Advice
PhD Postions
You may find a position as a doctoral candidate via specific newsletters and the websites of universities and research institutes. In case you are looking for a good place for your research project you might be successful by using the Research Explorer.
Please note:
For an employment contract with a German university or research institution you need a Statement of Comparability of your foreign higher education qualification, issued by the "Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen" (Central Office for Foreign Education – ZAB)
> Portals for finding doctoral positions
PhDGermany
Database with open positions for doctorates in Germany
International Programmes
Datenbase of the DAAD for international Study- and Doctoral Programmes
EURAXESS
Information and assistance to mobile researchers
Academics
Career portal offering positions in science.
Jobvector
Job Portal für scientists, physicians, and engineers
> Scholarships
> Current opportunities
Research Stay at Yale University School of Medicine
The Yale Interventional Oncology Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine is offering medical students a 12-month research stay in interventional oncology, artificial intelligence, and molecular imaging. The programme is part of the Rolf W. Günther “Rising Stars” Exchange Programme and prepares participants for a doctoral project at Magdeburg University Medical Center.
The next possible start date is 1 April 2027. Applications must be submitted by 30 November 2026. The programme is open to medical students from the sixth semester onwards with excellent academic records, fluent English skills, resilience, reliability, and a strong interest in translational, patient-oriented research. Applications from women and members of underrepresented groups are explicitly encouraged and supported.
In Yale, participants will be supervised by Prof. Julius Chapiro and Prof. David Madoff; doctoral supervision at Magdeburg University Medical Center will be provided by Prof. Lynn Jeanette Savic and Prof. Maciej Pech. Current projects focus on the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer, including experimental animal research, imaging, data science, and AI-based analysis. Participants are expected to use their results for at least one first-author publication and a subsequent medical doctoral thesis.
Application documents (in English):
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Curriculum vitae
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Short letter of motivation, including research interests where relevant
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High school diploma and transcript of records from the last two years of medical studies
Please send applications by email to:
Prof. Julius Chapiro: julius.chapiro@yale.edu
Prof. Lynn Jeanette Savic: lynn.savic@med.ovgu.de
Participants may also apply for a travel scholarship from the Rolf W. Günther Foundation for Radiological Sciences.
Branco Weiss Fellowship 2027: Research Beyond the Mainstream
The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science supports outstanding postdoctoral researchers from all disciplines who pursue unconventional, independent research projects beyond the mainstream of their field. Up to ten fellowships are awarded each year to researchers in the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities.
The fellowship provides funding of up to CHF 600,000 over five years. Funds may be used for legitimate research costs, including salary, equipment, travel, consumables, and personnel. Fellows can pursue their project independently at an institution of their choice anywhere in the world.
Applicants must hold a PhD by 15 January 2027 and have obtained it no more than five years before this date. They must not hold or have held a faculty-equivalent position and should demonstrate an outstanding record of scientific achievement, as well as an interest in engaging with broader societal, cultural, political, or economic issues.
Application deadline: 15 January 2027, 5:00 p.m. CET
Further information and application: Branco Weiss Fellowship
Ph.D. Funding from the Cusanuswerk
The Cusanuswerk offers doctoral funding for Catholic PhD candidates in all disciplines.
Eligible applicants are graduates with promising research ideas and a record of voluntary engagement. The funding includes a monthly scholarship of €1,850 as well as an accompanying educational program.
Further information about the doctoral funding can be found here.
PhD-fellowships Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) awards PhD fellowships of 2 to 3.5 years to outstanding junior scientists worldwide who wish to pursue an ambitious PhD project in basic biomedical research in an internationally leading laboratory.
There are three deadlines each year: 1 February, 1 June, 1 October.
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) awards MD fellowships of up to 18 months to outstanding medical students to pursue ambitious, experimental projects in basic biomedical research worldwide. Fellowship holders must study human medicine in Germany and change cities and institutions for at least ten consecutive months to work in an internationally renowned laboratory. Applications can be submitted at any time, but no later than three months before the change of location or the intended start of the research.