LMU PhD Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence 2026

This is a team of international researchers led by Prof. Stefan Feuerriegel to push the frontier of AI for decision-making. The team is highly diverse and comes from different countries and areas (e.g., machine learning, statistics, economics, engineering). We develop, implement, and evaluate new AI algorithms to improve data-driven decision-making. Our team publishes regularly in the top-tier AI/ML conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, KDD) but also in application-oriented outlets (e.g. Nature Communications, Management Science). Importantly, our institute has a double affiliation with the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Statistics, which allows us to pursue a broad vision aimed at impact across teaching and research.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

They are seeking highly motivated candidates with a passion for research and a drive to make groundbreaking contributions in the field of AI. Research outlook is a top-priority for the position. Candidates will also gain experience in teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level and may supervise student theses.

Generally, Research Assistants can pursue either (A) a method track or (B) an application track (or a combination thereof).

In the (A) method track, the aim is to make contributions to the top-tier outlets from ML/AI (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, AISTATS, KDD). Here, we typically focus broadly on methods around causal machine learning. This includes (but is not limited to):

• causal machine learning
• causal representation learning,
• reinforcement learning,
• off-policy evaluation/learning,
• probabilistic ML / uncertainty quantification (e.g., diffusion models, Bayes)
• etc.

In the (B) application track, we aim to advance decision-making through new AI/ML tools across various application areas (e.g., sustainability, medicine, marketing). Here, PhD students regularly publish in various high-impact outlets (e.g., Nature Communications, Nature Medicine, Management Science, KDD) If desired, PhD students can collaborate actively with partners (e.g., Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine) to solve the big problems of time. The focus is to show the value created by new AI/ML tools and to apply them in practice. This includes:

• AI/ML for better decision-making in medicine
• AI for Good to promote sustainable development
• AI/ML for business decision-making
• Human-AI collaboration

Our research group is always open to own research proposals and further suggestions.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineJanuary 31, 2026
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorLudwig Maximilians Universitat Munchen (LMU)
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• You will be in a motivated, international team with a very vibrant atmosphere. Our offices are in central Munich. During this time, participation in conferences, summer schools, and voluntary exchange programs are also supported. Work is almost entirely research-centered with limited teaching duties.
• We work with an international network of researchers (e.g., Harvard, Yale, NYU, Cambridge) to develop solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s global challenges. It is common for successful candidates to visit our international network for research stays at their premises.
• Past graduates have landed top positions in both industry (e.g., BCG, startups with multi-million seed funding) and academia (e.g., University of Oxford, ETH Zurich).
• The position is initially for two years, with an option to extend until the end of the PhD. The starting date can be set individually, based on mutual agreement.
• LMU Munich is an equal opportunity employer, committed to enhancing the diversity of its faculty. We encourage female candidates to apply.
• Also possible in a part-time capacity.
• People with disabilities who are equally as qualified as other applicants will receive preferential treatment.

Requirements

Ideally, the candidate has a Master’s degree in one of the following fields (or a related field):

• Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Statistics
• Computer Science
• Machine Learning
• Business Informatics

The team language is English, so fluency in English is required.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• LMU have a lightweight application procedure (CV and transcript only) to minimize effort on both sides. A cover letter, internship reports, or certificates are not required. Please note that they only accept applications submitted via e-mail to [email protected] no later than 31.01.2026.

For more information, kindly visit LMU webpage.