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Masterstudenten met een interesse in machine learning kunnen ELLIS Excellence Fellowships volgen. Deze drie studenten hebben dit succesvol afgerond.
Masterstudenten met een interesse in machine learning kunnen ELLIS Excellence Fellowships volgen. Deze drie studenten hebben dit succesvol afgerond.

Interested in machine learning? Follow the ELLIS Excellence Fellowships for master's students

Research news item

Are you a master student interested in machine learning and are you curious about an academic career? Follow the ELLIS Excellence Fellowship: a unique opportunity to engage in a six-month paid academic thesis project at uu77 or Radboudumc.

The next round will start in September. This year, we are offering more than ten projects.

The programme

You will:

  • work on an in-depth, academic thesis project for six months, from 1 September 2025 until 28 February 2026.
  • get €500 gross/month.
  • have access to a dedicated workspace in the ELLIS Unit located on the 20th floor of the Erasmus building every Wednesday.
  • engage in stimulating discussions and gain insights into a wide range of AI topics beyond your project.
  • learn to write academic papers of high quality.
  • co-organise ELLIS unit events, network with researchers and other students in the ELLIS Unit. 

With leading companies

This year, you can apply for exciting projects developed together with companies—more than ever before! For this fall edition, Alliander and ASML are offering projects where you'll work on real-world problems, guided by both academic supervisors from uu77 or Radboudumc and professionals from these companies. Check back regularly, as new company projects will be added soon!

It’s a great chance to apply your academic knowledge in practice, gain insights into how research works in industry, and boost your career prospects—whether you’re aiming for a future in academia, business, or both.

Projects 

All the projects

How to apply?

There are two ways to apply: 

  1. Supervisor projects: students can apply to a project that has been pre-defined by an ELLIS Unit member
  2. Student-supervisor projects: students can submit a project idea together with their supervisor 

Supervisor eligibility criteria 

  • At least one of the supervisors has to be an ELLIS Unit Nijmegen member.  

Student eligibility criteria 

  • Outstanding MSc students of the uu77 and Radboudumc.
  • Applicants must be based in Nijmegen for the duration of the project and be present at the ELLIS unit for at least 75% of the Wednesdays during the fellowship period.
  • Applicants should have a grade point average of at least 8.0 

We highly encourage applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and members of other marginalized communities. 

Application 

Student applications should contain the following: 

  • CV
  • A current overview of your grades
  • Motivation letter – how does this project fit with your interests, and why an ELLIS fellowship is the most suitable for you 

Student-supervisor applications should contain the following: 

  • CV of student
  • A current overview of the grades of the student
  • Student motivation letter – how does this project fit with your interests, and why an ELLIS fellowship is the most suitable for you.
  • Supervisor details
  • Project description 

Selection process 

After verifying that applicants meet the basic eligibility criteria, we will review their motivation letters and CV to assess their interest and fit for the project. Promising candidates will then be invited to participate in interviews. This step will help us judge their research experience, problem-solving skills, and overall potential to contribute meaningfully to the fellowship. Through this process, we aim to identify candidates who are not only academically qualified but also genuinely enthusiastic about advancing in the fields of machine learning and AI. 

Timeline

31 May 2025: Deadline for applications by students to supervisor projects and student-supervisor projects 

9 - 13 June 2025: Interviews with students 

30 June 2025: Selected students are informed 

1 September 2025: Start fellowships  

Student Nadezhda did the ELLIS project as her master thesis for the Data Science master

How did student Nadezha experienced the fellowship?

"I applied for the ELLIS fellowship because I wanted to work on a project that goes a step further than a simple university assignment and is instead solving a real world problem with significant societal or scientific impact. Something that will challenge me personally and academically and show me what the life of a researcher in my field is like. By joining ELLIS, I got the opportunity to work on a project that has the potential to really contribute to science in collaboration with researchers from other universities and industry partners, and to communicate about that research and exchange ideas with people from my sphere, and many others, at conferences and workshops. It was exactly what I was looking for: a great introduction to the research world under the supervision of field specialists. I would say, go ahead and apply! This fellowship was undoubtedly one of the best and most useful and fulfilling parts of my master degree! It is a great learning experience that will help you grow both professionally and on a personal level!"


 

Contact information

Organizational unit
ELLIS Unit, Radboud AI
Theme
Artificial intelligence (AI)