25 November 2026, 23:59 AoE: Reference letter deadline
• November to December 2026: Review stage
• January to February 2027: Interview stage
• Late February to March 2027: Decisions
• Depends on advisor and institution: Program start

Also Check: VISTEC Scholarship for Master’s and PhD Programs 2027 (Fully Funded)

How to Apply:

1. Register on the ELLIS application portal to receive your login details.
2. Read the official ELLIS FAQs and the PhD program webpage.
3. Check the Advisor List on the portal and note which advisors match your research interests.
4. Check whether your chosen advisor requires a parallel application (“Parallel application necessary? Yes”).
5. Contact your referees personally and make sure they agree to write a strong recommendation.
6. Fill in the application form with your personal details, preferred research fields and advisors, degrees and experience.
7. Upload your motivational letter, CV, transcripts and any optional documents.
8. Request your references through the portal before 31 October 2026, 23:59 AoE. This is not possible after the deadline.
9. Submit your application before the deadline.

Also Check: University of Tokyo MEXT Scholarship 2027 in Japan (Fully Funded)