The ELLIS PhD Program is a Europe-wide meta-program for doctoral research in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields. ELLIS coordinates one central recruiting call each autumn, while participating advisors and their institutions make local offers, employ or enrol students, and award the degree.
Students follow an Academic, Industry, or Interdisciplinary track with two supervisors and structured time at a secondary partner. The 2025 central call is closed; its firm deadline was 31 October 2025, and the next call is expected around October 2026 but has no published opening date.
Benefits & funding
- Funding comes from the selected advisors and host institutions, not from ELLIS; it may be a local employment contract or stipend, and no common amount is published.
- Students receive joint supervision within the ELLIS network and access to workshops, summer or winter schools, and networking activities.
- Academic-track students spend at least six months with a secondary academic partner in another European country. Industry and Interdisciplinary tracks also require at least six months with the secondary partner, subject to stated track exceptions.
- Participants who complete ELLIS requirements receive an ELLIS certificate; the degree itself comes from the admitting institution.
Eligibility
- Qualified candidates of any nationality may apply; no residency, gender, or age restriction is published by ELLIS.
- Final-year Bachelor’s or Master’s students may apply. A Master’s degree is not universally required, because participating institutions set their own local degree and admission rules.
- Central-call candidates must be shortlisted and then hired by an advisor participating in that recruiting round.
- The doctoral degree normally comes from a European institution, with limited advisor-partnership exceptions stated by ELLIS.
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Application process
- 1Register on the ELLIS application portal during the annual central call.
- 2Complete the form with personal details, research and advisor preferences, relevant degrees, and experience.
- 3Upload a motivation letter, CV, and transcripts; a thesis, publications, or project portfolio are optional.
- 4Arrange two or three academic reference letters and submit a complete application by the call deadline.
- 5If shortlisted, interview with participating advisors and complete any required parallel application to the selected institution.
- 6After accepting an offer, identify a co-advisor and submit the signed ELLIS letter of intent to finalize program admission.
Program timeline
Most recent application portal opened and an information session was held.
1 October 2025
Most recent application deadline at 23:59 AoE.
31 October 2025
Central review stage.
November–December 2025
Interviews.
January–February 2026
Decisions began.
Late February–March 2026
Advisors confirmed accepted offers to ELLIS.
1 May 2026
Deadline to finalize admission with a co-advisor and letter of intent.
15 September 2026
The annual central call typically reopens; ELLIS has not published an exact date for the next call.
Around October each year
Program start
No common date; timing depends on the advisor and admitting institution.