IMPRS-BI is the doctoral school of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, run together with the LMU faculties of Biology and Medicine and the TUM Schools of Life Sciences and of Medicine and Health. Doctoral researchers join one of more than 30 laboratories working on behavior, ecology, neuroscience, connectomics and evolutionary genetics, spread over the Martinsried, Seewiesen and Munich sites. The question that ties the school together is how nervous systems develop and evolve so that animals can pursue their goals, studied from genes and circuits up to societies and ecosystems.
Students enrol at LMU or TUM, which award the Dr. rer. nat. or the PhD, and the thesis work should be finished within four years. Teaching, laboratory communication and the dissertation are all in English, and German is not required.
Benefits & funding
- Doctoral researchers are normally employed on a regular German work contract equivalent to pay grade TVöD E13, provided by the supervising group.
- The contract carries health insurance and full social security coverage.
- There are no tuition fees; university enrolment costs about EUR 150 per semester.
- The school estimates living costs in the Munich area at EUR 1,200–1,600 per month.
- Training runs alongside the thesis: at least 25 ECTS credit points across mandatory elements (orientation, ethics training, lecture series, student seminars), scientific training such as methods courses and conferences, and transferable-skills workshops in writing, presenting, career development and leadership.
- Every project is overseen by a Thesis Advisory Committee of at least three senior scientists that meets once a year.
- Candidates invited to the on-site interview round in Munich have their expenses covered.
- Graduates receive an IMPRS-BI certificate with a transcript alongside the doctoral degree.
Eligibility
- Open to applicants of any nationality; the school states no residency requirement and no age limit.
- The usual entry qualification is a Master of Science or an equivalent degree such as a Diploma, in biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, physics, computer science, chemistry, mathematics or a related natural science — typically a BSc plus MSc totalling 300 ECTS, or a five-year integrated MSc.
- A first-class four-year UK BSc honours or MSci degree also qualifies, as does a first-class European BSc worth 240 ECTS; the Munich universities may then require 15–60 additional ECTS during the doctorate and a qualifying examination.
- Holders of a three-year BSc worth 180 ECTS can normally only enter through the neuroscience fast-track with the LMU Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, which adds an intensive preparatory year before the doctoral research starts.
- The qualifying degree does not have to be completed at the time of application, but must be held before doctoral studies and enrolment begin.
- The awarding university has to be recognised by the German authorities through the Anabin database.
- Holders of a medical degree such as MBBS or an equivalent, medical students from Germany, and as a rule holders of veterinary medicine degrees are not eligible.
- Applicants must be fluent in written and spoken English. A TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge ESOL report is the preferred proof; applicants whose studies were conducted in English need no certificate, and older certificates are accepted.
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Application process
- 1Check the eligibility criteria and confirm the awarding university appears in the Anabin database.
- 2Register on the online application portal while the round is open — in the 2025/26 round, registration ran from 1 October to 10 November.
- 3Nominate two referees and invite them through the portal; they submit their letters directly.
- 4Complete the application form, which includes a letter of motivation, up to five recruiting groups named with the reasons for choosing them, and a confirmation that no AI was used to generate the application material.
- 5Upload the documents: a CV of two to three pages, transcripts and certificates for all completed degrees, and provisional records for programs still in progress. Recommended additions are an English test report, a GRE general plus subject test (GATE is accepted from applicants in India), documentation of scholarships and awards, a high school diploma, a passport copy for international candidates from outside the EU, and a portrait photograph. Files must be PDF, JPG or PNG, under 4 MB each, in English or German or with a certified translation.
- 6Submit before the deadline. Applications by post or email are not accepted.
Program timeline
1 October 2025
Application portal opened for the 2025/26 round
Application deadline
10 November 2025
Invitations to interview sent
End of December 2025
Online panel interviews
14–16 January 2026
On-site interviews in Munich, expenses covered
End of February 2026
Selection completed
April 2026
March to 1 October 2026
Doctoral projects start, 1 October 2026 being the latest start date
Next recruitment round opens
Fall 2026