Prof. Dr. Vincent Fortuin of the University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN) has been awarded a Starting Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). This prestigious funding will enable him to conduct the project “AutoBayes – Unlocking Reliable Small-data AI through Bayesian Deep Learning” at UTN. ERC Starting Grants provide funding of up to €1.5 million for a maximum period of five years.
Modern AI systems often require vast amounts of data. In many scientific and practical applications, however, only small amounts of data are available. Prof. Fortuin therefore aims to advance Bayesian deep learning methods that enable AI systems to learn reliably from small datasets and to better quantify the uncertainty of their results. His fundamental research is motivated by real-world problems, whose solutions would have major impact.
“The ERC Starting Grant gives us the opportunity to recruit a focused research team to make real progress in the area of AI for small data,” says Prof. Dr. Vincent Fortuin.
“For UTN, a university that is still in its formative years, securing an ERC Starting Grant for the second consecutive year is an outstanding achievement. I warmly congratulate Professor Vincent Fortuin on receiving this highly prestigious European award. His AutoBayes project addresses a key challenge in artificial intelligence: How can we develop AI systems that are both powerful and reliable, even when only limited data is available? The grant recognizes not only his excellent research, but also UTN’s ambition to become an internationally visible university for innovative and responsible AI—one that gives outstanding researchers the freedom they need to achieve scientific breakthroughs,” says Prof. Dr. Michael Huth, Founding President of UTN.
Vincent Fortuin has been Full Professor of Probabilistic Machine Learning in UTN’s Department of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) since 2026. At the same time, he leads the “Efficient Learning and Probabilistic Inference for Science” research group at Helmholtz AI in Munich. His research focuses on combining deep learning with probabilistic models and on developing reliable and data-efficient AI. Fortuin received his doctorate from ETH Zurich and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge.
In the 2026 funding round, the ERC is awarding 421 Starting Grants worth a total of €705 million. A total of 4,807 proposals were submitted, resulting in a success rate of 8.8 percent. Of the selected projects, 89 will be carried out at institutions in Germany – of which 22 will be hosted in Bavaria.
With Vincent Fortuin’s award, UTN is now home to 4 active or allocated ERC grants. This places it among the leading universities in Germany in relation to the number of appointed professors.
Press Photos for Download:
Portrait of Prof. Vincent Fortuin (Copyright: Andreas Heddergott / TU Muenchen)
About the University of Technology Nuremberg
The University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN), founded in 2021, is the first newly established public university in Bavaria since 1978. The UTN is a living laboratory building a university for the age of AI and the rapidly advancing changes in technology, business and society. The UTN strives to become a strong regional force in research, teaching and transfer and an internationally leading university of the 21st century with regional roots and a global outlook.
The 37-hectare, sustainable UTN campus will form the center of the new Lichtenreuth district in Nuremberg, close to the historic city center. Around 6,000 students, 200 professors and at least 2,000 employees will study and work there. Study programs will integrate aspects of technology, liberal arts, social sciences and natural sciences to ideally prepare students for the interdisciplinary requirements of the new world of work.
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Head of UnitCommunication Unit
Prof. Dr. Vincent Fortuin of the University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN) has been awarded a Starting Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). This prestigious funding will enable him to conduct the project “AutoBayes – Unlocking Reliable Small-data AI through Bayesian Deep Learning” at UTN. ERC Starting Grants provide funding of up to €1.5 million for a maximum period of five years.
Modern AI systems often require vast amounts of data. In many scientific and practical applications, however, only small amounts of data are available. Prof. Fortuin therefore aims to advance Bayesian deep learning methods that enable AI systems to learn reliably from small datasets and to better quantify the uncertainty of their results. His fundamental research is motivated by real-world problems, whose solutions would have major impact.
“The ERC Starting Grant gives us the opportunity to recruit a focused research team to make real progress in the area of AI for small data,” says Prof. Dr. Vincent Fortuin.
“For UTN, a university that is still in its formative years, securing an ERC Starting Grant for the second consecutive year is an outstanding achievement. I warmly congratulate Professor Vincent Fortuin on receiving this highly prestigious European award. His AutoBayes project addresses a key challenge in artificial intelligence: How can we develop AI systems that are both powerful and reliable, even when only limited data is available? The grant recognizes not only his excellent research, but also UTN’s ambition to become an internationally visible university for innovative and responsible AI—one that gives outstanding researchers the freedom they need to achieve scientific breakthroughs,” says Prof. Dr. Michael Huth, Founding President of UTN.
Vincent Fortuin has been Full Professor of Probabilistic Machine Learning in UTN’s Department of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) since 2026. At the same time, he leads the “Efficient Learning and Probabilistic Inference for Science” research group at Helmholtz AI in Munich. His research focuses on combining deep learning with probabilistic models and on developing reliable and data-efficient AI. Fortuin received his doctorate from ETH Zurich and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge.
In the 2026 funding round, the ERC is awarding 421 Starting Grants worth a total of €705 million. A total of 4,807 proposals were submitted, resulting in a success rate of 8.8 percent. Of the selected projects, 89 will be carried out at institutions in Germany – of which 22 will be hosted in Bavaria.
With Vincent Fortuin’s award, UTN is now home to 4 active or allocated ERC grants. This places it among the leading universities in Germany in relation to the number of appointed professors.
Press Photos for Download:
Portrait of Prof. Vincent Fortuin (Copyright: Andreas Heddergott / TU Muenchen)
About the University of Technology Nuremberg
The University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN), founded in 2021, is the first newly established public university in Bavaria since 1978. The UTN is a living laboratory building a university for the age of AI and the rapidly advancing changes in technology, business and society. The UTN strives to become a strong regional force in research, teaching and transfer and an internationally leading university of the 21st century with regional roots and a global outlook.
The 37-hectare, sustainable UTN campus will form the center of the new Lichtenreuth district in Nuremberg, close to the historic city center. Around 6,000 students, 200 professors and at least 2,000 employees will study and work there. Study programs will integrate aspects of technology, liberal arts, social sciences and natural sciences to ideally prepare students for the interdisciplinary requirements of the new world of work.
Contact
Peter Diehl
Communication Unit