AITHYRA

AITHYRA will become a place where magic happens

AITHYRA was founded in 2024 and will combine the best of academic, corporate, and start-up worlds, and will have a mixture of AI and life science experts. In the ultimate expansion state, AITHYRA is envisioned to have 10-14 junior and senior research groups, as well as many global collaborators, very substantial computational and experimental infrastructure, and a state-of-the-art AI-driven robotic lab. With a generous donation from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation, the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is hosting AITHYRA in Vienna.

A place of scientific innovation and accelerated impact

• We are building the best place in Europe for stellar AI researchers to work on revolutionary biological problems.
• We are bringing together computer scientists, engineers, and biologists in a synergistic effort, and combine the best characteristics of top academic and industrial labs.
• We will experiment fast, both on scientific and institutional levels.

A place with open-source mindset

• We will be a place with rapid dissemination of new ideas and reproducibility of results.
• We will have access to large-scale high-quality datasets, and will build new datasets and benchmarks.
• We will do research in a global context, across institutional and geographic boundaries, and create partnerships with the leading institutions in Europe, UK, and USA.

A place to work, live and thrive

• We would like to be the best employer fostering an inclusive and diverse culture investing and taking care of our people.
• We will address a life-work balance and dual career services in the best manner to attract top talents. Vienna is one of the most livable cities in the world.
• We will provide a clear career trajectory, compensation packages and incentives that are comparable to those in industry, both for scientists and engineers.

A place for training future leaders

• We will ensure that researchers making their career in biological sciences are well-skilled in AI and computations methods, and conversely, computer scientists understand well biological problems and challenges. Researchers with expertise in both fields are in high demand.
• We will invest in career development and training. The success of former employees will be the institute’s success as well.
• We offer meaningful and purpose-driven jobs. The scientific, economic, and societal benefits of an AI-driven life science institute can be groundbreaking, and we aim to be those driving these innovations in Europe.

A place with entrepreneurial culture.

• We will have a “start-up mindset” in the sense of making big bets, taking risks, and having the agility to quickly adapt and pivot when necessary.
• We strive to make AITHYRA the place in Europe for academic founders.
• We train our employees to become ambassadors and role models of their field, involving teaching, dissemination, public outreach and science popularization.

A place with highest standards of conduct.

• We will envisage an organization with flat hierarchy, collegial spirit, and transparent hiring and promotion procedures.
• We will adhere to rigorous integrity and ethics in work and research.
• We will solicit regular independent evaluations of the institute that will help us succeed and achieve our maximum potential.