Call for Applicants to Collaborate on WWTF "Transforming Science with AI/ML" Research Proposal

The TU Wien Cybersecurity Center is excited to announce a public call for applicants to join a collaborative proposal effort for the 16th Vienna Research Groups for Young Investigators call 2025, titled “Transforming Science with AI/ML”. This prestigious opportunity is part of the WWTF’s Information and Communication Technologies programme and provides funding of up to €1.8 million per research group over six to eight years, with a goal to drive transformative AI/ML research.

Selected applicants will partner with us to develop and submit a joint proposal to the WWTF Funding Portal. This is a two-step selection process, with an initial evaluation at the Vienna Cybersecurity Center to assess the applicants’ suitability, followed by the formal proposal preparation for WWTF submission. The final proposal will be submitted through the WWTF Funding Portal, opening in late November 2024, with a deadline on 11 March 2025.

In a Nutshell: Successful candidates will receive a tenure-track position at TU Wien along with €1.8 million in personal funding to establish and lead their own research group. Up to three positions will be awarded, empowering selected young researchers to conduct groundbreaking AI/ML research that transforms their chosen discipline.

Potential Research Topics in IT Security with AI/ML Focus:

Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative ideas in IT security that align with the WWTF call’s focus on advancing AI/ML concepts and their transformative impact. Suggested topics include:

1. AI-Driven Threat Detection and Response
Developing advanced machine learning models to detect, classify, and respond to cyber threats in real time.

2. Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning
Creating methods to enhance privacy in AI/ML, such as differential privacy or federated learning, applied to secure systems.

3. Adversarial Machine Learning
Research on methods to safeguard AI systems against adversarial attacks, including robustness and resilience measures.

4. Cryptographic Protocols Enhanced by AI
Leveraging AI/ML to optimize cryptographic protocols, potentially enhancing performance and security in encryption, authentication, or blockchain-based applications.

5. Behavioral Analysis and Anomaly Detection
Using ML techniques to detect anomalies or insider threats through behavioral analysis, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data leakage.

6. Automated Vulnerability Discovery
Utilizing ML to identify and predict vulnerabilities in software, contributing to proactive cybersecurity measures.

7. Explainable AI in Cybersecurity
Developing explainable AI models to improve interpretability and trust in cybersecurity applications, particularly in threat intelligence and incident response.

8. AI for Secure Software Development
Integrating AI/ML to automate secure coding practices and vulnerability identification within the software development lifecycle.

9. Formal Methods for AI-Enhanced Security Verification
Applying formal methods to verify and validate AI/ML-driven cybersecurity solutions, ensuring their reliability, robustness, and compliance with security standards.

If you are a researcher with expertise in IT security and a strong interest in applying AI/ML to drive impactful research, we encourage you to apply. This call represents an exceptional opportunity to lead innovative projects in collaboration with Vienna’s leading cybersecurity and AI experts.

Application Materials:

Interested applicants should submit the following materials for the initial evaluation phase:

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • List of Publications
  • 1-Page Outline of the Main Idea of the Proposal

Next Steps:

Please submit the application materials to the TU Wien Cybersecurity Center, call-wwtf-collaboration@cysec.wien by November 29th. Selected candidates will be invited to contribute to the WWTF proposal development phase in collaboration with our team.

For further details on the WWTF call, visit the WWTF Funding Portal and stay updated for the official “Submission Guideline” release in November.