Funding of doctoral candidates

The IMPRS offers fair and attractive funding. Doctoral candidates are usually employed on a doctoral support contract. Depending on the type of project work the PhD candidate is pursuing, and depending on the institution or funding agency financing their project, they may alternatively be employed on a TVöD contract. Some are funded through third-party scholarships. IMPRS-funded students normally receive three-year doctoral support contracts with the possibility of an extension. This page offers information on the following types of funding: Doctoral support contract / TVöD employment contract / Third-party scholarship (stipend) / Postdoctoral wrap-up funding for IMPRS graduates.

Doctoral support contract

The MPG funding contract is a fixed-term employment contract pursuant to Section 2, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1 of the WissZeitVG. It is awarded when a doctoral student at the MPI is given the opportunity to write a scientific thesis with the aim of obtaining a doctorate and is employed for this purpose for scientific tasks to promote their own scientific training at the MPI, so that they also carry out (research) tasks dependent on instructions. PhD students with a funding contract receive remuneration, the amount and duration of which are agreed in writing in the employment contract. The regulations of labour law apply. PhD students are expected to concentrate all their efforts, i.e. the full average working week, on preparing their dissertation and the associated scientific work. This normally corresponds to 39 regular weekly work hours excluding breaks. In return for the work performed in the context of preparing their dissertation topic at the Max Planck Institutes, PhD students are paid a remuneration which reflects the high level of the PhD student’s own interest when preparing the dissertation and whose amount is specified in the funding contract. The remuneration is subject to any rate increases under the Collective Wage Agreement for the Civil Service (TVöD) for the pay group 13. A salary is paid at the rate of 65 per cent of pay group E13 (stage 1 in year 1, stage 2 in subsequent years) as per the civil service pay scale (TVöD Bund). In exceptional cases, an additional recruitment bonus may be paid.

Income tax is payable on both salary and special payments. Health insurance, nursing care, pension and unemployment insurance are all obligatory and are automatically deducted. Depending on the individual tax bracket, the net income after deductions can be expected to amount to 2100 EUR on average per month (slightly less in the first year and slightly more in subsequent years).

Unless otherwise noted, projects funded directly by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Science are usually offered under a doctoral support contract, in particular those projects advertised during the yearly call. Contracts are for three years and include 30 days of vacation per year. The first six months of employment constitute a probationary period.

Remuneration dependent on TVöD Bund (applicable at MPI)

TVöD employment contract

A TVöD contract constitutes employment and remuneration according to the Collective Wage Agreement for Government Service Workers. Working hours to perform research for the institute may range from 50 per cent to a higher fraction of the average working week depending on the requirements of the project. Accordingly, the remuneration varies on the same scale from 50 per cent to higher percentages of pay scale E13 (stage 1 in year 1 and stage 2 in years 2 and 3) of the civil service pay scale (TVöD Bund or TV-L West depending on the hiring institution). During other times, students can pursue further aspects of their PhD project and curricular requirements for the successful completion of their PhD degree not immediately connected with their paid research tasks.

Income tax is payable on both salary and special payments. Health insurance, nursing care, pension and unemployment insurance are all obligatory and are automatically deducted. An additional retirement plan is in place (VBL). Depending on the individual tax bracket, the net income after deductions can be expected to amount to approximately 1700 EUR per month for a 50% contract (slightly less in the first year and slightly more in subsequent years). This average will be accordingly higher for higher work hour percentages.

Work for projects funded by third parties may be compensated on the civil service pay scale in the form of a TVöD contract. Advertisement times for such positions may be different from the yearly recruitment cycle times and contracts may have differing start dates. The nominal contract duration should be three years. TVöD contracts currently include 30 days of vacation per year. The first six months of employment constitute a probationary period.

Remuneration according to TVöD Bund (applicable at MPI)
Remuneration according to TV-L West (applicable at University of Göttingen)

Scholarships

A number of third-party foundations and institutions award scholarships to doctoral candidates to financially support them while they do research and study towards their PhD degree. Scholarships may also be called fellowships, stipends or grants. The rates fully or partially cover a student's cost of living and are usually exempt from tax in Germany and are also free of contributions to the social security insurance system. Health insurance is obligatory and must be paid by the stipend holder. As a general rule for grantees participating in the IMPRS financed by a stipend, the funding conditions of the institution awarding the scholarship apply.

From time to time, young scientists who have not yet obtained a PhD degree may be invited to stay at the MPS for a few months as a visiting scientist. In some cases, they would be funded through a Max Planck fellowship in the framewok of the institute's guest programme. The base fellowship in this case would amount to 1365 EUR per month. See also Notes on the Regulations for Doctoral Scholarships of the MPG.

Candidates aspiring to do research at the MPS towards a doctoral degree can continue to raise grants through various other programmes such as scholarships of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), or through institutions in their home countries such as for example the China Scholarship Council (CSC), in order to fund their studies in the framework of the IMPRS. The admission of students to the IMPRS is competitive and applicants bringing their own funds still have to go through the regular selection procedure. Since the applicable deadlines may differ from those of the regular IMPRS recruitment cycle, such applications can also be submitted off-cycle and should in parallel be discussed with potential advisors or the IMPRS coordinator by e-mail.

Finding scholarships: Data base on DAAD funding as well as on funding by other organisations

Postdoctoral wrap-up phase

At the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Science, graduates from the IMPRS are offered short-term postdoc wrap-up positions allowing to them publish the final results from their PhD project and to prepare for their next career step.

Through the Otto Hahn Award, the very best graduates across the Max Planck Society each year get a chance to spend some time abroad then come back to lead a small research group. Beyond this, IMPRS graduates are eligible to apply for longer-term positions advertised by the institute in the framework of its open postdoc programme. Postdocs can also submit a proposal to fund their own position to the DFG, submit proposals for Humboldt Research Fellowships or Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships. If more experienced, there are various options for postdocs to submit a proposal to start their own research group.