The Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network provides doctoral researchers with fully funded Ph.D. fellowships and access to a pool of outstanding faculty, comprising directors and independent research group leaders from accross the Max Planck Society. The program allows young academics to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the sciences by developing and applying AI methodology. Admission is competitive and candidates should possess a track record of excellence.
The program is an initiative of the Max Planck Society (MPS). It is funded by the MPS and collaborates closely with the European Laboratory for Leaning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS).
Program setup
The program supports excellent young researchers by connecting them to advisors across the Max Planck Society (MPS) to carry out research on the development and application of AI methods. Each student is matched with two advisors at different institutes:
- one advisor working in a field close to
MLandAI, and - the other advisor in an application area (“
X”).
Each junior scientist supported by the program will form the core of a concrete collaboration between two different research fields. Students split their time across the two sites, with the constraint that at least 6 months are spent in each place.
These MPS “AI+X” Ph.D.s conduct cutting-edge curiosity-driven research in machine learning and inference pertaining to scientific applications across the whole research spectrum represented in the MPS.
Advisors can be both MPS PIs, i.e. directors or independent research group leaders, or co-advise with PIs from the ELLIS Network.
How to join Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network as a Ph.D. student?
To join the program, you must participate in the central recruiting process.
The program utilizes the ELLIS application portal. If your preferred advisor is not shown on the list of signed-up advisors, please approach them in order to sign up in the portal. We expect the list of advisors to expand in the near future.
Further details on both processes along with required steps and documents can be found in the application section.
How to join Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network as an advisor
All Max Planck Society PIs , i.e. directors or independent research group leaders are welcome to participate in the Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network.
Since the program is using the ELLIS application portal, signing up as advisor is required. Advisors have the choice to participate in one program exclusively or in both programs simultaneously. Participating advisors will need to select:
- exclusively "Max-Planck AI Network", if they only want to participate in the Max-Planck Artificial Intelligence Network.
- "Max-Planck AI Network" along with up to four research fields from the list, if they are already ELLIS members and would like to participate in both programs, ELLIS and the Max-Planck Artificial Intelligence Network
Career Support and Training
The program offers networking and training activities such as summer schools and workshops. It also cooperates with local doctoral programs.
Mobility opportunities are offered in order to promote connections between the participating institutes. Each junior scientist supported by the program will form the core of a concrete collaboration between two different research fields. Students split their time across the two sites, with the requirement that at least 6 months are spent in each location.
Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network Coordination Team
For general questions about the program, please contact us at ai@is.mpg.de.
