We encourage the application of highly talented and motivated PhD candidates* of all nationalities with a background in

MOLECULAR and CELL BIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOPHYSICS, APPLIED and THEORETICAL PHYSICS, MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY, SYSTEMS BIOLOGY and related fields.

The scientific questions, that as a School we are interested in, are often very complex and require a combination of expertise.
For this reason, we value interdisciplinarity and we actively search for students with backgrounds in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science or Engineering that are willing to work hand in hand with Biologists.
As a Biologist, this is also the place for you: you will be encouraged to tackle questions using a variety of approaches for which you will find training and support on site. Projects are truly interdisciplinary because faculty with different backgrounds closely collaborate.

We expect excellent academic scores, prior research experience but most importantly commitment and enthusiasm to face the many challenges of a PhD project.

We value INDEPENDENCE, curiosity, ability to think out of the box and COMMUNICATION.

We offer a collaborative, INTERDISCIPLINARY and young environment for students to set the foundations of their career.

We organise two selections per year with application times starting in March, Summer Selection, and in September, Winter Selection. The number of positions and the participating faculty varies between selections. On average we offer about 10 positions per selection.

Here is the poster of the current selection round. Please feel free to post it in your department.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should hold (or expect to hold prior to the start of their PhD) a University Master Degree in one of the following disciplines (or a related field):

- Biology
- Biochemistry
- Life Science
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Medicine

Admission to the graduate program, if all requirements are fulfilled, is based only on scientific qualification and performance at the interview.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

The language of the IMPRS-LM (formely IMPRS-CMB) PhD program is English, therefore a good command of spoken and written English is a requirement.Formal proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS) is not mandatory but recommended. Should the IMPRS coordinators consider it necessary, applicants may be contacted by phone or skype for language assessment. Knowledge of German is not required, but foreign students will be offered the opportunity to attend German language classes.

* The Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals.