The ELLIS Institute in Tübingen, Germany, invites applications for Principal Investigator positions as Hector Endowed Fellows of the ELLIS Institute Tübingen.
ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) is a pan-European AI network of excellence. It builds upon machine learning as the driver for modern AI and aims to secure lasting international leadership of AI made in Europe by connecting top researchers in this field and by creating a multi-centric AI research laboratory.
As the first institute of the ELLIS network, the ELLIS Institute Tübingen is a hub for AI research, attracting top machine learning talent and providing excellent facilities on Tübingen’s vibrant, fast-growing campus. Founded in 2023 as a non-profit and supported by the Hector Foundation and the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Institute’s mission is to advance pioneering AI research that combines fundamental scientific excellence with societal relevance.
The ELLIS Institute Tübingen maintains close ties to ELLIS and works alongside the Tübingen AI Center and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in the heart of Cyber Valley, where researchers, startups, and industry meet.
The ELLIS Institute Tübingen is seeking new independent Principal Investigators to join its team of world-class researchers, with full academic freedom, no teaching, and minimal service obligations. As a privately funded institute, the ELLIS Institute offers globally competitive packages alongside substantial research budgets covering personnel, equipment, and operating costs. The Institute welcomes applications from all areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Positions are initially for six years and generally include an appointment as a Fellow or Scholar of the ELLIS Society.
There is also the possibility of co-appointment as an Independent Research Group Leader with MPI-IS, one of Europe’s leading AI research institutes, including an additional research budget. A tenure-track option at MPI-IS exists for outstanding senior candidates. The positions allow co-appointment as a professor at the University of Tübingen (this requires a separate application to the full professor call, deadline 15 November).
Both co-appointment options are part of the Tübingen AI Center, a joint research center of the University of Tübingen and the MPI-IS, supported by permanent government funding. Co-appointed Principal Investigators benefit from the extensive resources and vibrant intellectual environment of the Tübingen AI Center, which currently hosts seventeen full professors and is actively expanding.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental values at the Institute and integral to its recruitment process. The Institute strives to foster an intellectually diverse environment where all qualified applicants receive equal consideration, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or age. It especially encourages applications from groups and research areas that are underrepresented in the Institute’s community.
Candidates should hold a PhD or an equivalent international degree. Applications must include a research statement (up to three pages) detailing past accomplishments and future scientific plans, as well as an academic CV including a publication list. All materials should be submitted in English as a single PDF file via the online application system.
In addition, the ELLIS Institute requires reference letters to be submitted directly by the referees. After registering in the online application system, you will receive detailed instructions on how these letters should be sent.
To receive full consideration, applications must be submitted by December 13, 2026.
Important Dates
- December 13, 2026—Application deadline
- March 8–9 2027—On-site talks in Tübingen, Germany
- April 2027—Final decisions
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email applications-pi@tue.ellis.eu.
