Within the framework of the cooperative Graduate program (Graduiertenkolleg) “Disease models and drugs” up to 15 PhD fellowships will be awarded to outstanding PhD candidates
All applicants will have to apply through the HBIGS online application system.

Application deadline: 31 January 2011

Interviews will be held in April 2011 in Heidelberg and Mannheim.
Candidates can start their PhD projects immediately after having successfully passed the selection procedure. Successful candidates will receive joint supervision by a team of two principal investigators from Heidelberg University and Mannheim University of Applied Science.

Please note: Students who a) have already started or will start their PhD project in the lab of a program member before 1 Apr 2011, or b) have already applied for or have received the “Annahme als Doktorand” at Heidelberg University are not eligible to apply. All other interested candidates are eligible to apply.

As per 1 Sep 2009 all applicants to HBIGS have to submit their application before (!) the start of their PhD project. Students who have already started their PhD project in the research group of an HBIGS PI are not eligible to apply (The starting date of your PhD is usually identical to the starting date of your contract).

Students who wish to become a member of HBIGS may apply via one of two tracks:

1. The Fast Track

The Fast Track is only (!) to be used by MSc students of Heidelberg University

• who are enrolled either in the Molecular Biosciences or Molecular Biotechnology program and
• who are already accepted as a prospective PhD student by a member of the HBIGS faculty.

Applicants who will continue their PhD thesis in the lab where the MSc thesis was done are to apply to HBIGS before finishing the MSc thesis (the MSc thesis is finished with the passing of the oral defense).

All other applicants are invited to apply via the Regular Track.

2. The Regular Track

The Regular Track is to be used by:
a) Applicants who are not yet accepted as prospective PhD student by a member of the HBIGS faculty. These students – either coming from Heidelberg University or from outside Heidelberg – are invited to submit their applications to advertised PhD positions and/or to submit an unsolicited application.

Applications to advertised PhD projects
Students may apply to up to three advertised PhD positions within the deadlines set for the respective projects. Students applying to advertised PhD positions are expected to receive their final degree before the start of the respective PhD projects.
Please note that projects are removed from the website even before the deadline is reached when an appropriate applicant is found. We, therefore, recommend to apply as early as possible to announced projects.

Unsolicited applications
Students who do not find an advertised research project of their interest but have a general interest in a research area or a research group may submit an unsolicited application. Accordingly, a pool of applicants is generated whose applications will be kept for up to 6 months, with the possibility of reiterate extension if no match between an applicant and a principal investigator is found in due time.

b) Applicants who

• did not obtain their final degree at Heidelberg University or
• obtained their final degree at Heidelberg University (except MSc Fast track)

and who are already accepted as prospective PhD student in the research group of an HBIGS faculty member. Diploma students from Heidelberg university who will continue their PhD project in the lab where the Diploma thesis was done are requested to submit their application to HBIGS before the date of graduation (the date of graduation is given on the Diploma certificate).