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Frequently Asked Questions - PhD Program

Before contacting us, please carefully read through Eligibility, How to apply and this page. Most of your questions will be answered this way. If things are still unclear please feel free to contact us: grk2046@fu-berlin.de

General questions about requirements and support.

No, there are no tuition fees associated with being a PhD student at a German university. However,  Berlin universities charge a fee that amounts to roughly six hundred Euros per year. This includes free public transport in the Berlin metropolitan area and lots of other benefits that are well worth paying for.

Of course not! We happily accept applications from any country in the world. However, please make an effort to help us understanding your education / academic achievements / your country’s grading system.

You will receive a fellowship funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) for 3 years that will be extended with funds by your host institution for an additional six months. Your remuneration will easily cover your living costs in Berlin assuming a “student-type” lifestyle.

In total, 13 projects are searching for a doctoral researcher. We make our decision based on the quality of the applications. As a rough estimate we can tell you that we usually receive more than five hundred applications that result in about 30 to 40 invitations to Berlin. Around one third of these invited people will usually be accepted into the program.

Applicants must hold a German Master (MSc), a German Diploma OR an equivalent international degree in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, chemistry, or other related subjects. It is NOT necessary to hold the degree at the time of your application, but you will need a few weeks before you begin to work with us. If you have an MD with only clinical qualifications we cannot consider your application.

If you fulfill these criteria then you are eligible to apply. If you hold an MD, DVM or other related degrees that do not fall into this scheme, you will likely need extensive laboratory skills, epidemiological experience or bioinformatics knowledge in order for us to consider your application. Our recommendation is to always go for an application if in doubt! Please accept our sincere apologies that we cannot analyze individual situations at this stage.

No - submission of reference letters is only possible until the application deadline (February 4). If your referee cannnot manage to provide the reference letter within this timeframe, we cannot include them in your application.

We will try to keep you up to date with the application process via our webpage. Expect a first individual feedback on your application in the end of February 2018.

The application form is available as a a Word-file or as an RTF-file here:

The reference form is available as a a Word-file or as an RTF-file here:

No, if you belong to those people that we decide to invite to Berlin. In this case you will not have to pay for travel, accomodation or most of the food (calculate something like 10 EUR/day = 70 Eur). CAVEAT: Unfortunately, we are not able to cover costs related to you obtaining a visa.

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