Max Planck Institute, Germany invites online Application for number of Fully Funded PhD Positions at various Departments. We are providing a list of Fully Funded PhD Programs available at Max Planck Institute, Germany.
Eligible candidate may Apply as soon as possible.
(01) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Fully funded PhD Positions (Doctoral Researcher m/f/d) | Condensed Matter Science
The IMPRS-CMS, established at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in corporation with the University of Stuttgart, offers you a unique opportunity to join one of our internationally renowned Research Groups for a doctoral study. We combine an exceptionally broad and interdisciplinary spectrum of expertise in fundamental research on condensed matter, ranging from topics such as:
Quantum Materials / Electronic Structure & Quantum Many-Body Theory / Nanoscience / Solid State Spectroscopy / Solid State Ionics & Batteries / Bioinspired Materials / Quantum Electronics / Organic Electronics / Ultra-Cold Atomic Gases /…
Deadline : 28th February 2026
(02) PhD Positions- Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD student or Postdoctoral researcher (f/m/d) | Structure and Dynamics of Chromosomes
The Max Planck Institute of Biophysics is an internationally leading research institution in the fields of structural biology, biophysics and cell biology located at the center of the Frankfurt science campus. It consists of four scientific departments, multiple research groups and scientific core facilities, with about 270 employees and guests from more than 35 countries. It is located at the Campus Riedberg in Frankfurt am Main.
The research group of “Structure and Dynamics of Chromosomes” led by Eugene Kim at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics is seeking for highly motivated PhD student or Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d) to study genome organizing macromolecules, including Structural Maintenance of Chromosome (SMC) complexes, using in vitro biochemical and biophysical approaches. Specifically, we are looking for candidates to establish an in vitro chromatin loop-extrusion assay and to investigate the interplay between loop extrusion and transcription.
Deadline : Open until filled
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(03) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student (m/f/d) | Towering behavior and collective dispersal in nematode groups
How animals choose between individual and collective behavioral strategies, how they execute these behaviors from a mechanistic point of view, and how they navigate cooperative versus competitive social dynamics when behaving together in a group are central questions to this PhD project.
Nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth; many nematode species live a boom bust lifestyle and disperse frequently. These tiny little worms often hitchhike on passing vectors to move great distances in search of new resources. Nematodes can disperse individually; we recently found that Caenorhabditis nematodes can also build worm towers to disperse collectively (Perez et al., Current Biology 2025). Moreover, we identified natural dispersal vectors for our local nematode species in southwestern Germany (Greenway et al., bioRxiv 2025). Together, these work pave way for combining the empirical tractability of our study system, including the model organism species C. elegans, with the relevant ecological context to investigate why and how nematodes behave collectively.
Research will involve designing, executing, and analysing experiments to address one or more of the questions we ask above. The student may also propose their own questions in addition. The student will develop their own research approach with the support and guidance from our international team of collaborators specialising in behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, quantitative behavior, computer vision, and physics of behavior. We envision this project to primarily involve laboratory-based investigations, although the student will have the opportunity to join field work to gain insights into the study system.
Deadline : January 13, 2026
(04) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Positions | Life Sciences – From Molecules to Organisms
The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) “From Molecules to Organisms” provides excellent interdisciplinary training in structural, molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, bioinformatics, genomics, and evolutionary biology.
We invest in the next generation of scientists who will gain expertise and skills to study complex biological processes that bridge the gap between molecules and living organisms.
Our program transcends traditional life science disciplines, combining pioneering methodologies and scientific approaches from various fields to address research questions that require an interdisciplinary approach.
Deadline : 19 January 2026.
(05) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral positions (m/f/d) | Knowledge and Its Resources: Historical Reciprocities
The IMPRS-KIR is a research-driven PhD program based in the history and philosophy of science, technology, and medicine (HPSTM). It is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin. The IMPRS-KIR traces the deep entanglements of knowledge and its resources from a long-term and global perspective. Key to its agenda is a “historical-political epistemology” that highlights how knowledge is shaped historically by a great variety of resources – political systems, technological infrastructures, social interaction, material objects and media technologies. Knowledge, in turn, is understood as a means to define and unlock such resources, while being, in and of itself, one of the key resources of human culture.
