Find your PhD position

• Vacant positions
  Apply for one of the vacant positions at Forschungszentrum Jülich
  Career portal – PhD thesis
• Speculative application
  Send an application to one of our 10 institutes relevant to your research interest, even if no open position is currently advertised (speculative application)
  Our institutes
• Graduates schools
  Become a fellow at one of our graduates schools
  Cooperations with partners from science
• Funding programmes
  Apply for national or international funding programmes available in your home country or coordinated by Jülich; in some cases you can complete part of your doctoral project at Jülich and graduate in your home country (sandwich PhD).
  Application opportunities/PhD positions at Jülich
• Research interest
  Talk to a faculty member at your university or to a company about your research interest. Find out whether they have links to Forschungszentrum Jülich or one of its cooperation partners.
• Own means of funding
  If you have your own means of funding, you are welcome to contact our institutes.

If you would like to get in touch and find out whether Jülich could be the right place for you and your research, you can try out our spring or summer school programmes to discover your research topic and possible network partners.
Calendar of our spring and summer school programmes

Excellent conditions for doctoral researchers

As an employee of Forschungszentrum Jülich, you pay health insurance and contributions to a pension fund, etc. You are also entitled to statutory holidays and parental leave, and have full access to all infrastructure and services.

If your research is financed through a scholarship or a work contract with a third party, the contractual conditions depend on the corresponding regulations. You also benefit from the extensive range of seminars and workshops on scientific issues and soft skills topics provided by Forschungszentrum Jülich. A structured PhD programme including a basic curriculum of modules (e.g. good scientific practice, scientific writing and presentation, doing science) will be mandatory for all doctoral researchers from 2019.

Individual support for your academic career

Over the course of your doctoral research, you can attend a variety of events to promote your individual scientific and personal development. The modules are called “Getting it done”, “Team communication”, and “Almost there, preparing for the defense (Rigorosum)” as well as “Career perspectives”, dealing with topics such as funding opportunities, entrepreneurship, and professional paths in and outside of academia after your doctorate.

PhD programmes at Forschungszentrum Jülich are taught in English, which is of benefit for international doctoral researchers. Many Germans speak good English and are interested in getting to know people from abroad.

Tips for your application

When applying for a PhD position make sure to clearly point out your motivation for pursuing a PhD and the reasons for your interest in the specific position in your application letter. Additionally mention all relevant skills and knowledge you already have.

Besides this the following personal skills are essential for pursuing a PhD at Forschungszentrum Jülich: You should have a high degree of independence and commitment and the ability to work proactively of your own accord. In addition to that you should show a very reliable and conscientious way of working which means that you complete tasks in full and work accurately in order to minimize errors. Also the ability to cooperate in a constructive, objective, and trusting relationship with others in interdisciplinary and multinational teams and the willingness to support the group in achieving joint goals is indispensable.