- Master’s degree, Diploma or Staatsexamen in:
- Life sciences
- Natural science
- Medicine (human or veterinary)
- (Bio-) engineering
- Bioinformatics
- You can apply while you are still doing your Master’s as long as you will be finished by September/October, when our programs start. If you are doing a Master’s in Germany, it is possible to start the PhD program and defend the Master’s thesis by the end of the year (e.g. if you start in October 2024, you have to graduate before the end of 2024).
- Dentists with research experience in molecular or stem cell biology are welcome to apply, all others should check out the SIIRI Graduate school.
- Plant/ crop scientists with research experience in molecular or stem cell biology are welcome to apply.
- If you are a bioinformatician, you are welcome to apply. For all other applicants, relevant laboratory research experience is necessary.
- Please check our application requirements and determine your eligibility yourself, thank you.
- Applications are accepted from December to March for the program starting in October.
- Applications to the PhD Program are only accepted when submitted via the HBRS on-line application system. Please register and submit your application at the following web site: https://hbrs.opencampus.net/
- Please note that you have to select “Regenerative Sciences” as your first priority.
- No, only the PhD program “Molecular Medicine” requires a written test as second selection step, the PhD program “Regenerative Sciences” conducts interviews only.
- If you have successfully passed the pre-selection step, you will receive an email with an invitation to an interview with members of the PhD program committee, the PhD program coordinator, and prospective supervisors.
- The pre-selection interview will be a short online interview (about 10 min: 5 min presentation, 5 min discussion).
- The most promising candidates will be directly invited to the final selection interview, which takes place in-person or online (about 20 min: 10 min presentation, 10 min discussion).
- For the interview, please prepare a brief presentation (PowerPoint/Keynote/other slide presentation format or pdf) summarizing your educational background and the last or most relevant research project you worked on. The last slide should be your CV.
- During the discussion, you will be asked questions about your project, your studies, and your motivation.
- If you have successfully passed the final interview, you need to be selected for one of the PhD projects offered in order to get admitted into the program.
- A successful interview does not automatically mean that you will be admitted to our PhD program.
- Final admission to the PhD program is threefold:
- Successful candidates will be notified by email about the outcome of their interview shortly after the interviews.
- Successful applicants have to choose and be chosen for one of the projects offered. A mutual agreement of wanting to work together between the applicant and the prospective supervisor is required. Applicants without a project cannot be admitted.
- Financial support for successful applicants needs to be secured. This can either be a stipend awarded by the HBRS to the best applicants, a stipend paid for by the prospective supervisor, a staff position financed by the prospective supervisor, or a stipend awarded by a third party such as DAAD.
- No, unfortunately, we cannot defer your acceptance. If you cannot start in the year of admission, you need to apply again in the following year.
- You will receive a list and brief description of the available projects prior to the final interviews. Additional projects frequently become available after the final interviews.
- As soon as you receive the projects, please reach out to the supervisors offering projects you are interested in. The process of finding a project is highly competitive; we always have more successful applicants than available projects.
- The supervisors might attend your final interview.
- Additional individual interviews can be scheduled after successfully passing the final interview for the PhD program, which is a prerequisite for final admission.
- The program is not responsible for the “match-making” process, if you cannot find a project, we cannot admit you as a student.
- You might be placed on a waitlist and informed about additional projects, which might become available after the final interviews.
- The program starts annually in October with orientation weeks to help you get to know your fellow PhD students, Hannover Medical School, the city of Hannover, etc.
- Please note that your physical presence is required, you cannot attend the events online.
- Besides working on your research project, you have to attend courses:
- At least 75% attendance of the seminars & tutorials of the curriculum within 3 years (weekly on Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 5:45 pm)
- 80 hours of project-oriented lectures, method courses, workshops, summer schools etc.
- 40 hours of interdisciplinary (“soft skill”) courses
- Attendance of the seminar series “Good scientific practice” at MHH
- For students working with laboratory animals: Successful completion of the course “Basics in Laboratory Animal Sciences”
- After 18 months, you have to successfully pass the intermediate exam.
- You have to attend at least 3 annual PhD student retreats and present your research project (1st year students have to present a poster, 2nd and 3rd year students have to give oral presentations).
- You have to meet with your thesis advisory group (Supervisor and 2 co-supervisors) at least once a year, 3x in total.
- As a life or natural scientist, you can choose your preferred title.
- As a medical doctor, you can only obtain the PhD title.
- We offer graduation dates twice a year in January and June, with the thesis submission deadlines in November and April.
- In order to graduate, you have to have completed your mandatory hours of training (curriculum, project-oriented, and interdisciplinary courses). You need to submit your study book, certificates, and certificate of Good Scientific Practice, as well as your thesis.
- On average, our students graduate after 3.7 years, the maximum duration is 5 years.
Our alumni are working in various fields, most of them stay in academia for a postdoc phase, some directly move to industry.
- Postdoc position
- Industry position
- Regulatory affairs & Administration
- Self-employment
- (Junior) Group leader positions
- Professorships
- Etc.