PhD fellowship in Mechanistic Interpretability for LLM Security Full-time NEW

PhD Fellowship In Mechanistic Interpretability For LLM Security

The Natural Language Processing Section at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Mechanistic Interpretability for LLM Security.

The start date is expected to be 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Position

The position is offered in the context of the project “A Mechanistic Framework for Mitigating the Susceptibility of LLMs to Learning False Information” funded by Independent Research Foundation Denmark, led by Isabelle Augenstein and Pepa Atanasova. The project goal's will be to develop a novel theoretical frameworks for LLM security, new mechanistic interpretability methods, and new evaluation protocols, developed through research at the intersection of Natural Language Processing, LLM Security, and Explainable AI. The PhD student's research is expected to focus on researching mechanistic interpretability methods to curb the effects of false information attacks on LLMs at different stages of the model lifecycle. In addition to the PIs and the PhD student, the team also includes a postdoctoral researcher, as well as the opportunity to apply as an academic collaborator with NVIDIA as part of an existing relationship. The PhD student to be recruited in this call is expected to define their PhD project within the scope of the overall project and collaborate with the larger project team.

Who Are We Looking For?

Applicants should hold a MSc degree or equivalent in Computer Science or a related field, and have good written and oral English skills. The assessment of qualifications will also be made based on previous scientific publications (if any) and relevant work experience. The ideal candidate would have an educational background, prior research or work experience in ML or NLP.

Our Group And Research – What Do We Offer?

The successful candidate will join the CopeNLU group at the University of Copenhagen. CopeNLU is a vibrant and collaborative research group led by Isabelle Augenstein and Pepa Atanasova with a focus on fair and accountable NLP. We are interested in core methodology research on interpretability, explainability and bias detection; as well as applications to tasks such as fact checking and cross-cultural learning. With a strong focus on both foundational and applied research, we provide a platform for exploring cutting-edge topics in NLP, while also emphasising the importance of transparent and responsible AI development.

We are affiliated with the Pioneer Centre for AI at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen, located in central Copenhagen. The Pioneer Centre focuses on fundamental AI research, and within an interdisciplinary framework, develops platforms, methods, and practices that address society's greatest challenges. It consists of seven AI research themes, with one being Speech and Language. The Natural Language Processing research environment at the University of Copenhagen is internationally leading, as e.g. evidenced by it being ranked second in Europe according to CSRankings. Further information about research at the Department is available here.

The Principal Supervisor

The principal supervisor is Prof. Isabelle Augenstein, Department of Computer Science, email: augenstein@di.ku.dk, and the co-supervisor is Pepa Atanasova, email: pepa@di.ku.dk.

The PhD Programme

You can undertake the PhD programme as:

A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme ( 5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish Master's degree.

Getting Into A Position On The Regular PhD Programme

Qualifications needed for the regular programme To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme equivalent to a Danish Master's degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the position, i.e. NLP and ML. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms Of Employment In The Regular Programme

Employment as a PhD fellow is full time, on site in Copenhagen, and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific position formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities And Tasks In The PhD Programme

• Carry out a research project with increasing autonomy from your supervisors
• Collaborate with researchers both within the research group, and with external project partners
• Author scientific papers aimed at high-impact venues
• Disseminate research nationally and internationally
• Attend PhD courses on general skills development such as academic writing, as well as relevant specialised courses such as ML or NLP summer schools
• Conduct a change of scientific environment, preferable abroad
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We Are Looking For The Following Qualifications

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD position
• Relevant educational background
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mindset with a strong interest in explainable AI and LLM Security
• Good written and oral English language skills

Application And Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include :

1. Cover Letter detailing your motivation and background for applying for this PhD position;
2. Research Statement detailing your desired research focus and goals for the PhD studies within the scope of the specified position. The research statement should demonstrate your independent thinking by outlining a concrete research direction within Mechanistic Interpretability for LLM Security you wish to explore, including: specific research questions you aim to address, preliminary ideas on methodological approaches you would employ, connections to existing literature, and the potential impact and applications ;
3. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position;
4. Original diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted;
5. Publication list (if available);
6. Names and contact details of three references.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2026, 23:59 GMT +1.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The Further Process

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee. You will be notified about whether your application will be selected for assessment.

The assessors will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above-mentioned research area, skills and other requirements. The assessors will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessments. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in Weeks 25 and 26.

Inquiries about the position can be made to Isabelle Augenstein augenstein@di.ku.dk and Pepa Atanasova pepa@di.ku.dk.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School's website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.