Fully-Funded PhD Positions in Biology, Computer Science, Data Science & Scientific Computing, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics and Chemistry

Overview 

The  Institute of Science and Technology Austria  (IST Austria) is looking for highly qualified candidates with Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees to apply for the IST Austria PhD program. We offer fully-funded PhD positions in Biology, Neuroscience, Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Data science and Scientific Computing , in a world-class research environment on the outskirts of Vienna. 
Students spend the first year completing coursework and rotations before choosing a thesis group. Our PhD graduates have gone on to top positions in academia and industry all over the world.  
In 2019, IST Austria was ranked #3 in the world-wide Nature Index ranking (normalized).
In 2018, IST Austria was ranked within the top ten of Nature Index Rising Stars “Top 30 academic institutions under 30” list and was featured in this article in Nature Index. 

PhD Program 

The goal of the PhD program  at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) is to produce intellectually broad, curious, open-minded scientists who are able to approach problems from different angles and can collaborate with diverse types of scientists. To this end, our students complete an innovative interdisciplinary training program consisting of both research and taught elements, and receive close mentoring by world-class faculty from different disciplines. 
All students whose broad research interests align with those of our faculty are eligible to join the IST Austria PhD program. Selection of the thesis supervisor occurs at the end of the first year. In the first year, students complete coursework and rotations  in three different research groups. After selecting a thesis supervisor and passing the qualifying examination, students work on their thesis research, attend international conferences and colloquia, and receive training in teaching and other transferable skills. 
Research groups are deliberately kept small to ensure close supervision, and all students are mentored by several faculty members who make up their thesis committee. 
All students are offered 5-year contracts. All students making reasonable progress are fully funded until the time of their thesis defense. 
The next call will open in the Fall of 2021 (second half of October) for a start in September 2022. The application deadline is January 8, 2022 (11:59 PM CET). 

Apply here

All our PhD students are fully funded, at internationally competitive salary levels, and receive full social security coverage. There is also financial support for students for attending scientific conferences and workshops.