IMPRS for Intelligent Systems Doctoral Fellowships

The International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS) is a premier doctoral training program jointly established by the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the University of Stuttgart, and the University of Tübingen. As a central pillar of Cyber Valley—Europe's leading artificial intelligence and intelligent systems research ecosystem—IMPRS-IS provides an interdisciplinary research community for doctoral candidates conducting groundbreaking basic research.

Who it's for

The fellowship program is open to exceptional graduate students from anywhere in the world holding (or close to completing) a master's degree in computer science, robotics, electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, or related disciplines. Candidates with exceptional four-year bachelor's degrees may also be considered for direct-track entry. Applicants should exhibit a strong theoretical background, research ambition in artificial intelligence or robotics, and fluent English language skills.

What it covers

All admitted IMPRS-IS doctoral fellows are offered fully funded positions under German public service employment contracts (TVöD or TV-L) or equivalent fellowships, with no tuition fees. These positions provide an internationally competitive annual net salary (typically between €30,000 and €34,000), comprehensive health, accident, and social security coverage, full research budgets, and funding to present research findings at leading global conferences.

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Mathematics, Robotics, Physics, or Engineering.
• Exceptional undergraduate and graduate academic performance.
• Passion for research in machine learning, computer vision, robotics, or cognitive systems.
• High proficiency in written and spoken English (no German language skills required).
• Strong letters of recommendation from academic mentors.

• Full funding through a multi-year employment contract with competitive salary.
• Complete health insurance, social security, pension contributions, and paid annual leave.
• Dedicated travel budget for attending major international AI conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, RSS).
• Access to world-class supercomputing infrastructure and specialized robotics laboratories.
• Joint supervision from leading Max Planck directors and university professors.

1. Prepare your CV, academic transcripts, degree certificates, and a letter of motivation.
2. Select up to five prospective faculty advisors from the IMPRS-IS research directory.
3. Submit your application online through the central IMPRS-IS application portal before November 15, 2026.
4. Have your two referees upload their recommendation letters before the referee deadline.
5. Shortlisted candidates are invited to virtual or in-person selection interviews in early 2027.