JSMC PhD Fellowship

General Requirements

Applicants must have or be about to obtain a Master's degree or a qualification equivalent to the German "Diplom" in Natural Sciences or a related field. The academic performance must be excellent. Students holding a bachelor's degree from a research-oriented institution can also be admitted to the program if they have shown an outstanding performance (e.g. a refereed first author publication).

In addition, a strong interest in examining mechanisms of microbial communication with cutting-edge molecular and chemical techniques is required. Please read the research program to check if your research interests match with the overarching topic of the JSMC.

Candidates should demonstrate adequate competence in the English language.

Recruitment Procedure

Currently, we have 13 PhD fellowships available. Application deadline is June 26, 2008. The application procedure is handled online exclusively via this website .

The JSMC Recruitment is a three-level procedure:

Level 1: Statement of Interest

Acquaint yourself with the PhD projects offered within the 2nd JSMC Recruitment Call. Download, complete, and submit the "Statement of Interest" form . Please do not submit any other documents at this point. Please note that applications can only be considered upon receipt of the completed "Statement of Interest".

Level 2: Full Application

Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application (including CV, college/university credentials, list of publications/theses, passport photo, letters of reference).

Please be prepared to submit your full application within two weeks following the deadline for submission of the "Statement of Interest". However, please DO NOT submit any documents in addition to the completed "Statement of Interest" form BEFORE you are invited to do so.

Level 3: JSMC Recruitment Meeting

Based on the full applications, selected candidates will be invited to attend the JSMC Recruitment Meeting in Jena, Germany. The next JSMC Recruitment Meeting will be held in autumn 2008. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by JSMC.

Successful candidates will be able to start with their JSMC PhD Fellowship as early as November 2008.