MPI Brain

The next call will be opened end of September. The deadline is December 1, 2017.

We welcome also non-German students to apply. More than half of our graduate students is actually not from Germany.

We invite students from various backgrounds, including neuroscience, mathematics, physics, computer science, (bio) chemistry, biology and medicine to apply. If you do not have a background in neuroscience, it is even more important to motivate your choice to do a PhD in our IMPRS.

We offer an online platform where you can register, you can upload supplementary materials and two referees can upload their letters of recommendation as well as evaluate.

Fast track students can apply like students holding a Master’s as their highest degree.

No, the IMPRS does not offer any Master’s. The Goethe University however does.

No, you can only apply online.

No, the system does not offer this function. It is advisable to copy the text before applying.

No, you need to motivate your language skills in the application.

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Your application can be evaluated if we received your supplementary materials (in the correct format) and two letters of recommendation. Only in exceptional cases, we evaluated an application with only one letter of recommendation.

The deadline for the letters of recommendation is also December 1, 2017. You might want to inform your referees about this and give them time to submit (e.g. do not apply too close to the deadline).

A selection of about 25 students is made who will invited to an interview symposium.

The interview symposium is planned in the beginning of February.

The symposium is an integral part of the selection procedure. This means that attendance is obligatory.

You will be informed at least three weeks in advance, allowing time to arrange visa etc.

Yes, all travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed as well as the majority of meals are offered by the Institute.

We currently recruit for the positions starting in the Fall of 2018. Students who are selected can start in August, September or October.

We offer a contract for one year (funded via the graduate program). Afterwards, you will be paid by your lab of choice and for the remainder of your doctoral studies.

A PhD in Germany is three years. Usually, it takes doctoral students longer to graduate.

We offer rotations in the first phase of the doctoral studies (until Thesis Proposal Day in April/May of the next year).

At the Thesis Proposal Day, you are asked to report about your rotations and describe your future project. The lectures are attended by IMPRS Faculty members, fellow IMPRs students as well as others interested in your talk.

We do not offer an entrance examination. We do however offer one directly after the Thesis Proposal Day.

IMPRS organizes yearly Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings. The first TAC meeting is basically the Thesis Proposal Day where you present your rotations and your plans.

A Thesis Advisory Committee consists of at least three members, including your supervisor, who can not chair the meeting. At least two members should be IMPRS Faculty members.

The Max Planck Society can not award doctoral degrees. You will receive the degree from a German university, usually the Goethe University (Frankfurt).