ELLIS PhD Program: call for applications 2026

The ELLIS PhD Program: call for applications 2026 is open. The European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems pairs each student with a primary advisor and a second advisor for research in machine learning and related fields. The news page is dated 10/09/26. The portal opened on 1 October 2026. Applications close on 31 October 2026 at 23:59 AoE. The page does not say the call is closed.

The ELLIS society does not employ or fund PhD students. The program page says students get advisor funded support for research and conference travel. It does not state an amount. G-Research supports the program through scholarship funding through 2028, and the news page does not state that amount either. The program has received European Union funding under ELIAS grant agreement 101120237, from 2023 to 2027, and under ELLIOT grant agreement 101214398, from 2025 to 2029.

There are three tracks. The academic track uses two European academic institutions, with at least six months at the second advisor in a different European country. The industry track pairs a European academic institution with a European company. The student spends at least half their time at the academic partner and at least six months with the industry partner. The interdisciplinary track pairs an AI advisor with a tenured faculty member in a field other than AI. A second advisor can be chosen up to five months after acceptance. The PhD degree must come from a European institution, unless one advisor is a CIFAR fellow or a Canadian AI Chair.

Apply through the ELLIS application portal. A complete application needs the form, a two page letter with a research statement, a CV, and unofficial transcripts with an English translation. You request two or three references in the portal before the deadline. At least two referees should be professionally established at the level of an independent investigator or above. At most one reference may come from a postdoc. References from PhD students or classmates are not accepted.

Review is in November and December 2026. Interviews are in January and February 2027. Decisions come in late February or March 2027. There is no common start date. In a typical round, fewer than 5 percent of registered applicants are accepted, and between 5 and 10 percent of eligible applicants are accepted. ELLIS says it expects about 200 advisors in this round. Women and people living with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply.

Quick answers

How much does it pay?

The official page does not state an amount.

When is the deadline?

The deadline is 31 October 2026.

Who can apply?

Prospective PhD students. People who are already PhD students or postdocs working with an ELLIS fellow, scholar, or unit faculty use a separate year round nomination, not this call. The PhD degree must come from a European institution unless one advisor is a CIFAR fellow or a Canadian AI Chair. It is limited to applicants in Europe.

How do I apply?

Through the official page at apply.ellis.eu. The link is at the top of this page.

When is the second advisor chosen?

The main match is with the primary advisor. A second advisor can be chosen later, up to five months after acceptance, by the student and the primary advisor together.

What if the university has its own admissions deadline?

Some advisors require a parallel application through their institution. If you miss that deadline, the advisor may not be able to hold the PhD place.

When must referees send their letters?

Request the references in the portal before applications close. After that request, referees have until 25 November 2026 at 23:59 AoE.