How to Apply

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must hold or expect to hold an excellent degree at Masters level in a relevant subject such as computer science, physics, engineering, applied mathematics, materials science, neuroscience or a related field. Applicants who hold only a Bachelor's degree are not eligible for the CLS doctoral program.

Applicants should be enthusiastic about spending time during their Ph.D. at both CLS partners and have a strong interest in doing basic research in areas such as:

  • Machine Learning and Empirical Inference of Complex Systems
  • Machine Intelligence, including Machine Vision and Natural Language Understanding
  • Perception-Action-Cycle for Autonomous Systems
  • Robust Model-Based Control for Intelligent Behavior
  • Robust Perception in Complex Environments
  • Synthetic, Bio-Inspired, and Bio-Hybrid Micro/Nanoscale Robotic Systems
  • Haptic Intelligence
  • Data-Driven Computational Biology and Medical Informatics
  • Neurotechnology and Emergent Intelligence in Nervous Systems

Good written and spoken English is essential. A formal qualification (e.g. TOEFL, GRE) is not required but may strengthen your application. If you do not hold such a qualification, we require other evidence of English language proficiency (such as having taken another English exam, having studied/worked in an English-speaking environment, having written a thesis/paper in English, etc).

CLS seeks to increase the number of women in areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. Furthermore, the CLS is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Anyone - female or male, any nationality or background - who meets our academic requirements is encouraged to apply.

Application procedure

Fellowships for our CLS doctoral training program are awarded via a highly competitive annual selection process.

The application period typically runs from August - October each year for applicants interested in starting their PhD in the following calendar year. The application must be made through our online application portal; applications sent via email or postal services will not be considered.  Application to the program involves three parts: filling in the online application form, uploading the required supporting documents (your degree certificates and transcripts, a motivation letter and your CV), and arranging for 2-3 reference letters to be submitted directly to our online system.

Following the application deadline, all complete applications will be reviewed carefully, first by the CLS co-ordination office and then by our faculty members. This can take up to four weeks. After this time, short-listed candidates will receive an invitation to participate in our annual selection symposium, which usually takes place in the month of January.

To join in 2022, apply online from August 1 - November 1, 2021. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview at the CLS2022 Selection Symposium on January 24-25, 2022.

Starting date

CLS doctoral fellows begin their PhD in the year following their application. There is no common start; rather the student will decide their start date together with their advisor based on their personal timetable. Due to administrative considerations, the earliest start date is usually not before April 1st.  The latest starting date should be in November. The Master's degree must be completed before the PhD contract start date.