Join the Independent Research Group and work on AI Safety research, evaluate capabilities in large reasoning models, AI agents, and discover novel machine behavior – especially behavior related to deception and evaluation awareness. As a PhD candidate, you will have the opportunity to conduct high-impact research and work on your dissertation while contributing to the development of safe AI. The project is located at the University of Stuttgart, Germany.
For a brief insight into our previous work, visit Dr. Thilo Hagendorff’s website at www.thilo-hagendorff.info.
Details:
We are dedicated to innovative ideas and to conducting high-impact research. Our goal is to understand novel behavior in frontier models and ensure that developers avoid safety and security vulnerabilities. You should be motivated to empirically investigate LRMs/LLMs and address research questions related especially to deception and evaluation awareness, particularly in agentic settings.
As AI technologies evolve rapidly, it is essential for us to stay at the forefront of the latest advancements and techniques. Therefore, we seek a researcher who is open to new ideas, eager to learn, and ready to explore different approaches to addressing safety challenges in AI. As a researcher in our group, you will be able to work on cutting-edge projects in a fast-growing area of AI research, publish your findings in leading academic journals, or present your work at conferences.
We invite applications from all fields, but a background in computer science is an advantage.
• PhD candidates hold a Master's or equivalent degree
• Familiarity with LRMs/LLMs
• An interest in empirically evaluating these technologies
• Willingness to learn new skills and knowledge
• Strong analytical and programming skills, being proficient in Python and statistics
• Advanced English language skills (knowledge of German is not required)
What we offer:
The PhD position offers high-potential researchers an exceptional opportunity to conduct impactful research and work on their PhD. Additionally, the position benefits from support structures offered by ELLIS Stuttgart, the Graduate Academy of the University of Stuttgart (GRADUS), and the Research Focus IRIS.
• The position is TV-L 13 according to the German federal wage agreement.
• The position is offered on a two-year fixed-term basis.
• The envisaged start date is as soon as possible
• This is not a cog-in-the-machine PhD. It’s a chance to help shaping a new research field.
• We don’t count hours. We count ideas that excite us.
How to apply:
Please submit your application in a single PDF file to thilo.hagendorff@iris.uni-stuttgart.de, including the following:
• Cover letter describing your background and research interests
• CV, containing a list of publications (if any).
• A document describing your most important achievement(s) (this can, but must not only include academic/professional achievements, but also achievements that you value personally, like caring for a specific cause, learning from a mistake, etc.).
• Certificates (Bachelor, Master). Please include a certified translation of the diploma for languages other than German or English.
• Reference letters (if available).
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible, as the position will be filled once a suitable candidate has been identified. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Thilo Hagendorff at thilo.hagendorff@iris.uni-stuttgart.de.
The University of Stuttgart would like to increase the proportion of women in the scientific field and is therefore particularly interested in applications from women. Severely disabled persons are given priority in the case of equal suitability.
We look forward to your application!
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z.T. im Homeoffice
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