CISPA Software Lab PhD Scholarship at University of Stuttgart

CISPA Software Lab PhD Scholarship 2026 at University of Stuttgart

If you are looking for a fully funded PhD opportunity in Germany with a strong monthly salary, world-class research environment, and English-speaking lab culture, the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security and the University of Stuttgart are now inviting applications for PhD students to join their highly respected Software Lab
.

This is not just a standard doctoral admission call — it is a paid PhD research position offering international applicants the chance to work at the cutting edge of software engineering, artificial intelligence, programming languages, and cybersecurity
, while living in one of Germany’s most advanced academic cities.

With competitive funding, top-level mentorship, and global career outcomes, this PhD opportunity is one of the strongest research-based scholarships in Europe for 2026 applicants.

The CISPA Software Lab is hiring PhD researchers for a 1–2 year funded research stay leading into a full PhD track
, where candidates will be employed at CISPA and receive their doctoral degree from the University of Stuttgart
.

Research areas include highly in-demand topics such as:

• AI-based bug detection and repair using LLM agents
• Static and dynamic program analysis
• Differential software testing and reliability engineering
• Secure systems development for real-world applications

Past work from the lab has contributed to improving major global software systems including Chrome, Python libraries, Java standard tools, and large-scale web platforms
.

Winning this opportunity means entering one of Europe’s most competitive security and AI research environments with full professional employment benefits. Selected PhD students receive:

• Competitive salary of approximately €4,600 per month (Bund E13 pay scale, first year)
• Fully funded PhD employment at CISPA Helmholtz Center
• Opportunity to earn a doctorate from the University of Stuttgart
• 30 days of paid leave per year with regular 40-hour work weeks
• English as the official working language (German not required)
• Access to a world-leading research ecosystem in privacy, AI, and security
• Strong career pathways into top companies like Google, Microsoft, IBM
  , and elite academic roles
• High quality of life in Stuttgart, one of Germany’s most culturally rich and livable cities

This is a rare PhD position where you receive both financial stability and global research recognition from day one.

Applicants are encouraged to apply if they have a strong academic foundation and a passion for advanced software research.

Eligible candidates should meet the following:

• Hold (or soon complete) a Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field
• Be interested in pursuing a full PhD within 4–5 years
• Have creativity and motivation to solve technical research challenges
• Enjoy writing code and working on large-scale software systems
• Be confident in reading and writing technical English
• Be comfortable presenting research at conferences and academic forums
• Show persistence and long-term commitment to research work

CISPA also strongly encourages applications from:

• Female researchers
• Applicants with disabilities (50% or more, preference given if equally qualified)
• Candidates interested in part-time PhD arrangements.

The last date to apply for the CISPA Helmholtz Center Software Lab PhD Scholarship at the University of Stuttgart is 20 February 2026
, and applicants are strongly advised to submit all required documents well before the deadline to maximize their chances of selection.