Funded Doctoral Positions at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS)

The school is a key element of to accelerate basic research and commercial development in artificial intelligence and robotics. IMPRS-IS seeks students who want to earn a doctorate while contributing to world-leading research in areas such as:

• Artificial Intelligence

• Biomedical Technology

• Computational Cognitive Science

• Computer Vision and Graphics

• Control Systems and Optimization

• Data Science and Visualization

• Haptics and Human-Computer Interaction

• Machine Learning

• Micro- and Nano-Robotics

• Natural Language Processing

• Neuroscience

• Perceptual Inference

• Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction

• Soft Robotics and Materials

Renowned faculty include Sahar Abdelnabi, Rediet Abebe, Amirreza Aghakhani, Aamir Ahmad, Buse Aktaş, Frank Allgöwer, Maksym Andriushchenko, Kai Arras, Robert Bamler, Philipp Berens, Matthias Bethge, Michael J. Black, Wieland Brendel, Andrés Bruhn, Andreas Bulling, Martin Butz, Manfred Claassen, Maximilian Dax, Katharina Eggensperger, Benedikt Ehinger, Carsten Eickhoff, Andreas Geiger, Jonas Geiping, Antonia Georgopoulou, Martin A. Giese, Thilo Hagendorff, Moritz Hardt, Florian Hartmann, Daniel Häufle, Matthias Hein, Philipp Hennig, Niels Henze, Christian Holm, Andrea Iannelli, Christoph Keplinger, Mario Krenn, Katherine J. Kuchenbecker, Hilde Kuehne, Anja Lauer, Hendrik Lensch, Anna Levina, Shiwei Liu, Nicole Ludwig, Sabine Ludwigs, Jakob Macke, Georg Martius, Kristof Meding, Celestine Mendler-Dünner, Michael Mühlebach, Philipp Müller, Sven Nahnsen, Mathias Niepert, Seong Joon Oh, Antonio Orvieto, Aniket Pal, Nico Pfeifer, Gerard Pons-Moll, Michael Pradel, C. David Remy, Kerstin Ritter, Philipp Rothemund, Konstantin Rusch, Renate Sachse, Samira Samadi, Harry Scells, Dieter Schmalstieg, Syn Schmitt, Bernhard Schölkopf, Sabine Schulte im Walde, Janneke Schwaner, Michael Sedlmair, Thomas Speck, Steffen Staab, Ingo Steinwart, Alexander Verl, Claire Vernade, Ulrike von Luxburg, Daniel Weiskopf, Felix Wichmann, Bob Williamson, Andreas Wortmann, Thomas Wortmann, and Charley Wu.

Associated faculty include R. Harald Baayen, Franz Baumdicker, Peter Dayan, Jonathan Fiene, Volker Franz, Ksenia Keplinger, Miriam Klopotek, Kay Nieselt, Senya Polikovsky, Peter Pott, Gunther Richter, Cornelia Sindermann, Maria Wirzberger, Isabell Wochner, and Thomas Wolfers.

About the program:

Intelligent systems that can successfully perceive, act, and learn in complex environments hold great potential for aiding society. The school seeks doctoral students who are curious, creative, and passionate about research to join and help advance human knowledge about intelligent systems.

• Admitted students can join the program starting in 2026.

• You will be mentored by an internationally renowned faculty.

• You will register as a university doctoral student and conduct research.

• IMPRS-IS offers a wide variety of scientific seminars, workshops, and social activities.

• All aspects of the program are in English.

• Your doctoral degree will be conferred when you successfully complete your doctoral project.

• Dedicated staff members will assist you throughout your time as a doctoral student.

IMPRS-IS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to excellence through diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, gender identity, or any other non-job-related criteria. They believe in the importance of a multicultural community of students, faculty, and staff who seek to advance our commitment to diversity and inclusion. IMPRS-IS strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

Admission will be competitive. If selected, you will receive funding via an employment contract, subject to the rules of the Max Planck Society and the two participating universities.

Application deadline: 

November 16, 2025 (End of Day, AoE)

Selection interviews: 

February 5–13, 2026

Apply now: 

https://imprs.is.mpg.de/application

For more information, please visit https://imprs.is.mpg.de.