The School offers training in historical-political epistemology, combining HPSTM with Regional and Global Studies, Science & Technology Studies (STS), all fields of history, media studies, museum studies, archaeology, art history, literary studies, philology, environmental studies, and digital humanities research. Prospective doctoral students with projects on any specialty and period within these and related fields are invited to apply.
The doctoral positions are open to applicants of all nationalities holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the aforementioned fields and having proficiency in English, and, preferably, in one or more additional languages. Candidates are expected to be able to present and discuss their work and that of others in English; dissertations may be submitted in German, English, or any of the supervisors’ working languages. Selection criteria relate to the excellence of the individual candidate and project and the closeness of the project’s fit with the School’s agenda.
The IMPRS-KIR is located at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Dahlem, Berlin. Students will work in a stimulating international and interdisciplinary research environment. The School’s program entails one year of courses held in conjunction with the three Berlin universities involved in the IMPRS-KIR (FU, HU, TU), as well as mentored reading groups, workshops, training in digital humanities methods, a tailored coaching program, and language courses. A research budget will be available for travel to archives worldwide. Additionally, students may opt to spend up to one semester at one of our international partner universities (University of Pennsylvania, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design).
The successful applicants will receive funding via an employment contract with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science or with Technische Universität Berlin and will have the possibility to teach. Two employment contracts will be issued by the MPIWG (2/3 E 13 TVöD), one employment contract by TU (2/3 E 13 TVL). The MPIWG contract will run for 3.5 years; the TU contract will run for 3 years followed by 0.5 years of employment at the MPIWG. For details on the contractual framework, please refer to the FAQ on the IMPRS website.
The PhD degrees will be awarded by one of the Berlin university departments represented in the Principal Teaching Faculty. Additionally, an IMPRS certificate of the Max Planck Society will be awarded.
Deadline : January 15, 2026
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(06) PhD Positions- Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD students (m/f/d) | Global Biogeochemical Cycles
In cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry houses a unique and flexible research program that grants German and foreign students a broad selection of learning opportunities while still maintaining a research focus. The International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS-gBGC) offers a PhD program specializing in global biogeochemistry and related Earth system sciences. The overall research and teaching focus on:
- Improved understanding of biogeochemical processes with an emphasis on terrestrial ecosystems
- Development of observational techniques to monitor and assess biogeochemical feedbacks in the Earth system
- Theory and model development for improving the representation of biogeochemical processes in comprehensive Earth system models
Deadline : January 7, 2026
(07) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral Positions (m/f/d) | Evolutionary Biology
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön is an internationally oriented institution whose research focuses on the principles, mechanisms and effects of evolutionary change. Around 200 employees from more than 30 nations currently work at our institute in the departments of Theoretical Biology and Microbial Population Biology, as well as in a number of independent research groups.
Deadline :January 11, 2026
(08) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Students (f/m/d) | Genome Science
The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Genome Science and the Research Training Group GönomiX are jointly seeking highly motivated PhD candidates (m/f/d). These programs, a collaboration between the University of Göttingen, University Medical Center, and the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, offer inter-disciplinary research opportunities at the forefront of genome science. The position is limited to three years with a possibility of extension.
Deadline : January 14, 2026
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(09) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Candidate (m/f/d) | AI Methods for Hydro-Climatic Extremes
Originating in the ELLIS Unit Jena, the research project »AI Generalizability in Non-stationary Environmental Regimes: The Case of Hydro-climatic Extremes (GENAI-X)«, funded by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung, addresses a fundamental AI challenge: achieving robust model generalizability in non-stationary environmental systems. Focusing on hydro-climatic extremes and their impacts, a multidisciplinary team from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, the Jena University Hospital, and the Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function jointly develops AI models that function reliably under constantly changing conditions.
Within the framework of the GENAI-X project, we are seeking for a highly motivated PhD candidate (m/f/d) to contribute to the flood-related subproject, which develops hybrid and data-driven approaches with a strong focus on improving the generalization of ML models for flood-related processes under changing climatic and land-surface conditions.
