Fully Funded PhD Positions in Responsible AI at the University of Vienna, Austria

The University of Vienna invites applications for PhD Positions in Responsible AI within the Faculty of Computer Science. As part of the Responsible Machine Learning (ML) Group led by Prof. Dr. Martin Pawelczyk, successful candidates will join a founding cohort of doctoral researchers working at the cutting-edge intersection of AI Safety, Data-Centric AI, and Explainable Deep Learning.

Overview & Key Details

Designation

Praedoc / PhD Candidate (Doctoral Researcher) in Responsible Artificial Intelligence.

Research Area

The research sits at the intersection of AI Safety and Data-Centric AI, focusing on making large-scale machine learning models more reliable, transparent, and aligned with human values. Specific focus areas include:

• Data-Centric AI: Data attribution, machine unlearning, data curation, and privacy preservation for large foundation models (LLMs/VLMs).
• AI Safety & Agentic AI: Alignment, multi-agent dynamics, and robust safety protocols in multi-agent LLM systems.
• Explainable AI & Science of Deep Learning: Mechanistic interpretability and understanding fundamental drivers of model performance at scale.
• Efficiency: Streamlining large-scale experimentation and training methodologies.

Location

Vienna, Austria – consistently ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities, offering an international, vibrant research community and excellent public infrastructure.

Eligibility and Qualifications

Must-Have Requirements

• A Master’s degree (completed or near completion) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, or a closely related quantitative field.
• Strong foundational knowledge in machine learning, statistics, and mathematics.
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX.
• An early research track record (e.g., high-quality Master’s thesis, workshop publications, or notable open-source contributions).
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• High motivation to conduct rigorous research both independently and collaboratively.

Desirable Skills

• Experience in training or fine-tuning foundation models (LLMs, VLMs) in distributed or cluster environments (e.g., SLURM, Linux).
• Prior experience contributing to open-source tools or top-tier conference publications.
• Prior teaching or mentoring experience.

Scholarship & Position Description

The selected PhD researchers will become members of the Vienna Doctoral School of Computer Science. Responsibilities include:

• Designing, developing, and evaluating novel machine learning algorithms with theoretical guarantees.
• Publishing and presenting papers at leading international conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, etc.) and journals.
• Completing a doctoral dissertation within the designated 4-year timeframe.
• Participating in teaching assistance, co-supervising students, and organizing academic events.
• Access to fully funded continuing education and over 600 training courses free of charge.

Required Application Documents

Applicants must prepare the following materials:

• Academic Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Cover Letter outlining your motivation, research interests, and earliest possible start date (ideal start between June and October 2026).
• A copy of your Master’s thesis (or an extended abstract if currently in progress).
• Official transcripts of records from both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their application through the official University of Vienna job portal. Applicants are also encouraged to complete the research lab’s introductory questionnaire linked in the official advertisement.

Last Date for Apply

The deadline to submit applications is September 18, 2026.

Apply Link

To submit your application and read the complete official vacancy announcement, please visit the official listing:

Apply Here for PhD Position in Responsible AI at University of Vienna