Helmholtz ELLIS PhD Program in AI

The Helmholtz ELLIS PhD Program in AI is a new joint initiative by Helmholtz and ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems). Through this pilot programme, the Helmholtz Association and ELLIS are strengthening cooperation in doctoral training and advancing excellence in AI- and data-driven research. Designed as an overlay to existing doctoral positions, the programme connects researchers across institutions and disciplines, combining ELLIS’s pan-European network for cutting-edge machine learning research, joint supervision, and international exchange with Helmholtz’s mission-oriented research landscape, unique scientific infrastructures, complex datasets, and interdisciplinary research challenges.

Participating doctoral researchers benefit from access to both the ELLIS and Helmholtz communities, as well as mobility support through HIDA for research stays at international partner institutions, fostering scientific exchange, collaboration, and network building. 

In addition, participants can take part in a broad range of training opportunities offered by both ELLIS and HIDA, including courses, summer schools, workshops, and community events.

Together, Helmholtz and ELLIS are initiating a joint doctoral training framework that connects AI research excellence with mission-driven scientific applications, fostering a new generation of researchers capable of advancing data-driven solutions to pressing scientific and societal challenges.

The application platform will open in October 2026. 

Additional information on ELLIS' guidelines for the central PhD recruitment process can be found here. 

Are you a Helmholtz PI interested in the ELLIS network and in jointly supervising outstanding AI doctoral researchers? 

This fact sheet provides all the information you need about opportunities to participate in the Helmholtz ELLIS PhD Program in AI.