Career Opportunities DKFZ International PhD Programme

Fully funded PhD positions at the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ). Application deadline 5th January 2020.

German Cancer Research Centre (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum – DKFZ) is a foundation under public law which operates the largest biomedical research institute in Germany. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres. The centre is dedicated to all areas of cancer research including basic, computational, epidemiological, and translational cancer research. Employees include two Nobel Prize winners.

DKFZ runs a fully funded PhD programme for international researchers from a variety of backgrounds including (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, data/computer science or epidemiology/public health studies and health economics.

The curriculum is in English and includes scientific and professional training.

Positions are available in any of the six main research programmes of the DKFZ:

  • Cell biology and tumour biology.
  • Functional and structural genomics.
  • Cancer risk factors and prevention.
  • Tumour immunology.
  • Imaging and radio oncology.
  • Infection, inflammation and cancer.

In addition, there are opportunities in interdisciplinary collaborations covering topics such as:

  • Computational cancer research and data science.
  • Medical physics and radio pharmacy.
  • Epidemiology and biostatistics.
  • Cancer epigenetics.
  • Infection and immunology.

All PhD students are enrolled at the Helmholtz International Graduate School for Cancer Research.

The DKFZ is home to over 500 PhD students at any time.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible to apply are the students meeting the following criteria:

  • Holding (or expecting to hold) a university master’s degree (MSc or equivalent) including a written master’s research thesis.
  • Background in medicine, (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, computer science or epidemiology/public health studies, or similar.

Some applicants from non-English speaking and non-German speaking countries may have also to prove proficiency in English.

Applicants still studying for their degree should anticipate to receive it not later than 6 months after the application deadline.

Value Notes

All PhD positions at the DKFZ are fully funded for three years. The salaries are competitive by national standards. There is no tuition fee.

Application Procedure

Applications for the 2020 Winter Selection close on 5 January 2020.

All applications must be submitted via the DKFZ Application Portal and follow the guidelines provided on the programme website.