Deadline : January 3, 2026
(10) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD positions (m/f/d) | Microbiology
We are excited to invite applicants with a strong interest for interdisciplinary research in modern microbiology to apply for fully funded PhD positions at the International Max Planck Research School Principles of Microbial Life.
Applicants (m/f/d) should hold an MSc degree or equivalent in biology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, bioinformatics, chemistry, chemical biology, physics, biophysics or another relevant field.
The International Max Planck Research School Principles of Microbial Life is a joint initiative of the University of Marburg, the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the Center for Synthetic Microbiology. More than 30 research group leaders participate in the program and cover research in
Cellular organization & architecture, Microbial communities & host-microbe interactions, Natural products & chemical biology, Physical biology, Physiology & metabolism, Signal transduction & information processing, Systems & synthetic biology
Deadline : January 31, 2026
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(11) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student (f/m/d) | Enhance Activities in Computational Homogeneous Catalysis
This is a PhD position in Computational Chemistry, located in Magdeburg, Germany. The selected candidate will be responsible for conducting research in computational chemistry, developing computational models, analyzing molecular systems, and interpreting chemical data. The project aims at developing a sustainable workflow to design new and ‘greener’ catalysts and appropriate solvent systems.
The role involves collaboration with experimental partners in interdisciplinary teams, participation in academic discussions, and contributing to scientific publications.
Deadline : 2 February 2026
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(12) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student (m/f/d) | Mammalian brain function
We seek a PhD Student (m/f/d) to join our team at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen (Germany), to explore mammalian brain function using functional MRI or ultrasound imaging.
The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics conducts research that elucidates neurological processes across various organizational scales via experimental and theoretical approaches.
The Molecular Signaling research group combines bioengineering and preclinical in vivo imaging to understand molecular signaling that underlies mammalian brain function. Joining us, you will have the opportunity to apply novel genetic tools to study molecular brain function using optical, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Our interdisciplinary approach encourages researchers with different backgrounds to collaborate and develop their skills to bridge molecular, cellular and organismal levels.
Relevant work experience comprises planning and performing preclinical fMRI and fUSI studies, including data analysis (e.g., Afni, Matlab, Python), MRI physics & sequence development, rodent handling, behavioral experiments and surgery. Our mission is to build a supportive and inclusive environment and we highly value scientific curiosity and motivation. Ideal candidates also have a strong track record of prior research accomplishments.
The Max Planck Society is committed to employing individuals and strives for gender equity and diversity. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and explicitly encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply.
Deadline : Open until filled
(13) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position (f/m/d) | Short-Term Mindsets and Crime: From Theory to Intervention
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate with a strong interest in experimental and interdisciplinary research on crime and decision-making. You will join our international and interdisciplinary team to advance this cutting-edge research program on the role of short-term mindsets in crime, exploring their causes and dynamics, as well as the potential for intervention.
The ideal candidate has a background in psychology, criminology, behavioral science, or a related field, and a keen interest in bridging theory and application. Experience with advanced research methods—such as experimental designs, longitudinal data, or ecological momentary assessment (EMA)—is an asset but not required.
Deadline : 31 December 2025
(14) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Doctoral (PhD) position (m/f/d) in Glia Biology | Neurobiology at the Dioscuri Centre for Chromatin Biology and Epigenomics at the Nencki Institute for Experimental biology (Poland)
We are seeking a talented doctoral student for a project exploring the evolutionary impact of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on neuronal development . Your responsibilities will include:
- Work and development of human and non-human primate iPSc models, including astrocytes, neurons, and organoidsParticipation in isolation and characterization of EVs
- Using advanced microscopy techniques
- Applying various molecular biology and NGS techniques
- Applying various computational methods to analyze the data
Deadline : Open until filled
(15) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student
Human intuitive physics has been argued to be underpinned by mental simulations of certain aspects of the physical environment. Mental simulation can be defined as using internal representations of the world to experience potential future versions of events. Humans use simulations not only to predict outcomes, but also to evaluate counterfactual outcomes in hindsight. Indeed, counterfactual simulation, that is, simulating what could have happened, has been argued to be a key process in human causal cognition. Little is known about whether other animals engage in similar mental simulations involving physical models and counterfactual outcomes. In this PhD project, we will study predictive and counterfactual simulations, as well as the flexibility embedded within the internal physical models that may underlie these simulations in human children and non-human great apes.
