PhD scholarship in Artificial Intelligence

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Southern Denmark (Odense) invites applications for a PhD scholarship in computer science under the umbrella of the Danish Foundation Models initiative. 

The proposed starting date is 1 September 2025 or soon thereafter. The appointment will be made for a term of three years at a competitive salary and will follow the PhD study programme at the Faculty of Science.
Application deadline: 1 August 2025 at 23:59 hours local Danish time

The ideal candidate has a background in or experience with one or more of the following topics:

• SIMD performance engineering.
• Machine Learning.
• Communication-efficient algorithms.
• Graph Neural Networks.

The candidate is expected to hold a relevant MSc degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, (Applied) Mathematics, Computational Statistics or another field that provides a sufficient degree of background in computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematics and/or data science.

Fluency in English and Python are required.

Experience working with real-world performance engineering use cases, extensive software development experience, and knowledge of machine learning frameworks (such as transformers and torch) are pluses.

MSc candidates about to complete will also be considered and should attach a statement from their supervisors regarding their impending completion.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of advanced language models and derived use cases by focusing on one or more of the following topics in their PhD project:

• Training and inference of ML models on GPU clusters.
• Method development for scalable and green AI.
• Use cases in administrative, educational, and legal domains.

The successful candidate will become part of the Centre for Machine Learning. The centre is part of the Data Science & Statistics section at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The department offers an inclusive and international working environment with state-of-the-art facilities and strong traditions for collaboration across research groups, departments and faculties, and with other organisations like educational institutions, municipalities, and companies. 

The degrees offered by the department include BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science, a BSc degree in Artificial Intelligence, and an MSc degree in Data Science.

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27.000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has 3,800+ employees, and 115 different study programs in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, the third largest city in Denmark. Odense provides family-friendly living conditions, with the perfect combination of a historic city centre with an urban and vibrant feel and yet close proximity to beaches and recreational areas. Its location on the island of Funen is ideal with easy access to the larger cities and airports in Aarhus and Copenhagen.

For further information, please contact Professor Peter Schneider-Kamp (petersk@imada.sdu.dk).

Application, salary etc.
The 5+3 programme: Appointment as a PhD Research Fellow is for three  years. Students who have completed their MSc. Employment stops automatically at the end of the period. 
Further information about the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science can be found at the homepage of the University.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background. 

Application must be in English and made in the form of a Declaration of Interest including the following:

• A letter stating your specific interest, motivation, and qualifications for the project in question (max. two pages) .
• Detailed CV, including personal contact information and date entries
• Copies of diplomas, Bachelor as well as Master’s degree, including transcript of notes/grades.
• The names and complete contact details (phone numbers and e-mail) of at least two referees details for at least 2 referees who can vouch for your skills.   

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process. Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated. This also applies to reference letters.

Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

Applications should be sent electronically via the link "Apply now". The faculty expects applicants to read the information "How to apply for a position at SDU" before applying. Please note that the application documents should be in pdf-format and attached as three documents: motivation letter, CV and the remaining documents.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.