22.08.2025

Cluster of Excellence “Machine Learning” – A Stepping Stone for Young Researchers

All nine group leaders of the cluster are taking on positions that will advance their careers

All researchers who are or were appointed as group leaders in the Cluster of Excellence “Machine Learning: New Perspectives for Science” have now reached follow-up positions that advance their scientific careers: These next steps include appointments as Assistant Professors or tenure-track professorships. The Cluster of Excellence has thus achieved its goal of providing the best possible conditions for its researchers to grow and develop in science during their time at the cluster.

From Climate Science to Medicine

During its first funding period from January 2019 to December 2025, the Cluster of Excellence hired a total of nine group leaders. All were still in the early stages of their scientific careers, having either recently completed their doctorates or having worked for a few years as postdoctoral researchers or in industry.

The groups' focuses ranged from topics such as “Machine Learning for Sustainable Energy Systems” and “Human and Machine Cognition” to the use of machine learning in medical image analysis. With their work, each group has made a significant contribution to the cluster’s success and strengthened the links between machine learning and other scientific disciplines.

Our group leaders from the first funding period will continue their careers at the following institutions:

• Franz Baumdicker is moving to a Professorship at the University of Giessen, Germany.
• Christian Baumgartner started as an Assistant Professor at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, in February 2024.
• Katharina Eggensperger will be taking up a Professorship at TU Dortmund, Germany.
• Konstantin Genin accepted an offer from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA, to become an Assistant Professor.
• Bedartha Goswami was appointed Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Science and Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India, in October 2024.
• Miriam Klopotek moved to the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in April 2022 as a Junior Research Group Leader.
• Nicole Ludwig relocated within the University of Tübingen to a Professorship at the Tübingen AI Center in June 2025.
• Claire Vernade has accepted an offer for a Professorship at the Technical University of Nürnberg, Germany.
• Charley Wu is taking up a Professorship at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.