ELLIS Units are envisioned as highly innovative ecosystems serving as international talent magnets and incubators of innovation. Thus, rather than just building a “virtual” network amongst institutions, ELLIS aims at creating new working environments for outstanding researchers to enable them to combine cutting-edge research paired with the creation of start-ups and industrial impact. As a stepping stone towards this goal, in September 2019 ELLIS started establishing smaller ELLIS Units based on a call for proposals carefully reviewed by an international selection committee. These units bring together the best AI researchers at their locations and fulfill a set of criteria to ensure excellence and to be maximally competitive at the international level. Currently there are 34 ELLIS Units and the network is growing. A Call for Proposals for the new Units is now open, with a deadline of June 15th, 2022. More details about the application process, requirements and selection criteria is available here.
