AITHYRA PhD Call 2026

AITHYRA, the Research Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, will open a new call for PhD Students in September 2026.

The next AITHYRA PhD call opens in

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Application Timeline

Call Open: September 1 – November 1 2026

Deadline for Applicants: November 1 2026

Deadline for Referees: November 3 2026

Panel Interviews (online): November 30 – December 1 2026

Onsite visit (in person): January 27-29 2027

Programme start: September 1 2027

AITHYRA International PhD Call

Do you want to help transform human health through machine learning and life science approaches? Join AITHYRA in Vienna for a fully funded PhD at the intersection of machine learning, experimental biology, chemistry, and medicine.

AITHYRA – the Research Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence of the Austrian Academy of Sciences – is building an AI-native research environment in which computation, automation, intelligent agents, and experimental science work together to understand and reprogram biological systems.

We believe that the next advances in biomedicine will come from connecting disciplines and perspectives. Our researchers develop and apply cutting-edge AI alongside high-throughput biology, molecular and cell biology, chemical biology, and laboratory automation to address urgent challenges in cancer, immunological disorders, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disease.

The AITHYRA International PhD Programme in AI for Biomedicine welcomes talented students from computational, life-science, medical, and interdisciplinary backgrounds. Whether you are an AI researcher keen to explore biology, a life scientist interested in quantitative methods, or already work across both fields, we invite you to help shape the future of biomedical research.

Programme Goals

Our PhD programme enables doctoral researchers to:

  • Design, execute, manage, and communicate an independent research project in modern AI-driven molecular medicine.
  • Develop expertise across artificial intelligence, machine learning, life sciences, and quantitative or experimental research methods.
  • Apply approaches such as geometric deep learning, generative AI, representation learning, high-throughput genetics and proteomics, molecular biology, and chemical biology to pressing biomedical questions.
  • Work at the interface of dry-lab computation and wet-lab experimentation, with access to robotics and automated laboratory infrastructure.
  • Collaborate across disciplines and contribute to a global research ecosystem spanning academic and institutional partners.
  • Build the scientific, communication, and innovation skills needed to translate discoveries into tools, therapies, and potentially startups.

Structure & Curriculum

The programme combines independent doctoral research with structured training, interdisciplinary exchange, and professional development.

It includes:

  • A highly interactive introductory programme in a supportive peer-group environment.
  • An individual research project supervised by an AITHYRA faculty member and supported by the wider faculty community.
  • Doctoral training and complementary coursework through one of AITHYRA’s university partners.
  • Institute-wide seminars, journal clubs, workshops, and scientific community activities.
  • Training in research data management, good scientific practice, safety, scientific communication, grant writing, and proposal development.
  • Opportunities for professional and career development, including leadership, communication, teaching, equity and inclusion, and career-planning activities.
  • Participation in scientific conferences, academic training, and interdisciplinary networking.

Doctoral researchers document seminars, workshops, conferences, publications, and other academic achievements through AITHYRA’s doctoral-progress workspace. Training activities are planned in consultation with supervisors and aligned with the requirements of the relevant doctoral programme.

Research Environment

AITHYRA connects artificial intelligence and machine learning with experimental life sciences and chemistry to understand – and ultimately reprogram – molecular mechanisms and biological systems. Its research spans biological scales, from molecules and cells to complex physiological systems.

PhD researchers join a highly multidisciplinary environment with access to state-of-the-art technologies, experimental automation, and robotics. They work alongside researchers with expertise in AI/ML, molecular and cell biology, chemistry, high-throughput experimental methods, and biomedical science.

AITHYRA’s mission is to embed AI as a co-pilot throughout the scientific process: from hypothesis generation and experimental design to biological interpretation and therapeutic innovation.

Timeline & Milestones

The next AITHYRA International PhD Programme will begin on 1 September 2027 (Application period September 1 – November 1 2026). The PhD employment contract and funding cover four years, allowing candidates to undertake an ambitious, sustained research programme.

The programme begins with an interactive orientation and introductory training phase. Throughout the doctorate, researchers pursue their thesis project, complete partner-university coursework and training requirements, participate in AITHYRA scientific activities, and regularly discuss research progress and development goals with their supervisors.

The doctoral degree is awarded by one of AITHYRA’s partner universities. Depending on the research project, academic background, and supervisory arrangement, candidates register with the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, or TU Wien. Doctoral programmes at these institutions generally comprise 180 ECTS, combining dissertation research with complementary coursework and training.

The final doctoral milestones – including thesis registration, submission, and defense – are governed by the curriculum and regulations of the degree-granting university.

Audience

The programme is designed for curious, collaborative, and ambitious researchers who want to work at the intersection of AI and the life sciences.

We welcome applicants with backgrounds in:

  • Computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, or related quantitative fields.
  • Medicine, biology, chemistry, molecular biosciences, bioengineering, or related life-science disciplines.
  • Interdisciplinary fields and non-traditional academic pathways that bring valuable new perspectives to biomedical AI.

You may be especially well suited to the programme if you are:

  • A full-scale thinker who is excited by the integration of AI across biological scales, from molecular systems to whole biological processes.
  • A lifelong learner who wants to develop expertise beyond your original discipline.
  • A collaborative thinker who communicates effectively across fields and values shared problem-solving.
  • Comfortable in the dry lab, wet lab, or motivated to expand into the other environment.
  • Interested in science, innovation, and translating research into meaningful biomedical impact.

Students of all nationalities are encouraged to apply. AITHYRA’s working language is English, and the institute brings together an international community representing many nationalities.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants should meet the following requirements:

  • Hold, or expect to hold by September 2027, a master’s degree in computer science, computational biology, bioengineering, engineering, physics, statistics, mathematics, medicine, biology, chemistry, or a related scientific or technical field.
  • Have a strong foundation in either a quantitative/computational discipline or a life-science discipline.
  • Demonstrate motivation to work at the intersection of AI and life sciences.
  • Show the ability and enthusiasm to contribute to collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
  • Be interested in developing skills in computational modelling, experimental research, or both.
  • Meet the formal admission requirements of the relevant partner university.

A biological background is not required for applicants from AI or machine-learning fields, and a computational background is not required for applicants from life-science fields. AITHYRA actively values applicants who bring complementary expertise and a willingness to learn.

Funding and Benefits

AITHYRA offers fully funded PhD positions with a generous employment contract for four years. Funding covers research costs and work-related travel expenses.

The programme provides:

  • A minimum gross monthly salary of EUR 2,832.10, paid 14 times per year, in line with FWF recommendations.
  • Full insurance coverage, including health, accident, and retirement insurance.
  • Health-care services and subsidized lunch.
  • Full access to state-of-the-art research technologies.
  • A dynamic, international, and highly multidisciplinary research environment.
  • Social, cultural, and sports activities organized through the institute community.
  • Supervision by leading scientists and support from the AITHYRA faculty.