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International Max Planck Research Schools are structured PhD programs offered by one or several Max Planck Institutes in cooperation with universities.

They have become a well-established and successful model for the qualification of doctoral students from around the world and are recognized both nationally and internationally. Besides their close collaboration with universities and their internationality, all IMPRSs are characterized by excellent research conditions. For more information and an overview of all IMPRSs, please visit the website of the Max Planck Society.

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For advanced and self-motivated postgraduates who have already completed or are about to complete a Master‘s program, the IMPRS offers an expedited route to a PhD degree. The timeline of 3.5 years from matriculation to dissertation submission gives IMPRS students the advantage of a faster track into positions that require a PhD qualification.

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The successful applicants will receive funding via an employment contract with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science or with one of the three Berlin universitites involved in the IMPRS-KIR (FU, HU, TU).

This is a German public sector contract (monthly net salary of between €1,790 and €1,910), which will allow you to cover all the costs of living in Berlin. The initial funding period is 3.5 years, with the possibility of extending by a further six months once the dissertation has been submitted. This additional (“wrap-up”) period is intended to enable you to prepare your dissertation defense, prepare for job interviews, write a first article, etc. In addition to your monthly salary, you will have an annual research budget for travel expenses. Students with children will have access to the family services at the MPIWG (such as support for childcare) and to special career coaching.

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The Principal Teaching Faculty (PTF) is the governing body of the IMPRS-KIR, overseeing its research program and curriculum and selecting its student body.

The PTF consists of ten professors from the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG), Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), and Technische Universität Berlin (TU), and is supported by postdoctoral and senior researchers based at the MPIWG. The members of the PTF come from seven different departments.

Learn more about the members of the Principal Teaching Faculty by clicking here.

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Each student will have an individual Dissertation Advisory Committee.

It consists of a supervisor, who is a member of the Principal Teaching Faculty (PTF), a co-supervisor, who may or may not be member of the PTF, and a mentor. You will be assigned to your primary supervisor; the co-supervisor will be chosen in agreement with you. In exceptional cases and for thematic reasons, the PTF can decide to appoint external primary supervisors. Supplementary external advisers may be appointed whenever it is deemed appropriate.

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Students of the IMPRS-KIR will obtain their PhD degree from one of the collaborating university departments.

They will have to fulfill the requirements as laid out in the doctoral and examination regulations of that department. The IMPRS Office will assist each student appointed in complying with the requirements. The PhD diploma will be complemented by an IMPRS certificate of the Max Planck Society.

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In this case, you need to submit proof of the finishing date of your Master’s degree, certified by your university. In order to be admitted to the IMPRS-KIR, you must have obtained your Master’s degree no later than June 30, 2023.

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You should have an official English language certificate, preferably at level C1, but at least at level B2 (Cambridge English, IELTS, TOEFL, CELPIP, TOEIC, or similar). If English is your native language or if you went to a university where the language of instruction was English, you do not need to submit an English certificate.

We accept English certificates of the abovementioned levels also in case their official validity period has expired.

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The IMPRS-KIR will fund a total of 15 doctoral positions. After the first two cohorts having started in September 2022 und September 2023, a third cohort of 5 student will start in fall 2024 for a duration of up to 4 years. The application procedure will open one year in advance and will be publicly announced.

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Our Principal Teaching Faculty and staff will carefully review the submitted documents. All shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview with the PTF. The interviews will take place on March 27, 2023, via Zoom.

The program starts on September 1, 2023. The IMPRS Office will offer advice and support in preparing your stay in Berlin, including visa issues, insurance, and accommodation.