Connectionists: [PhD Positions] Natural Language Understanding at University of Copenhagen

[Isabelle Augenstein]

The Natural Language Understanding Research Group at the Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen is seeking to recruit PhD students for a start in Spring or Autumn 2026.

- A fully funded 3-year PhD fellowship on Explainable Natural Language Understanding for a start in Spring 2026 is available as part of the ExplainYourself project<https://erc.europa.eu/news/erc-2021-starting-grants-results> on Explainable and Robust Automatic Fact Checking. The position requires candidates to have completed a Master’s degree by the start date. The successful candidate will be supervised by Isabelle Augenstein<http://isabelleaugenstein.github.io/> and co-supervised by Pepa Atanasova<https://apepa.github.io/>. Read more about the position and apply here<https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx/?cid=1307&departmentId=18970&ProjectId=164789&MediaId=5&SkipAdvertisement=false> by 31 October 2025.
- A fully funded 3-year PhD fellowship in Trustworthy Natural Language Processing with expected start date of 1st March 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter). The successful candidate will engage in developing innovative methods for trustworthy NLP models, including but not limited to mechanistic interpretability, explainability, reasoning, factuality, safety mechanisms, and practical applications of trustworthy AI. This independent fellowship offers flexibility in developing your research direction within trustworthy NLP, tailored in collaboration with the candidate to align their interests and the group’s research goals. The fellowship is offered with Pepa Atanasova<https://apepa.github.io/> as the main project supervisor and will be co-supervised by Isabelle Augenstein<http://isabelleaugenstein.github.io/>. Read more about the position and apply here<https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=1307&ProjectId=164924&DepartmentId=18970&MediaId=5&IsAdPreviewRequest=true&AdvertisementId=118926> by 31 October 2025.
- For a start in Autumn 2026, we are considering candidates on any topic aligned with the focus areas of our lab<https://www.copenlu.com/#projects>. Candidates should express their interest by applying to the ELLIS PhD programme<https://ellis.eu/news/ellis-phd-program-call-for-applications-2025> by 31 October 2025, naming Isabelle Augenstein as a supervisor.

More information about the positions can be found here<https://www.copenlu.com/news/phd-fellowships-for-start-in-spring-or-autumn-2026/>.

Informal enquiries about the positions can be made to Professor Isabelle Augenstein, Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, e-mail: augenstein at di.ku.dk<mailto:augenstein at di.ku.dk>.

Isabelle Augenstein, Dr. Scient., Ph.D.
Professor and Head of the NLP Section, Department of Computer Science (DIKU)
Co-Lead, Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence

University of Copenhagen
Østervold Observatory
Øster Voldgade 3
1350 Copenhagen

augenstein at di.ku.dk<mailto:augenstein at di.ku.dk>
http://isabelleaugenstein.github.io/
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