Data collection will take place mainly at the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre at Leipzig Zoo, Germany. The research centre has a history of more than 20 years of conducting strictly non-invasive and voluntary studies of great ape behaviour and cognition, with great ape study participants who are experienced in participating in touch screen and eye tracking studies.
In addition, we will collect data with children in our child-study centre in Leipzig and within our international child study network. Our approach will adhere to open science principles, including preregistered study designs supported by power analysis.
Deadline : Open until filled
(16) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD student (m/f/d) | Building Clinical Foundation Models for Real-World Healthcare
The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) in Martinsried is one of the world’s leading research institutions in the fields of biochemistry, cell and structural biology, and biomedical research. With approximately 30 scientific departments and research groups and about 750 employees, the MPIB is one of the largest institutes of the Max Planck Society.
The Department of Machine Learning and Systems Biology led by Prof. Dr. Karsten Borgwardt is looking to recruit a highly-motivated PhD student (m/f/d) for the project Building Clinical Foundation Models for Real-World Healthcare (MLCARE project DC3). The position is funded by the MSCA Doctoral Network MLCARE (Machine Learning Computational Advancements for peRsonalized mEdicine). The MLCARE Doctoral Network seeks to advance personalized medicine by developing cutting-edge AI solutions that integrate genomic, clinical, and environmental data into holistic, multimodal patient representations. The program will equip doctoral candidates with the technical, analytical, and ethical skills needed to lead the future of patient-centered, AI-driven medicine.
The advertised PhD project aims to develop robust and generalizable clinical foundation models (FMs) that can understand and reason across the diverse and often messy landscape of electronic health records (EHRs). By integrating structured data, free-text notes, lab results, and medical imaging, the PhD researcher will create multi-modal models that reflect the full richness of real clinical workflows. Using multi-hospital datasets, including both public sources such as MIMIC and private clinical data from LMU Hospital, the models will be pretrained to achieve strong generalization across hospitals and patient populations. Innovative self-supervised learning strategies will link EHR entries with patient-reported outcomes, enabling the models to learn without extensive manual labelling. To ensure practical impact, the project will focus on creating clinically understandable prompting techniques that help physicians interact with these models more effectively–avoiding costly fine-tuning and building trust in AI-driven medical decisions.
Deadline :January 1st– 31st, 2026.
(17) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD positions (m/f/d) | Statistical Physics and Active Matter
We are looking for excellent, enthusiastic and self-motivated early-career researchers with good communication skills to join our research team.
The PhD candidate should have:
- A Master’s degree (or comparable) in theoretical physics, applied mathematics or related disciplines from a recognized university;
- Strong interest in nonequilibrium statistical physics and the physics of living systems across scales;
- Ability and desire to work in an international team on inter-disciplinary research topics;
- Good command of English, which is the working language of the department. German is an asset but not required.
Deadline :st December 2025
(18) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: Liebig PhD Fellowship
The position will be funded through a Liebig PhD Fellowship in association with Dr. Patricia Poths. The applicant will work on preparing and using MLIPs for the automatic detection of catalyst restructuring and reactivity, and the development of tools to enable the next generation of kMC. This work will bring new levels of complexity to computational catalysis. Work in this group and department is on the cutting-edge of computational catalysis and surface science.
Deadline : Open until filled
(19) PhD Positions- Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD students (f/m/d) | NeuroTrace: Identification of early onset dementia with Artificial Intelligence
For our research group “Cognitive Neuropsychiatry” at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, in collaboration with the Department of Cognitive Neurology at Leipzig University Hospital, we are looking for two PhD students (m/f/d) for up to 3 years for the project “NeuroTrace: Identification of early onset dementia with Artificial Intelligence”. A central problem in healthcare is the increase in neurodegenerative diseases / dementia. The project aims to achieve early detection and differential diagnosis of dementia. This will enable specific therapy to be provided at an early stage.
In the project, artificial intelligence / machine learning and new multimodal imaging methods are used to carry out analyses in individual persons, which enable the transfer of group results to the individual affected person (personalized medicine). The aim is to develop classifiers with which dementia can be automatically detected using multimodal imaging (MRI & PET).
