Open PhD Positions

Our lab at Helmholtz AI in Munich focuses on the interface between Bayesian inference and deep learning with the goals of improving robustness, data-efficiency, and uncertainty estimation in these modern machine-learning approaches. Important research questions include, but are not limited to,

• how to effectively specify priors in deep Bayesian models,
• how to harness unlabeled data to learn re-usable representations,
• how to transfer knowledge between tasks using meta-learning,
• and how to guarantee generalization performance using PAC-Bayesian bounds.

In this context, the Fortuin lab is looking for PhD candidates who have experience in Bayesian machine learning, deep learning, or similar, and who have a strong interest in the aforementioned research directions. You will be working closely with the rest of the Fortuin lab to drive your own research, and be involved in interdisciplinary projects within Helmholtz and in additional international collaborations. You will be given ample opportunity to publish your scientific results and present them at international conferences.

Your qualifications:

• M.Sc. in computer science, statistics, or associated disciplines, with a strong interest in Bayesian machine learning methods
• Strong mathematical background in probability theory, statistics, or similar
• Programming skills in Python (or equivalent), with good working knowledge of deep learning libraries, such as PyTorch or Tensorflow
• Excellent analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills
• Be highly motivated and a team player with excellent communication and presentation skills, including experience in communicating across discipline boundaries

Beneficial qualifications:

• Track record of contributions to peer-reviewed publications and international conferences
• Hands-on experience with Bayesian deep learning
• Experience with shell scripting, cluster and/or cloud computing

The environment:

Munich, with its river, numerous lakes, and its vicinity to the Alps, is considered to be one of the cities with the highest quality of life worldwide. Thanks to its first-class universities and world-leading research institutions, it offers an intellectually stimulating environment for learning and research.

The PhD positions are fully funded and the remuneration and social benefits are based on the collective wage agreement for public-sector employees at the federal level (75% EG 13 TV EntgO Bund, i.e., around 3000€‎ salary per month plus pension and healthcare contributions). The positions are (initially) limited to three years, but under certain circumstances, an extension can be arranged. To promote diversity, we encourage applications from researchers who are still underrepresented in science with respect to their cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, physical abilities, religion and/or age. Qualified applicants with physical disabilities will be given preference.

Logistics:

We are operating on a rolling interviewing schedule, so there is no fixed deadline. If you are currently unsure about doing a PhD, consider reading this post. If you are interested in applying, please send us an email to fortuinlab [at] gmail [dot] com and put the tag [PhD application] in the subject line. We are looking forward to receiving your application, including:

• Motivation letter and research plan: Describe your reason for applying to be part of our lab, and why you think you are the right candidate to fill this position, including some research ideas you would be happy to work on (max. 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae, incl. list of publications and/or conference contributions
• Copy of your diploma/degree certificates
• At least two reference letters (or the names and contact details of two referees)

Master’s theses

We’re always looking for motivated master’s students to join our lab. If you are interested in any of our main research directions, feel free to reach out.