Admission
BIFOLD GRADUATE SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY-STAGE RESEARCHERS
The BIFOLD Graduate School offers 10 fully-funded PhD positions each year. We are particularly interested in applicants with a strong focus on Data Management, Machine Learning, and the intersection of these fields. Our research groups address cutting-edge challenges in artificial intelligence and data science.
We welcome candidates whose research interests align with our research fields and encourage those with innovative ideas to join us in our effort to push the boundaries of technology and contribute to real-world solutions. We are looking for early stage researchers who want to earn a PhD in the areas of current challenges in artificial intelligence and data science, with focus on Data Management, Machine Learning, and their intersection. Join us to collaborate with leading experts and contribute to pioneering technological advancements.
Please find a brief description of the current research pursued by the BIFOLD research groups, including short lists of their main topics and foci here. For more details, we recommend that you look at the respective web pages of the participating BIFOLD research groups listed in the box.
The BIFOLD Graduate School offers 10 fully-funded PhD positions (TV-L E13 Berliner Hochschulen) starting each year in October. The annual application is published in winter for four weeks. The application call for 2025 will start on January 06, 2025. All relevant details and updates will be posted on this site; the call can also be found on our opportunities site.
If you have any questions regarding the BIFOLD Graduate School opportunities for early-stage researchers, please contact: gsapplication@bifold.tu-berlin.de.
BIFOLD Research Groups
- Big Data Analytics for Earth Observation
- Big Data Engineering
- Data Integration and Data Preparation
- Database Systems and Information Management
- Distributed Data Stream Processing in Heterogeneous Environments
- Intelligent Biomedical Sensing
- Machine Learning
- Machine Learning and Security
- Machine Learning for Molecular Simulation in Quantum Chemistry
- Management of Data Science Processes
- Probabilistic Modeling and Inference
REQUIREMENTS
To be accepted as a doctoral student, you must have completed a Masters or Diploma or equivalent degree in computer science (e.g., theoretical computer science, methodological-practical computer science, or technical computer science) or a closely related field of study with a focus on at least one BIFOLD core area (e.g., analytics, statistics, ML, DM systems and information management, data science, distributed systems, programming languages and compiler technology, high-performance computing) or acquire it before the program starts in October.
In exceptional cases, we may accept students with an excellent Bachelor's degree (1st class honors). Any additional requirements will be evaluated individually.
HOW TO APPLY
Please read the following application information carefully before you apply. Note that we can only consider applications that contain all necessary documents in English and certificates in German or English.
Interested candidates should email their complete application documents as one PDF file (max. 5 MB) to: gsapplication@bifold.tu-berlin.de.
Application Form
Please download and complete the form by providing detailed and accurate information about your personal data, academic education, publications, current research interests and areas of focus, and contact details for professional or academic references. Each section is crucial for a thorough evaluation of your profile.
Letter of Motivation
Please prepare a 1-2-page letter of motivation explaining why you want to earn a PhD within the BIFOLD Graduate School. Please include a research statement that outlines your past research projects, your technical skills, and how your work aligns with BIFOLD’s key research areas.
Curriculum Vitae
Please send a complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae, including your educational background, work experience, full citations of any publications you may have, and details of awards you have received.
Certificates
Include your academic degree certificates and transcripts, including Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates and transcripts of academic records. If your degree is still in progress, you may submit a provisional transcript, but the final degree must be provided before the program starts.
Recommendations
Please arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent DIRECTLY by your referees to the following email address: gsapplication@bifold.tu-berlin.de.
Ensure that your referees are willing to provide a recommendation before including their contact details in your application. If you plan to submit your application close to the call's end date, inform your referees in advance so they can submit their letters on time. It is your responsibility to ensure that all reference letters are received by the closing date of the call.
Recommendation letters submitted by the applicant her/himself will not be considered!
Submission Guidelines
All submitted certificates must be in English or German. If they are in another language, please submit a copy of the original document and a certified translation into English.
Candidates should email their complete application documents in English as a single PDF file (max. 5 MB) to gsapplication@bifold.tu-berlin.de.
Please ensure that all required documents, including letters of recommendation, are submitted on time. Incomplete applications, including those missing recommendation letters or other necessary documents, will not be considered and may lead to disqualification from the selection process.
Usually, within a day after your application, you will receive a confirmation by email that we have received your application.
Selection Procedure
The BIFOLD Graduate School admission committee will review and evaluate all applications after the last date for application. We do not consider incomplete applications. Valid applications are pre-screened by selected reviewers of the BIFOLD faculty based on academic qualifications, your motivation letter, your research experience and interests, and letters of recommendation. If your application receives a positive evaluation, we will forward it to the participating BIFOLD Graduate School advisors for further review. The top candidates will be shortlisted, and selected applicants will be notified by email and invited to give a short oral presentation about their previous scientific work and answer questions from the audience. They will also attend an interview. Presentations and interviews take place in person or online. The final decision will be made and communicated as soon as possible after the interviews.
Contact
Dr. Tina Schwabe, Graduate School Coordination
Email: gsapplication@bifold.tu-berlin.de
BIFOLD Website Profile