Key takeaway
Quant firms are funding PhDs, sponsoring academic research and recruiting directly from AI labs. You can apply for a research fellowship, a university studentship or a paid quant research role.
Introduction
Firms such as Jane Street, Jump Trading, G-Research and Qube Research & Technologies are investing in researchers before they enter the industry. Some awards pay for university research without any requirement to work in trading; others are internships or full-time jobs for PhD candidates and graduates. Here are the top programmes for the 2026–27 cycle:
Why quant firms are funding more research
On 27 October 2026, Bloomberg reporting, summarised by Hedgeweek, described a growing competition between quant firms and frontier AI labs for machine-learning talent. Rather than only hiring graduates, firms are funding university projects and building longer-term research teams.
QRT Labs plans to support 70+ PhD and postdoctoral researchers across Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge. G-Research reports funding 43 PhD students at eight UK universities and backing 36 ELLIS researchers through scholarships and exchanges. CFM, Optiver and other quantitative firms are developing dedicated AI research capabilities. The opportunity is broader than finance-specific research: mathematics, statistics, ML, physics and computer science all matter.
How to apply
- Pick the right route. A studentship funds a PhD; a fellowship or grant supports existing research; an internship or research job pays you to work for the firm.
- Check eligibility first. Rules differ by university, country, PhD year and research subject. Some accept international applicants; some require US enrolment or a university nomination.
- Prepare a research-focused application. Have a CV, a clear one-page explanation of your strongest project, transcripts where requested, and referees who know your research. For jobs, demonstrate Python, statistics and experiments on real data.
- Apply through the linked official page. Follow its specific instructions and deadlines. Do not assume an academic sponsorship includes an employment offer.
PhD funding, fellowships and grants
These support research at a university. They are not quant trading employment contracts.
Jane Street — Graduate Research Fellowship 2027
Full tuition and fees + US$50,000 stipend. For current or incoming PhD students in CS/engineering, maths, physics and statistics at eligible institutions, including in Australia. Submit your CV, research statement and referee details by 13 November 2026 (AoE).
Jump Trading × UCL — Gatsby PhD studentships
Two Jump-funded places in AI research with potential applications in finance. Covers tuition, stipend and research travel for home and international students. Apply to UCL's Gatsby Unit by 9 November 2026, 17:00 GMT and explicitly request consideration for the Jump studentship in your research statement.
QRT Labs × Imperial — funded PhD 2027
3.5 years of tuition and stipend, for home and overseas students. Choose QRT Labs research projects and apply through Imperial's Computing PhD admission system; include QRT Labs and the project references in the prescribed title. Next listed round: 1 December 2026.
G-Research NextGen — early-career grants
Up to £2,000 per grant, awarded monthly to postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in maths, ML, physics, quantitative finance and related fields. Supports expenses such as conference travel and equipment; not a full PhD scholarship. Submit the form on its grants page.
G-Research × ELLIS — European AI PhD programme
G-Research supports 36 ELLIS researchers, including funded scholarships and research exchanges. ELLIS applicants select academic supervisors; individual PhD funding depends on the university/adviser arrangement. The 2027 central call has a 31 October 2026, 23:59 AoE deadline.
QRT Labs × Oxford / Cambridge — doctoral research
QRT also sponsors DPhil/PhD and postdoctoral research at Oxford and Cambridge. Their first cohorts began in 2026. For future places, start with the relevant department's graduate admissions and prospective supervisors; no shared QRT application portal is advertised.
Paid quant research roles and internships
These are firm employment opportunities, not academic funding. Follow the employer's hiring process and check that the application is still accepting candidates.
QRT — Quantitative Researcher, PhD & Postdoc
London, Paris or Zurich. A full-time research route for final-year PhD students and postdocs. Apply with your CV, academic details and research motivation.
IMC — Quant Research Intern (PhD), summer 2027
Chicago, 10 weeks. For PhD students graduating September 2027–July 2028; research and modelling with mentorship. Apply through IMC's job form.
PDT Partners — PhD/Postdoc Research Intern 2027
New York, 10 weeks. PhD/postdoc research into quantitative signals and strategies. The official form asks for publications, modelling experience and examples of technical work.
Voloridge — Quant Research Fellowship 2027
Florida, 10 weeks; US$100,000 total compensation. An on-site, paid research programme for recent quantitative PhDs, with potential full-time conversion. It is not university tuition funding.
iSAM — PhD Quant Research Internship
London, 12 weeks. Research internships spanning systematic funds, options and trading. The listing covers winter 2026 and summer 2027; the official page provides eligibility and application fields.
Optiver — PhD Quant Research internships
PhD applicants can enter research internships at selected offices. Optiver lists 2027 opportunities and a 2028 Shanghai PhD expression of interest; check the office-specific requirements.
Flow Traders — PhD Graduate Quant Researcher
Amsterdam. Full-time systematic research role for PhD graduates in maths, physics, CS or a closely related field; Python or C++ and statistics are central.
CFM — Machine Learning Researcher
Paris. Research and engineering of large-scale deep-learning models for trading. A PhD is preferred, but the posting also considers relevant AI research experience.
Upcoming and previous application rounds
These are real research programmes, but not all are currently accepting applications:
- Jump Trading PhD Fellowship: US-university students, one academic year of tuition and fees plus an approximately US$50,000 stipend. 2027–28 university nominations closed 30 October 2026; students cannot self-nominate.
- Two Sigma PhD Fellowship: US-university PhD students; up to US$75,000 per year for two years plus a separate US$10,000 award. 2027 applications closed 25 September 2026. Check the next cycle.
- Citadel GQS PhD Fellowship: three awards of up to US$100,000, for relevant PhD students at US universities. The 2026–27 round closed 28 February 2026.
- XTX Markets × Imperial Langlands Lab: a £5 million grant will support an AI-assisted mathematics lab recruiting PhD students and postdocs for October 2027 entry. Recruitment details have not yet been announced; this is not an open application.