The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Southern Denmark (Odense) invites applications for a PhD scholarship in computer science under the umbrella of the Danish Foundation Models initiative. 

The proposed starting date is 1 May 2026 or soon thereafter. The appointment will be made for a term of three years at a competitive salary and will follow the PhD study programme at the Faculty of Science. 

The ideal candidate has a background in or experience with one or more of the following topics:

• Advanced deep learning architectures

• Mathematical foundations of machine learning

• Distributed and federated training 

The candidate is expected to hold a relevant MSc degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, (Applied) Mathematics, Computational Statistics or another field that provides a sufficient degree of background in computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematics and data science.

Fluency in English, Python, and C/C plus plus are required.

Experience working with deep learning software stacks, extensive software development experience, and knowledge of machine learning frameworks (such as transformers, torch, Megatron, triton etc.) are pluses. 

MSc candidates about to complete will also be considered and should attach a statement from their supervisors regarding their impending completion. 

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of advanced language models and derived use cases by focusing on one or more of the following topics in their PhD project:

• Training and inference of ML models on GPU clusters.

• Method development for scalable and green AI.

• Use cases in administrative, educational, and legal domains. 

The successful candidate will become part of the Odense NLP group under the Centre for Machine Learning. The centre is part of the Data Science & Statistics section at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The department offers an inclusive and international working environment with state-of-the-art facilities and strong traditions for collaboration across research groups, departments and faculties, and with other organisations like educational institutions, municipalities, and companies. The degrees offered by the department include BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science, a BSc degree in Artificial Intelligence, and an MSc degree in Data Science.

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27.000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has 3,800+ employees, and 115 different study programs in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, the third largest city in Denmark. Odense provides family-friendly living conditions, with the perfect combination of a historic city centre with an urban and vibrant feel and yet close proximity to beaches and recreational areas. Its location on the island of Funen is ideal with easy access to the larger cities and airports in Aarhus and Copenhagen.

We recommend that as an international applicant, you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU. 

Application deadline: 23 March 2026 at 23:59 hours local Danish time

Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk