About the position
The Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS) trains PhD students in learning systems, from machine learning and computer vision to robotics and AI safety. Each fellow has two advisors: one at ETH Zurich, and one at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart or Tübingen, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken, or the ELLIS Institute Tübingen.
You choose a main location based on your interests and spend a compulsory 12 months at the other. All fellows register as doctoral students at ETH Zurich and receive their degree from ETH. The fellowships are fully funded, and the programme runs in English.
What you will do
- Do basic research in an area such as AI for science, AI safety, computer vision, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, robotics, computational biology or human–computer interaction.
- Spend 12 months at your partner institution as part of the programme.
Who can apply
- An excellent master's degree in a relevant subject, already held or expected.
- A strong interest in basic research in learning systems. The call lists more than 30 areas, from causal inference to soft robotics.
- Good written and spoken English.
What is offered
- A fully funded PhD, supervised jointly across ETH Zurich and a Max Planck Institute or the ELLIS Institute Tübingen.
- A doctoral degree from ETH Zurich.
How to apply
- Apply through ETH's online portal, linked below. Every part of the application is due by 23:59 Central European Time on 2 November 2026.
- The official posting lists the participating advisors; some are available only as co-advisors for the exchange year.
- Long-listed applicants are asked for a research video of two to five minutes.
- Shortlisted applicants are invited to the selection symposium in Tübingen on 1–2 March 2027.