Applications are invited for Two PhD Positions in AI for Science at the Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam (UvA), Netherlands. These four-year funded doctoral research positions are focused on making foundation models and machine learning useful, understandable, and scientifically grounded within the European Horizon Europe project EVELYN.
Summary
The University of Amsterdam is recruiting two PhD candidates to advance Artificial Intelligence for environmental science. The research will be conducted under the leadership of Prof. Evangelos Kanoulas and Dr. Ana Lucic. Selected candidates will investigate how foundation models can be adapted to complex scientific data and explore mechanistic interpretability to decipher the internal predictions of deep learning models.
Scholarship / Position Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Position / Designation | PhD Candidate (2 positions) |
| Institution | University of Amsterdam (Faculty of Science) |
| Research Institute | Informatics Institute (IvI) / ILLC |
| Research Area | Artificial Intelligence for Science, Machine Learning, Foundation Models, Mechanistic Interpretability |
| Location | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Employment Type | Full-time (38 hours per week), 4-year contract |
| Remuneration | €3,204 to €4,051 gross per month (scale P) plus 8% holiday and 8.3% end-of-year allowances |
| Last Date for Apply | 15 January 2027 |
Designation
PhD Candidate / Researcher (UFO profile: PhD Candidate)
Research Area
Artificial Intelligence, Multimodal Foundation Models, Information Retrieval, Mechanistic Interpretability, and Deep Learning for Environmental Science.
Location
Informatics Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Eligibility / Qualification
Candidates applying for either position must meet the following criteria:
- An MSc degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a closely related quantitative discipline.
- Demonstrable academic background and practical competence in machine learning.
- Excellent software engineering skills in Python.
- Fluency in English (both written and spoken).
- An inquisitive mindset and motivation to conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary scientific research.
Scholarship Description
Successful candidates will receive a fully funded temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week spanning 4 years (initially 18 months, extendable to 4 years upon positive evaluation). Alongside carrying out doctoral research leading to a PhD dissertation, the candidates will assist with light teaching duties and participate in specialized courses and international conferences.
Available Positions:
- Position 1: Fine-tuning and retrieval for multimodal foundation models in science
Embedded in the Information Retrieval Lab (IRLab). You will develop parameter-efficient adaptation, retrieval-augmented generation, and evaluation frameworks for multimodal foundation models applied to real-world environmental use cases (e.g., air quality, PFAS, satellite tracking of oil spills, microplastics). - Position 2: Mechanistic interpretability of machine learning models
Embedded jointly in the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) and the Informatics Institute (SIAS group). You will develop post-hoc interpretability techniques to reverse-engineer and comprehend internal mechanisms and information flows inside modern deep learning architectures (e.g., Transformers, GNNs).
Benefits and Salary
- Gross monthly salary starting from €3,204 in the first year to €4,051 in the fourth year (Scale P).
- Additional 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus.
- Favorable tax benefits (the Dutch 30% ruling) may apply to eligible international applicants.
- Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands (CAO NU) employment conditions.
How to Apply
Interested applicants must submit their application online through the official UvA job portal before the closing deadline. Your application must contain:
- A Letter of Motivation detailing your research interests and suitability for the chosen position (maximum 1 page).
- A Detailed CV outlining your complete educational background and employment history.
- A list of all Master-level modules taken with an official transcript of grades.
- A writing sample (e.g., Master’s thesis, published paper, or term paper; state individual contributions if jointly authored).
- Optional but strongly encouraged: A link to a GitHub repository, portfolio, or code projects demonstrating relevant software and ML experience.
Note: All files other than the CV should be compiled and uploaded as a single PDF document.
Last Date for Apply
Applications close on 15 January 2027.
Apply Link
To view the full call and submit your online application, visit the official vacancy portal:
Apply Online at University of Amsterdam
