Research
Excellent and broad
AI expertise.
Machine Learning
(Probabilistic) Deep Learning
Statistical Relational AI
Computer Vision
Natural Language Processing
Robotics
Models of Higher Cognition
Psychology of Information Processing
Database Systems
Software Engineering
Distributed Systems
Hardware
Bioinformatics
Semantic Web
Sustainability
Medicine
Finance
Multimodal AI
620+ Publications
Artificial Intelligence Publications from our team.
170.000+ Citations
A growing number of citations in other publications.
AI Conferences
Program Chair at ACL, CVPR, UAI, CoRL, ECML PKDD among others.
Fellows
EurAI, IEEE, ELLIS among others.
Projects
hessian.AI initiates and participates in a lot of projects to drive cutting-edge research, promote interdisciplinarity, and foster the transfer of AI research to the broader community.
Excellence Strategy of the German federal & state governments
HMWK Cluster projects
LOEWE projects
A selection of projects in which hessian.AI is involved:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
- Collaborative Research Centre 1053 MAKI Multi-Mechanisms Adaption for the Future Internet
- Collaborative Research Centre 1119 CROSSING Cryptography-Based Security Solutions: Enabling Trust in New and Next Generation Computing Environments
Federal and State
ATHENE – National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity
- ATHENE AVSV Automatic Vulnerability Scanning and Verification
- ATHENE REVISE Reliable and Verifiable Information through Secure Media
- ATHENE SeDiTraH Secure Digital Transformation in Health Care
- ATHENE SenPai Security and Privacy in Artificial Intelligence
- ATHENE TRUDATA Trustworthy Data Ecosystems
European Research Council (ERC)
ERC Advanced Grants
Prof. Dr. Iryna Gurevych
InterText – Modeling Text as a Living Object in Cross-Document Context
Call 2021
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mira Mezini
PACE – Programming Abstractions for Applications in Cloud Environments
Call 2012
ERC Consolidator Grants
Prof. Dr. Thomas Wallis
SEGMENT – 3D scene understanding in two glances
Call 2022
Prof. Constantin A. Rothkopf, Ph.D.
ACTOR Towards a computational account of natural sequential behavior
Call 2021
Prof. Stefan Roth, Ph.D.
RED – Robust, Explainable Deep Networks in Computer Vision
Call 2019
Prof. Dr. Heinz Koeppl
CONSYN – Contextualizing biomolecular circuit models for synthetic biology
Call 2017
ERC Starting Grants
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Grace Li Zhang
LogiNet – Logic-Driven Efficient Computing and Analysis of Deep Neural Networks on Hardware
Call 2025
Prof. Dr. Charley Wu
C4 – Compositional Compression in Cognition and Culture
Call 2024
Prof.‘in Georgia Chalvatzaki, Ph.D
SIREN – Structured Interactive Perception and Learning for Holistic Robotic Embodied Intelligence
Call 2024
Prof. Dr. Justus Thies
LeMo – Learning Digital Humans in Motion
Call 2024
Prof. Dr. Jan Peters
SKILLS4ROBOTS – Policy Learning of Motor Skills for Humanoid Robots
Call 2014
Prof. Stefan Roth
VISLIM – Visual Learning and Inference in Joint Scene Models
Call 2012
ERC Proof of Concept Grants
Prof. Dr. techn. Heinz Koeppl
LONGSENSE – A novel biosensor for IncRNA
Call 2020
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mira Mezini
REScala – A Programming Platform for Reactive Data-intensive Applications
Call 2019
Grants of the Europäische Innovationsrate (EIC)
EIC Transition Grant
Prof. Jan Peters, Ph.D.
VRP – Visuelle Roboterprogrammierung
Laufende koordinierte Verbundprojekte
MSCA – COFUND
trainLSE: Interdisciplinary and intersectoral doctoral training programme at the Technische Universität Darmstadt in Life Science Engineering
01.04.2024 – 31.03.2029
Koordination: Prof. Dr. Heinz Koeppl
MSCA – DN
SYNSENSO – Cell-free synthetic biology for combinatorial biosensor design
01.09.2022 – 31.08.2026
Koordination: Prof. Dr. Heinz Koeppl
Graduate School
With the hessian.AI Graduate School, that is currently being established, we combine the goal of promoting young scientists in the field of artificial intelligence in the best possible way, ensuring optimal conditions for doctoral studies, and continuously strengthening the international appeal of hessian.AI.
For this purpose, hessian.AI has established its own supervision concept as well as a qualification program. We see the following aspects as central to the doctoral phase in hessian.AI:
- Development of sustainable research concepts
- practice in cooperative and interdisciplinary work on a research topic
- Acquisition of specialized knowledge beyond the special field of the dissertation as well as further key qualifications relevant to the professional field (such as entrepreneurship, project management skills, etc.)
- Development of mediation skills both for exchanges with an expert audience as well as for conversation and communication activities with an audience outside the discipline
- Acquisition of initial teaching experience
- Participation in international research collaborations and, if possible, expansion of international contacts
What’s life like as a PhD candidate in Germany?
In Germany, pursuing a PhD — especially in computer science or engineering — can be a rewarding experience both professionally and personally. PhD candidates are typically employed by their universities or research institutions, earning a competitive salary that covers living expenses, healthcare, and family needs. A full-time position at the E13 level usually starts at around €4,600 per month, with salary growth over time. The working environment is supportive, with access to top-tier research facilities and generous funding opportunities. While some departments operate primarily in German, many leading institutions use English as their working language, making it accessible to international candidates.
PhD candidates benefit from structured programs, paid holidays, and no tuition fees. Beyond academics, Germany offers a rich cultural experience — from diverse cuisine to quirky traditions — and a strong sense of community among researchers. All in all, it’s a place where academic growth and quality of life go hand in hand.
Connectom Networking and Innovation Fund
The Connectom Fund offers seed funding for joint research between hessian.AI members and other colleagues from participating universities. It is financed by the state of Hesse and is announced and carried out by the Technical University of Darmstadt as the lead partner of hessian.AI. The fund is used to support projects across the entire spectrum of research, teaching, demonstrator/prototype development or application.