IMPRS EvolBio offers six doctoral projects for September 2027, with applications due 10 January 2027. The graduate school confirms financial support throughout its programme. A current salary amount and exact deadline time zone are not stated in the reviewed guidance.
Funding and programme
The school joins the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Kiel University and GEOMAR. Training generally precedes a three-year doctoral project. Financial support runs throughout the programme; confirm salary, contract duration, insurance and any university charges in an individual offer. English is the programme language, and a beginner German course is offered to international researchers.
Six project choices
- Lizard colour-pattern evolution and development.
- Demographic modelling of island wall-lizard populations.
- Bacterial genome phylogenies for genetic-marker discovery.
- Stochastic evolutionary games in finite populations.
- Modelling sex-specific differences in immunity.
- Mobile genetic elements in parasitic flatworms.
Read the official project descriptions before selecting a supervisor.
Eligibility, documents and application
A relevant master’s or equivalent must be completed before joining. English proficiency is assessed at interview; no official language certificate is required. Apply for at most two projects, preparing a separate application for each.
Combine a project-specific motivation letter of no more than one page, CV, degree records and transcripts, and two referees’ contact details in one PDF. Omit application photographs. Send it to the address given in the official application instructions. Generic letters without a clear project connection are rejected.
Selection and deadline
Applications close on 10 January 2027. No precise cutoff time or time zone is specified. Shortlisting involves online interviews and a final selection symposium; check the official timeline for the current dates.
Applicant guidance from ScholarshipHubNow
Build your letter around a scientific question rather than the institution’s reputation. Explain one relevant project you completed, your own contribution and how its methods prepare you for the selected doctorate. For computational projects, describe modelling or coding evidence; for experimental projects, explain your experience generating and interpreting biological data. These are editorial suggestions, not additional entry requirements.
If two projects fit, compare the actual methods and questions before writing. Replacing only a supervisor’s name in the same letter is unlikely to demonstrate a convincing match. Contact the principal investigator with a focused scientific question if the project description leaves a material uncertainty.
FAQs
Is a salary amount confirmed?
Programme-wide financial support is confirmed, but a current numerical salary has not been verified. Request the terms of your offer.
Can I apply before graduating?
Yes, provided the relevant degree is awarded before the doctorate begins.
Which project should I choose?
Prioritise the strongest connection between your previous research, the advertised methods and your scientific interests.
Apply now: official instructions and submission details
Related opportunities
Compare Leipzig Human Origins, Max Planck Chemical Ecology and Oxford Generative Biology.
Official sources
Programme and funding overview; application procedure; 2027 projects. Checked 25 October 2026. Individual offers and updated provider instructions take precedence.