Prerequisite is a degree in psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, physics, mathematics or related fields or medicine. Experience in imaging, statistics, machine learning, dementia, publication in scientific journals is favorable. Clinical work with further training in the field of psychiatry/neurology or psychotherapy is possible.
Remuneration is based on the regulations of the Max Planck Society. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the proportion of people with disabilities in its workforce and therefore welcomes applications from qualified individuals. In addition, the Max Planck Society strives for gender equity and diversity and welcomes applications from all backgrounds.
We look forward to receiving your complete online application (reference number: PhD 12/25). Your application should include a letter of motivation, CV and publication list as well as the contact details of two referees. There is no official closing date for applications. Recruitment will continue until the positions are filled.
Deadline : Open until filled
(20) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position (m/f/d) for 3 years
The project is dedicated to elucidating the role of long-range brain connectivity in human language processing and will involve EEG and MRI experiments as well as realistic modeling of biological neural networks. It is a cooperation between the TU Berlin, the TU Chemnitz, the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the MPI-CBS, funded by the DFG.
Deadline : Open until filled
(21) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student or Postdoc Position (f/m/d) | Computational Biomolecular Dynamics
PhD students will have the opportunity to participate in one of several available PhD programs, with three years funding, in collaboration with the University of Göttingen. Masters students aiming at a fast track PhD are also welcome. The Postdoc position is limited to two years with a possibility of extension.
Payment and benefits are based on the German Public Service Payscale (TVöD Bund) guidelines. We would like to fill the position as soon as possible, but the exact start date is flexible.
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. The Max Planck Society strives for diversity and gender equality and welcomes applications from all backgrounds.
Deadline : Open until filled
(22) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student or Postdoc (f/m/d) | Theory and algorithms for structure determination from single molecule x-ray scattering images
Single molecule X-ray scattering experiments with free electron lasers offer a new route to the structure determination of biomolecules. Due to the super-low signal-to-noise-ratio, computing the structure from such data is challenging, and new theoretical methods and algorithms are required. The research project aims at deriving priors for Bayesian methods from atomistic simulations and machine learning. It also offers the opportunity to work with data from the European XFEL facility at DESY.
Deadline : Open until filled
(23) PhD Positions – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Student or Postdoc (f/m/d) | Theory and Methods for Non-equilibrium Theory and Atomistic Simulations of Complex Biomolecules
Eligible candidates have strong skills in computational molecular (bio)physics, statistical mechanics, scientific computing and also a keen interest in interdisciplinary research and collaboration with experimental groups.
PhD students hold (or expect to complete soon) a Masters or equivalent degree in physics, mathematics or any related field; correspondingly, Postdocs hold a PhD or equivalent degree in the above mentioned fields.
Deadline : Open until filled
About The Max Planck Institute, Germany –Official Website
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (German: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. Founded in 1911 as the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, it was renamed to the Max Planck Society in 1948 in honor of its former president, theoretical physicist Max Planck. The society is funded by the federal and state governments of Germany.
According to its primary goal, the Max Planck Society supports fundamental research in the natural, life and social sciences, the arts and humanities in its 84 (as of January 2024) institutes and research facilities. As of 31 December 2023, the society has a total staff of 24,655 permanent employees, including 6,688 contractually employed scientists, 3,444 doctoral candidates, and 3,203 guest scientists. 44.9% of all employees are female and 57.2% of the scientists are foreign nationals. The society’s budget for 2023 was about €2.1 billion.
The Max Planck Society has a world-leading reputation as a science and technology research organization, with 39 Nobel Prizes awarded to their scientists, and is widely regarded as one of the foremost basic research organizations in the world. In 2020, the Nature Index placed the Max Planck Institutes third worldwide in terms of research published in Nature journals (after the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Harvard University). In terms of total research volume (unweighted by citations or impact), the Max Planck Society is only outranked by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences and Harvard University in the Times Higher Education institutional rankings. The Thomson Reuters-Science Watch website placed the Max Planck Society as the second leading research organization worldwide following Harvard University in terms of the impact of the produced research over science fields.
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