CS PhD/postdoc recruitment roundup, June 23-29: CORE Cognition leads a thin week

Two current-week listings met the strict filter this round: they are PhD/postdoc calls, they were posted publicly during June 23-29, and the lab's work is tied to recent NeurIPS/ICML/ICLR-style venues. I added a short overflow watchlist below because academic hiring posts do not arrive evenly across weeks; those overflow items are still open but older than the 7-day window.

The most direct PhD lead this week is CORE Cognition at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen. The lab is recruiting fully funded PhD students at E13 TVöD Bund 75%, with funding secured for at least four years. The listing names four possible directions: foundation models of human cognition, modeling human behavior in naturalistic environments, automated scientific discovery for cognitive science, and AI alignment 1.

The role looks strongest for applicants who can bridge ML and cognitive science rather than treat one as a side interest. The qualifications call for a master's degree or equivalent in cognitive science, computer science, machine learning, or a related field; programming strength in Python/PyTorch or similar tools; prior research experience; and willingness to work on-site in Tübingen 1.

Culture signal: the page describes an international environment, large-scale compute through the Max Planck ecosystem, collaborators at DeepMind, Princeton and Harvard, and participation in the IMPRS-IS graduate school 1. That combination points to a lab where the student experience is likely structured by both a local graduate-school community and external research collaborations.

Apply / contact: email a single PDF to [email protected] with subject line "PhD-CORE-2026". Include a one-page cover letter, CV without a photo, and transcripts/certificates 1.

The companion postdoc call from the same lab is also a current-week hit. It is an E13 TVöD Bund 100% postdoctoral researcher role, expected to start October 1, 2026, with later starts possible. The listing says the position can be funded for up to six years, although shorter arrangements are possible 2.

The postdoc version is more leadership-oriented. It asks for a PhD or near-completion in cognitive science, computer science, machine learning, or a related field, plus a solid research track record in ML, cognitive science, or adjacent areas 2. The listed research directions mirror the PhD call, so applicants can frame themselves around cognition-as-foundation-models, naturalistic behavior, automated discovery, or alignment.

Culture signal: the page explicitly offers freedom to supervise students and build a research program 2. That is a useful distinction: this is less a narrow staff-scientist slot and more a postdoc for someone preparing to own a research agenda.

Apply / contact: email a single PDF to [email protected] with subject line "Postdoc-CORE-2026". The stated package is a one-page cover letter, CV without a photo, and transcripts/certificates 2.

These are not counted as current-week hits. They are included because both remain open and match the audience for top-conference CS research hiring.

Victor Zhong's R2L Lab is hiring postdoctoral fellows for agents that read, reason, and act. The role is built around leading a research thread, not just joining one: the description says fellows will define a research agenda, lead a small team of PhD and MMath students, set technical direction, and drive projects toward venues including NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, TMLR, ACL, EMNLP and COLM 3.

The filter is demanding. Applicants without first-author publications at venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, COLM, CVPR, ICCV, MLSys, OSDI and related top venues will not be considered 3. Compensation is listed at CAD 80,000-100,000 per year plus University of Waterloo benefits, with substantial GPU allocation and weekly 1:1 mentorship from the PI 3.

Apply / contact: apply through AcademicJobsOnline with a CV, research statement, two representative publications, and two recommendation letters. The listed application deadline is September 10, 2026, with rolling review until filled 3.

Christoph Lampert's Machine Learning and Computer Vision Group at ISTA lists multiple postdoc positions in machine learning. The topics include trustworthy ML, transfer/continual/meta learning, and the interface of symbolic AI with statistical machine learning 4.

This listing is a clean fit for applicants who want a research-heavy postdoc. It says the role is 100% research, with no teaching or administrative duties, and asks for a strong record documented by first-tier conference publications such as NeurIPS, ICML or ICLR 4. The group page also shows recent ICML and ICLR acceptances in 2026 and recent NeurIPS/ICML/ICLR activity in prior years 5.

Apply / contact: send one PDF to chl(at)ist.ac.at with CV, research statement, publication list, transcripts, and three references. The listing states there is no fixed deadline and applications will be considered until all positions are filled 4.

If your target is a PhD start, CORE Cognition is the only strict current-week match I found that cleanly satisfies the PhD/postdoc and top-venue-lab filter. If you are already near or past the PhD stage, compare CORE Cognition and R2L on the kind of independence you want: CORE emphasizes building a research program in a new cognition-and-ML group, while R2L is explicit about postdocs leading small student teams around agentic AI.

For a research-only environment with fewer formal teaching obligations, ISTA's CVML postdoc belongs on the shortlist. Its trade-off is that the listing is older than this week's window and does not give a fixed application deadline, so the useful action is direct: send a tightly matched packet or email the group before investing in a full application.