Application procedure
Fellowships for our CLS doctoral training program are awarded via a highly competitive annual selection process. Download the Call for Applications (PDF, 123 KB) to join in 2026.
The application period typically runs during September - 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. All parts must be submitted by the application deadline.
Following the application deadline, all complete applications will be reviewed carefully. This will take 2-3 weeks. After this time, long-listed candidates will be asked to submit a 15-minute research video (detailed information will be provided). In the next stage, short-listed candidates will receive an invitation to participate in our annual selection symposium, which usually takes place in the month of February. Unsuccessful applicants will be informed later.
See the video below for guidance on the application process and useful tips, or take a look at our FAQs page.
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:
Bio-inspired /Bio-hybrid Robotics, Biomechanics, Causal Inference, Computational Biology, Computer Graphics, Computer Vision, Control Systems, Deep Learning, Digital Humans, Earth Observation, Educational Technology, Efficient AI, Explainable AI, Graph Representation Learning, Haptics, Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Robot Interaction, Imaging Technology, Machine Learning, Medical Informatics, Medical Robotics, Natural Language Processing, Neuroinformatics, Optimization, Perceptual Inference, Probabilistic Models, Reinforcement Learning, Robotics, Safety, Security and Privacy, Scientific Machine Learning, Smart Materials, Social Questions, Soft Robotics, Statistical Learning Theory, Visual Analytics.
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 who meets our academic requirements is encouraged to apply.
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.