Evangelos Kanoulas

Two PhD positions are available at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in AI for Science , with a strong focus on using modern machine learning to support scientific discovery and improve the interpretability of AI systems. Position 1 is centered on fine-tuning and retrieval for multimodal foundation models in science . The research will develop methods that adapt foundation models to scientific tasks such as segmentation maps, simulation fields, time-series prediction, and retrieval-augmented explanation generation. A key application area is environmental science, including air quality, PFAS, microplastics, soil and water contamination, and satellite-based detection of oil spills and plastic. The work is embedded in the Information Retrieval Lab (IRLab) at the Informatics Institute and involves collaboration with environmental scientists across Europe in the Horizon Europe project EVELYN . Position 2 focuses on mechanistic interpretability of machine learning models . This project investigates how deep learning systems make predictions internally and develops post-hoc interpretability techniques to explain trained models. The work may involve transformers, graph neural networks, and other AI architectures, with applications ranging from social network analysis to molecular simulation, provided the data includes ground-truth explanations for evaluation. This position is embedded in the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) and the Informatics Institute, within the Socially Intelligent Artificial Systems (SIAS) group. The positions are led by Prof. Evangelos Kanoulas and Dr. Ana Lucic . The project environment is highly collaborative and research-oriented, with opportunities to publish at major AI and machine learning venues such as ICLR, SIGIR, ACL, EMNLP, NeurIPS, ICML, FAccT, and AAAI. Applicants must have an MSc in artificial intelligence, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, or a related field, plus a demonstrable background in machine learning, strong Python software engineering skills, and fluent English. The university asks for a motivation letter, a transcript of Master-level courses, a writing sample, and a detailed CV; a GitHub or portfolio link is strongly encouraged. The appointment is for four years, with an initial 18-month contract subject to satisfactory evaluation, and includes an educational plan and teaching duties. The salary is a gross monthly amount of €3,204 to €4,051 based on 38 hours per week, excluding holiday and year-end allowances. The deadline for applications is 15 January 2027 .

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is offering three fully funded PhD positions within the AI-STEEL Project, focused on the sustainable design and development of new steel materials by integrating experimental and modeling approaches. This interdisciplinary project aims to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to extract valuable information from legacy industrial and academic data, facilitating the design of innovative steel grades with improved sustainability. PhD1 will concentrate on developing agentic multi-modal models capable of reading, extracting, and acquiring knowledge from both textual and structured legacy data, such as physical measurements. The goal is to predict characteristics of new steel grades and provide prompt-based summarization and quantitative predictions. This position is based at the Institute of Informatics (IvI), working closely with Prof. Dr. Evangelos Kanoulas and the Information Retrieval Lab, which specializes in neural, generative, and conversational retrieval methods. PhD2 will focus on the inverse design of new steel grades, combining forward simulation models with novel inverse design techniques to identify optimal design parameters. The candidate will collaborate with Dr. Jan-Willem van de Meent (IvI) and Dr. Corentin Coulais (Institute of Physics), integrating predictions from information extraction models to navigate the design space. PhD3 is an experimental position, working with Dr. Shiju Raveendran at the Catalysis Engineering Group in the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS). The candidate will synthesize and characterize new materials, validate model predictions, and collaborate with consortium partners. The Catalysis Engineering Group focuses on sustainable chemical processes, including chemical recycling, CO2 conversion, and renewable fuels. All PhD candidates will participate in educational activities, such as teaching and supervising students, and will benefit from a vibrant research environment at UvA's Faculty of Science. The positions offer a temporary contract for 4 years, with a competitive salary (€3,059–€3,881/month), holiday and year-end allowances, tax benefits for non-Dutch applicants, pension contributions, and extensive fringe benefits including professional development courses and parental leave. Applicants must hold a relevant Master's degree and demonstrate strong communication skills, initiative, and motivation for sustainability-focused research. Experience in research projects, computational chemistry, and analytical techniques is desirable. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. For more information and to apply, visit the official application link.