The ELLIS PhD Program is a key pillar of the ELLIS initiative whose goal is to foster and educate the best talent in machine learning and related research areas by pairing outstanding students with leading academic and industrial researchers in Europe. The program also offers a variety of networking and training activities, including summer schools and workshops.
Each PhD student is co-supervised by one ELLIS Fellow/Scholar or Unit Member and one ELLIS Fellow/Scholar, Unit Member or Member based in different European countries, and conducts an exchange of at least 6 months with the secondary advisor. Students can choose one of three tracks:
- Academic Track: collaboration with an academic partner in another country;
- Industry Track: collaboration with an industry partner;
- Interdisciplinary Track: cross-domain collaboration with an academic partner specialised in a field unrelated to AI/ML (e.g., biology, law, finance).
Joint supervision with a CIFAR fellow or Canadian AI Chair holder is also possible through the ELLIS/CIFAR partnership, and candidates can apply jointly to the Max Planck AI Network (MP-AIX).
How to apply
Interested candidates should apply online through the ELLIS application portal by October 31, 2026, 23:59 AoE. Only complete applications will be considered.
Important dates
- October 1, 2026: application portal opens
- October 31, 2026, 23:59 AoE: application deadline (firm)
- November/December 2026: review stage
- January/February 2027: interview stage
- Late February/March 2027: decisions
- Program start: depends on the advisor and institution
Contacts
If you are interested in doing your PhD at the Modena ELLIS Unit, you can contact the Unit members directly or write to the Unit secretariat at segreteria.aimagelab@unimore.it.
