PhD Applications

Everything you need to know about how to apply, and what to expect from our admissions process.

Our call is currently open! Apply through the platform of our partner program, the DIGS-ILS, here! The call will close on 28 October.

Contingent on passing the first evaluation steps, candidates will be invited for half-hour Online Admission Committee interviews 8-12 December 2025.

Candidates who pass the online admission committee interviews are invited as our in-person guests to our Interview Week in Dresden, 3-6 February 2026.

Overview: How to apply

Are you interested in doing your PhD with us? We welcome your application!

IMPRS Research Groups are excited about enthusiastic and courageous junior scientists who wish to join them for doctoral research. If you want to be one of them, apply now!

How to apply

1. Acquaint yourself with our research
2. Make sure that you qualify and are passionate about doing research with us
3. Ask 2 referees to support your application
4. Complete the application form via the DIGS-ILS
5. Submit once your referees have contributed their recommendation

Am I eligible for admission?

You are eligible for our IMPRS if you can answer all questions below with a clear “yes”:

• Do you hold (or anticipate receiving in 2026 at latest), an MSc in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or Engineering?*
• Do you have a high level of spoken and written English?
• Are you genuinely interested in contributing to the specific research viscions of at least one of the research groups in our IMPRS?
• Are you driven by scientific curiosity and the ambition to shape the future of science?
• Can you demonstrate excellent prior academic performance and research experience?
• Will you thrive in a highly interdisciplinary, international, and state-of-the-art environment?
• Do you wish to learn how to take scientific initiative? 
• Are you enthusiastic, collegial, and collaborative?
• Do you have a realistic understanding of the scientific process?
• Do you enjoy empirically navigating uncertainty to do groundbreaking research?

 

_{*Exceptional applicants with BSc-only, but considerable research experience, can be considered. However, please note that the TU Dresden may have additional requirements for BSc-only students as compared to those with an MSc.}

 

Application Process

We recruit PhD Students in a once-yearly joint selection with our partner program, the DIGS-ILS.

Applications are solely accepted via the joint online application system.  Applications, or parts thereof, submitted by any other means will not be considered.

In other terms: You should not directly apply to one of our Research Group Leaders or the Head of the IMPRS.

We hope that this procedure is not too complicated, although there are several steps. If you have any questions, please review our FAQ.

Step-by-Step Online Application Process
 

1. Request an account
   Make sure that the email address you use will remain valid throughout the application process. You will receive access to the online application form immediately.
    
2. Complete Registration & Referee Information
   Here we ask for some personal information (i.e. a CV), as well as contact details of two referees.
   
   Choose your referees carefully: They should be familiar with your research performance (we recommend including the principal investigator(s) who supervised your thesis work). Importantly, they should be people who you can count on to sumbit their letters of reccomendation on-time, as you will not be able to submit your application until they have submitted their letters of reccomendation.
   
   We will automatically invite your referees via email to submit their recommendation online. Receipt of a recommendation will be confirmed via email, and shown in your application overview.
   
   As stated above, receipt of both recommmendations is necessary before you can submit your application (see step 4 below). If necessary, you may add up to two additional referees. However, we advise you to use this option only if absoloutely necessary.
    
3. Write about your Research Experience & Motivation, Upload University Certificates
   You’ll be asked to write about your previous research experience, your motivation to do future research specific to our groups, and upload all your relevant university transcripts. You are not required to outline your exact plans, experiments and analyses for your PhD study, however - we do want to know what is important to you for your PhD.
   
   We strongly encourage you not to use AI and LLMS to write your application!
   
   For ongoing studies, please provide the latest transcript documenting all results obtained to date.
   
   You don’t need to upload TOEFL/IELTS and GRE examination results, but if you have them, you can of course.
    
4. Submission
   Once your online application form is complete, and the two recommendations have been received, you’ll be able to submit.
   
   You will receive an email confirming the successful submission of your application!

 

What happens after online submission?

Candidates who pass the first steps and are shortlisted will be called for online Admission Committee interviews between 8 – 12 December 2025.

Candidates who successfully pass the online Admission Committee interviews will be invited for our in-person interview week in Dresden, 3 – 6 February 2026.