Graphic showing three interlocking gears on a blue background. Each gear is labeled with a topic area: “Photonics” (top left, yellow highlight), “Matter to Life” (bottom left, light blue), and “Cognition” (right, white). The gears represent the connection and interaction between these scientific fields.

OUR PROGRAM

The Max Planck Schools are a joint graduate program of currently 27 universities and 35 institutes from non-university research organizations.

Ambitious and promising PhD candidates engage in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in the fields of Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics and study in the context of a unique network, closely supervised by outstanding scientists, who are leaders in their respective field. The PhD candidates benefit from early access to a versatile, first-class research infrastructure and innovative teaching methods, as well as fully financed PhD positions for Bachelor and Master graduates.

Learn more about the Max Planck Schools and join our network of excellence!

Benefit from a number of advantages

OUR OFFER

Our PhD candidates benefit from:

  • cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in the fields of
    Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics;
  • close supervision by outstanding scientists in their respective field;
  • a unique network of leading German universities and non-university research organizations;
  • An integrated MSc and PhD program (or standalone PhD program)
  • early access to first-class research infrastructures and innovative teaching formats;
  • an internationally competitive funding scheme without tuition fees.

Apply every fall to join our program the following year!

Ein stilisiertes Bild zeigt eine Wissenschaftlerin im Laborkittel, die sich auf eine Aufgabe konzentriert.

OUR FELLOWS

Embedded in a unique network of outstanding researchers across Germany, doctoral candidates at the Max Planck Schools pursue their PhDs within prestigious interdisciplinary faculties while conducting groundbreaking research.

Our Fellows are leading scientists who are keen to share their extensive knowledge and support international talents at an early stage of their careers. Through direct interaction, small group mentoring, and access to state-of-the-art infrastructures, they empower the next generation of researchers to excel.

Discover more about our remarkable Fellows and their inspiring research!
 

A graphic design showing a person typing on a laptop. In the upper left corner, there is an illustration of a rocket and a ladder. In the center, the text "KICKSTART YOUR CAREER" appears on a white bar, and at the bottom right, there is a yellow circle with the text "APPLY NOW".

APPLY NOW – until DECEMBER 1

The application phase for the fall 2026 intake has just started and the application portals for the respective Max Planck Schools are now open.

Kick-start your scientific career with our stellar interdisciplinary PhD program and apply now to one of the three Max Planck Schools. For more information on how to apply and which School to choose, please visit our application page. The application portals are open until December 1.

APPLY NOW  - for your future career in Cognition, Matter to Life or Photonics!

THE THREE MAX PLANCK SCHOOLS

A person is wearing an EEG cap with electrodes while a researcher analyzes data on a screen

Max Planck School of Cognition

Cognition research covers topics from disciplines as diverse as psychology, physics, computer science, philosophy, biology and medicine. In this rapidly developing research field scientists with access to the methods and approaches of the various disciplines are in high demand.
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Detailed close-up: A person wearing blue protective gloves carefully manipulates a sample in a petri dish using tweezers

Max Planck School Matter to Life

What, exactly, is life? Can processes, functions and objects related to life be simulated and recreated in the laboratory? These are the overarching questions addressed in the curriculum and research training of the Max Planck School Matter to Life.
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A woman is working focused on a scientific instrument in a laboratory

Max Planck School of Photonics

Photonics is the science of light, enabling numerous modern technologies such as non-contact sensors, quantum computers and energy and information carriers. The Max Planck School of Photonics unites research in many subdisciplines to light up the world.
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NEWS AND EVENTS

AI logo surrounded by abstract circuit lines, indicating technology. A graduation cap symbolizes education in artificial intelligence.

Call for Proposals: A New Max Planck School in AI 

June 27, 2025

The Max Planck Schools are seeking ambitious proposals for the establishment of a new Max Planck School in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The goal is to advance innovative AI models, methods, and tools – in a core scientific discipline outside of computer science – and to create synergies with the three existing Schools Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics. Propose a vision, collaborate with leading scientists and become part of an exceptional graduate program. Submit your concept proposal by August 25, 2025.
 
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Six individuals stand beside a Max Planck Schools banner, holding certificates.

A Historic First

June 23, 2025

Max Planck School Matter to Life Max Planck School of Cognition Max Planck School of Photonics
On June 3, 2025, the Max Planck Schools proudly hosted their first-ever Graduation Ceremony at the Bildungscampus in Heilbronn, honoring exceptional graduates from the three Schools Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics. The event celebrated not only their academic achievements but also the pioneering research conducted by these promising early-career scientists. We extend our warmest congratulations to all graduates on this significant milestone in their careers.
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A rocket rises from an open hand, flanked by cogwheels and a light bulb symbolizing innovation. Lines show growth.

Future-oriented Continuation of the Max Planck Schools

March 13, 2025

Starting in 2025, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation will support the Max Planck Schools – A Joint Graduate Program of German Universities and Research Organizations as a national program under joint leadership of the Max Planck Society and the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). This funding will ensure the continuation of the three existing Schools and their future-oriented development into an innovative career program for international talents. The underlying contract between the Foundation and Max Planck was signed today in Heilbronn.
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The image shows an audience in front of a stage, with floating keywords in the background such as “collaboration,” “creativity,” and “independence.”

“Fostering Connections far Beyond Science”

December 09, 2024

Looking back on the Max Planck Schools Day 2024: For the sixth time in a row, doctoral candidates, Fellows, and representatives of the three Max Planck Schools came together to celebrate the Max Planck Schools Day on September 24 at the Harnack House in Berlin. With this year’s leading theme “Academic Freedom in a Changing International Landscape”, the day was filled with lively discussions on academic freedom, international cooperation, and the responsibilities of science in times of emerging geopolitical challenges – a highlight in the calendar of the three schools, to come together, learn from each other and network.
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An advertisement graphic from the Max Planck School shows a woman in a lab setting. The text on the graphic reads: 'BECOME A FELLOW OF THE MAX PLANCK SCHOOL OF COGNITION, MATTER TO LIFE OR PHOTONICS'. A yellow circle with the text 'APPLY NOW' is located at the bottom right

3rd Fellows Open Call

August 01, 2024

The Max Planck Schools invite outstanding and dedicated scientists to apply for this year's Fellows Open Call. After the last successful call in 2022, the Max Planck Schools are once again offering an excellent opportunity to apply as a Fellow within their joint graduate program. We are looking for outstanding researchers who would like to contribute to the unique scientific network of the Schools and train ambitious international PhD students in three highly interdisciplinary fields: Cognition, Matter to Life and Photonics. Become part of an innovative and inspiring network and apply now as Fellow at the Max Planck Schools!
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Fraunhofer President Holger Hanselka

“Excellent training is a key factor”

July 22, 2024

Max Planck School of Photonics
With an impressive career in science and innovation, Holger Hanselka is a name that is inextricably linked to the German research landscape. As the former President of the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of the nine teaching universities of the Max Planck Schools, the mechanical engineer headed one of Germany's leading universities for many years. In 2023 he became President of the Fraunhofer Society in a role that is also crucial for the Max Planck Schools: heading one of the many key partners of the program. Certainly enough reasons to interview Holger Hanselka for our website!
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