Our programme provides an interdisciplinary environment for doctoral research in the life sciences. We want to endow the next generation of scientists with the skills and knowledge to study complex biological processes that cannot be adequately understood within the limits of a single discipline. Over twenty participating research groups together provide the expertise and facilities to offer cutting-edge PhD projects in fields spanning the life sciences:
- Biophysics and Bioinformatics
- Structural Biology and Biochemistry
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Molecular Genetics in Plant and Animal Models
- Developmental Biology
- Genomics and Proteomics
- Microbiome Science
- Evolution and Ecology
Around 40 young scientists currently participate in our programme; around a third come from Germany, the rest from around the world. Participants benefit from the support of a personal thesis advisory committee, a supporting curriculum with many optional courses, and relocation assistance. All positions are fully funded. English is the programme language.
We are located in Tuebingen, a hotspot for science and research in southwest Germany. The Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology runs the program in conjunction with the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory and the Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, one of Germany’s oldest universities.
Our requirements:
- An excellent University degree (obtained or pending) in the life sciences or a related discipline, at Masters level or equivalent
- Skills and knowledge matching your proposed area of doctoral research
- High motivation and a passion for research
- Excellent spoken and written English
- For applicants with degrees obtained outside the European Higher Education Area, scores from the GRE General Test.
Further details:
PhD Scholarships, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany (2018)