Funding

Fully Funded · Salary

Program dates

TBA

PhD Scholarship•Germany · Rostock

St Andrews–Max Planck PhD Studentship in Population, Health and Data Science

University of St Andrews & Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR)

Application Deadline

Closed · June 8, 2026

Reopens ~Jun 2027

Official Page

The St Andrews–Max Planck PhD Studentship trains one doctoral researcher jointly through the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock, Germany and the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It sits at the crossroads of demography, epidemiology and data science, addressing questions in population health — recent cohorts have worked on fertility dynamics, family and kinship effects on health, and social inequalities across high-income countries. The student spends roughly the first 21 months in Rostock, where they may apply for a place in the International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science (IMPRS-PHDS), then completes the doctorate at St Andrews in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development. Both institutions co-supervise the project, and the precise research question is set for each annual cohort.

Benefits & funding

  • Full tuition fee waiver for the PhD.
  • During the St Andrews phase, a maintenance grant of £20,780 per year (2025/26 academic year, subject to annual increase), plus a research training support grant of £750 per year.
  • During the Rostock phase, a salaried employment contract under MPIDR rules, currently about €39,047 per year gross including a Christmas bonus (Weihnachtsgeld), with financial support for travel, research training and data acquisition.
  • The opportunity to apply for a place in IMPRS-PHDS, the doctoral school offering structured methods training, annual academies and an international research network across European and US partner institutes.
  • 3.5 years of joint supervision across two leading centres for demographic research.

Eligibility

  • Open to applicants of any nationality.
  • An excellent Master’s degree (UK distinction or merit, or the equivalent national qualification) in a social- or health-science field, including demography, statistics or applied mathematics.
  • Strong quantitative and data-analysis skills.
  • Meet the University of St Andrews English language requirements.
  • No age or work-experience limits.

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    Master

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Application process

  1. 1
    When the cycle opens (typically May), read the current cohort’s project description and eligibility on the MPIDR / IMPRS-PHDS listing.
  2. 2
    Prepare a CV, academic transcripts, a research statement and references.
  3. 3
    Apply through the University of St Andrews postgraduate research application portal by the stated deadline.
  4. 4
    Shortlisted candidates are interviewed (recent cycles: the second half of June).

Program timeline

  1. Studentship call opens

    May (each year)

  2. Early June (2026 cycle

    8 June): Application deadline

  3. Interviews

    Second half of June

  4. Autumn

    PhD begins, based first in Rostock